I'm really sorry about the off-topic contents, but I had to post this article
to a high-level groups of people.
Since I use to participate in this list...
So, please, any comments, send it direct to me, so we won't pollute the list
again (I really HAD to deliver this).
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During a recent debate, in the United States, I was questioned about what I
thought of the internationalization of Amazonia (the Rain Forest).
The young man asked me, saying that he was looking for the answer of a
humanist, not a Brazilian.
It was the first time anybody had ever asked for a humanist view as a starting
point for me. In fact, as a Brazilian, I would simply speak against the
internationalization of Amazonia. As far as our government doesn't have the
necessary care for this patrimony, it is ours.
I answered that, as humanist, who fears the risk of degradation of the
environment, which the Rain Forest is suffering, I could imagine its
internationalization, as well as every other thing that is important to
humankind.
If Amazonia, under the humanist point of view, should be internationalized,
the oil reserves around the world should be as well. The oil is as important to
the welfare of humankind as Amazonia is for our future. Besides that, the
reserves owners got themselves the right to increase or decrease the oil
extraction, by lowering or raising its price. The rich of the world feel within
their own rights burning this huge humankind patrimony.
In similar fashion, the finances of rich countries should be
internationalized. If Amazonia is a reserve to all human beings, it can not be
burned by the free will of such owner, nor of such country.
Burning Amazonia is as serious as the unemployment caused by arbitrary
decisions of the global speculators. We can't permit the financial reserves to
be used to burn whole countries led by the delights of speculation.
Even before Amazonia, Id like to see the internationalization of the
world's greatest museums. The Louvre shouldn't belong only to France. Each
museum around the world is a guardian of the most beautiful pieces of art made
by human talent. We cannot leave this cultural patrimony, nor the natural
patrimony of Amazonia to be handled and destroyed by the free will of such
owner or such country.
Not long ago, a Japanese milionaire decided to be buried with a work done
by a grand master. That picture should have been internationalized before that
happened.
At the same meeting they asked me this question, the United Nations was in
the meeting for the Millenium Forum. But presidents of a few contries had
difficulties to arrive, because they had been constrained at the U.S. border.
Because of that, I say that N.Y., as the United Nations Headquarters, should be
internationalized.
At least Manhatann should belong the whole humankind. As well as Paris,
Venice, Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia (Brazils capital - no, its not
Buenos Aires), Recife (another beautiful Brazilian city), each city, with its
own beauty, with its own history, should belong to the whole world.
If the USA wants to internationalize Amazonia, fearing the risk of leaving
it at Brazilian hands, we should internationalize the US nukes. Moreso because
theyve already shown that theyre capable of using such weapons, causing
destruction thousands of times more than the lamentable burns at the Brazilian
forests.
In the debates for the US presidency, the candidates have (had) been
defending the idea of internationalizing the world forest reserves in exchange
for the debt of poor countries. Lets start using this debt to assure that
each child in the world may go to school. Well internationalize the children,
treating them, all of them, regardless of what country they were born, as
patrimony that deserves the care of the entire world - even more than Amazonia
does.
When the world leaders treat the poor kids of the world as a humankind
patrimony, they wont let them work while they should be studying; die when
they should been living.
As humanist, I accept the mission of defending internationalization of the
world .
But, while the world treats me as a Brazilian, Ill fight for the Rain Forest
to be ours. ONLY OURS.
Cristovam Buarque is professor at University of Brasilia, where he was rector
from 1985 to 1989. He was governor of Brazils Federal District from 1995 to
1999. He worked six years at the BID, in Latin America and Washington, DC. Hes
author of 17 books.
translation to English: Romeu de Freitas Flores Jr.
