[04/17/06] MST distributes poem on International Day of Peasant Struggle - 'The Seedlings Broke the Silence'

The MST’s International Relations Sector would like to mark April 17th, International Day of Peasant Struggle, by sharing the following poem with Friends abroad. This poem was written in defense of the March 8th action (International Women’s Day) in which 2,000 women of La Via Campesina occupied and destroyed a eucalyptus nursery belonging to the cellulose corporation, Aracruz Cellulose. Since then, 37 rural activists have been indicted for their participation in the act.

Friends have been asked to read the poem and send a copy to Rio Grande do Sul’s Governor, head of the state in which La Via Campesina conducted the March 8th action. Contact information provided [AT END OF POEM].

More background is available at:
http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=researchforlife
http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=node/299

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Manifest of Men and Women in Solidarity with the Peasant Women of La Via Campesina

THE SEEDLINGS BROKE THE SILENCE

There was a sepulchral silence

over the eighteen thousand hectares stolen
from the tupi-guarani peoples
over ten thousand quilombola families
evicted from their territories
over millions of litters of herbicides
poured in the plantations

There was a promiscuous silence

over the chlorine used
for whitening paper
producing carcinogenic toxins which affect
plants, animals and people.
over the disapearence
of more than four hundred bird species
and forty mammals
in the north of Espírito Santo

There was an insurmountable silence

about the nature of a plant
that consumes thirty liters of water/day
and does not give flowers or seeds
about a plantation that produced billions
and more billions of dollars
for just a half a dozen gentlemen

There was a thick silence

over thousands of hectares accumulated
in Espirito Santo, Minas, Bahia
and Rio Grande do Sul

There was an accomplice silence

over the destruction of the Atlantic Forest and the pampas
due to the homogenous cultivation of a single tree:
eucalyptus

There was a bought silence

over the voluptuousness for profit
Yes, there was a global silence
over Sweedish capital
over Norwegian companies
over large national stalls

Finally,
there was an immense green desert
in concert with silence

II

Suddenly,
thousands of women got together
and destroyed seedlings
the oppression and lie

The seedlings shouted
all of a sudden
and no less than suddenly
the smile of bourgeoisies became amazement
became a grimace, disorientation

III

The order raised incredulous
crying out progress and science
imprecating in vulgar terms
obscenity and bad language

Newspapers, radios, magazines,
the Internet and TV,
and advertisers
well spoken businessmen
crawling advisers
clever technicians
reluctant governments
the yelling right
and all the centre extremists
in chorus, echo,
assemblies and declarations
to defend capital:
“They cannot break the silence!‿
And cried for beheading!

IV

Suddenly
no less than suddenly
thousands of women
destroyed the silence

On that day
the so called Aracruz’ land
the women from Via Campesina
were our gesture
were our voice.

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Please send to –
Governor Germano Rigoto: agenda@gg.rs.gov.br

Copies to –
Claudia Avila (attorney in charge of the case of the women from Via)
claudiamavila@via-rs.net

Daniel Cassol,
Journalist from the Solidarity Committee in Rio Grande do Sul
dbcassol@yahoo.com.br

Women’s World March which is
Coordinating the National Campaign
sof@sof.org.br

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This is the list of those indicted by the Police. The Public Attorney has not made any comments yet (but he is more “right extremist‿ than the Police) and it has not being handed to the Judge

1.. Adriana Maria Mezadri
2.. Luciana Maria Passinato Piovesan
3.. Luci Luiza Piovesan Rodrigues
4.. Noemi Margarida
5.. Corinne Chantal Dobler - Suiça - esava como voluntaria com o movimento de mulheres camponesas
6.. Salete Girardi
7.. Fatima Girardi
8.. Elisiane de Fatima Jane
9.. Loiva Lourdes Rubenich
10.. Paul Charles Nicholson - Espanhol - dirigente d avia campesina internacional
11.. Juara Ferrer de Sanches - Rep. Dominicana - secretaria geral da CLOC
12.. Henry Saragih - indonésia Secretario geral da via campesina internacional.
13.. Irma Maria Ostrosky
14.. Fabio Augusto de Medeiros Lopes
15.. Maria Leda Sommer
16.. Marcelo Lucas da Silva
17.. Manoela Nicodemos Bailosa
18.. João Pedro Stédile
19.. Marise da Rosa Guaragni
20.. Gomercindo Gonçalves
21.. Celio Roberto Teixeira Pinheiro
22.. Juberley da Silva Mendes
23.. Nerci Lourdes Veiga da Silva
24.. Luciana de Brito Luz
25.. Clarice Rosa Luz
26.. Marcia Teresinha D´Avila
27.. Matilde Luíza dos Santos
28.. Geovane Marlisa Moer
29.. Rute Flores Ribeiro
30.. Edson Jair Paixao Madril
31.. Julia Teles
32.. Oracelia Ribeiro Chaves
33.. Maria Rodrigues
34.. Maria Leonor Batista
35.. Lisamara Souza Rodales
36.. Maria Selena Ferreira Rodales
37.. Ofélia Madril