Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeCountriesBrazilThe Amazon: Crowd-funding Campaign for Justice for the Munduruku

The Amazon: Crowd-funding Campaign for Justice for the Munduruku

-

The documentary film made by LAB editors Nayana Fernandez and Sue Branford has led directly to a crowd-funding initiative, to support the Munduruku Indians in defending their sacred territory in the Amazon Rainforest, and hence  their way of life. Here are the details. You can access the campaign to support or donate here.
Help the Munduruku Indians on their struggle for respect of the Indigenous rights. You can read the proposal in Portuguese here.

The Brazilian government is embarking on a far-reaching plan to build a network of dams accross the Amazon, destroying biodiversity and disrupting the way of life of thousands of Amerindians and other local populations. Now that the work is well under way on the huge Belo Monte dam on the Xingu river, the government is pushing ahead with its next big project – a series of dams on the Tapajos river. But 12,000 Munduruku Indians, long feared as warriors, live here and are fighting back.
Currently, their main efforts are focussed on the autonomous process of mapping out their ancestral territory in the northern Brazilian Amazon, and prevent its destruction. This landmark mission was iniciated last Outubro 17, 2014, after 13 years waiting for official recognition from the Brazilian Government. In a partnership among five groups that share and expand a discourse in favour of the Indigenous authonomy, this crowdfunding campaign was developed. Together, the Munduruku organizations “Iperêg Ayû”, “Da’uk” and “Pahyhyp”, the production of the documentary “The Munduruku Indians: Weaving Resistance” (MiráPorã), and the collective “Amazônia em Chamas” can support the Munduruku people on their struggle for justice and peace on their sacred land.

What We Need

This campaign aims to raise funds with main three objectives: (Listed in order of priority) 1) To support the process of marking the boundaries of DAJE KAPAP EYPI – I`ECUG`AP KARODAYBI territory (transport and food for 30 Indians); 2) To legalize two Munduruku Associations: Dauk and Pahyhyp (legal costs, transport and acommodation for 6 Indians); 3) To translate and dub the documentary “Munduruku Indians: Weaving resistance” and a series of videos by “Amazônia em Chamas” to the Munduruku language, and to distribute them; ADITIONAL OBJECTIVETo build up a web-portal, in partnership with the Munduruku groups and their supporters mentioned above, to inform a broader public of the Munduruku process of struggle against the destructive and violating Brazilian government plans. The web portal project is designed for one year management, content and translations into Portuguese and English languages.

About the projects

__________________________________
1) Support in the process of demarcation (marking out the boundaries) of DAJE KAPAP EYPI – I`ECUG`AP KARODAYBI landAfter 13 years waiting for the ‘demarcation’ of this land and never being listened to by any Brazilian government, the Munduruku Indians, inhabitants of DAJE KAPAP EYPI land, which serves the populations at Middle and Upper Tapajós River, have started the autonomous process of marking out their land, last October 17th, 2014. To learn more, please read: 1st OPEN LETTER ON THE SELF-PROCLAMATION OF DAJE KAPAP EYPI INDIGENOUS TERRITORYHowever, the Munduruku Indians need support.With this campaign, our FIRST OBJECTIVE is to assist 30 Munduruku Indians from the Movement “Iperêg Ayû” to reach the location of the vast DAJE KAPAP EYPI lands and help to mark out their boundaries.
__________________________________
2) To legalize the Munduruku Associations “DA’UK” and “PAHYHYP”To work on their own campaigns, to deal directly with government, and so on, it is a must to have their associations legalized. The SECOND OBJECTIVE of this campaign is to raise funds to take some of their leaders to the nearest town and pay for the legal costs of obtaining legal status for their associations.
__________________________________
3) Translation, dubbing and distribution of “Munduruku Indians: Weaving Resistance” documentary and the filming material of “Amazônia em Chamas” collective.

It is important that “The Munduruku Indians: Weaving Resistance” documentary and the video material by the “Amazônia em Chamas” collective are translated and dubbed into the originary language of the Munduruku people. This is the only way the mayority of the Munduruku who do not speak or read Portuguese language can check the video projects and better understand what has been happening to other regions within the Munduruku territory.Apart from that, the THIRD OBJECTIVE of this campaign is to raise funds to distribute the dubbed video material to all Munduruku communities,  as well as to send it to film festivals, social centres, schools and universities in other regions in Brazil and abroad.Watch the documentary’s full version in English and other works by “MiráPorã” in the region here.Check the video material by “Amazônia em Chamas” here (in Portuguese). __________________________________ EXTRA OBJECTIVE An extra project was created for this campaign, to be achieved after the main objectives, above, are reached: A Web PortalBecause it is vital to inform a broader public of their present process of struggle against the destructive and violating Brazilian government plans along the Tapajós basin, a web portal both in Portuguese and in English will be designed in collaboration of the groups involved in this campaign. The web portal aims to provide a historical timeline, maps, legal documents, news and videos on the Munduruku people and their struggle. It will be created and its content managed in direct collaboration with some Munduruku leaders from the organizations mentioned above, and disseminated with the support of local groups and partners in Europe, such as Combate Racismo Ambiental and Latin America Bureau.This EXTRA OBJECTIVE is intended to finance the construction of the portal, which will include a week visit of five (5) members of “MiráPorã” and “Amazônia em Chamas” to some of the Munduruku villages for the discussion of the structure and content, and also t o fund its management for a year. _________________________________ PERKS Supporters of this campaign will have the rare opportunity to get traditional Munduruku necklaces made by the Indians themselves, authenticated by members of the two associations supported by this campaign (check the video above with the message from the Munduruku warriors). In addition, the rest of the team we’ll also offer: 1. DVD copies of the 25min documentary “The Munduruku Indians: Weaving Resistance”;2. An “Amazônia em Chamas” collective packadge containing two publications, a collection of videos and a IPI IBUIXY IKUKAP map, built by “Laboratório de Cartografia” in conjunction with the Munduruku movement “Iperêg Ayû” in their II Assembly, in 2013;3. A mp3 file of “Whispers” by the musicians Kushal Gaya (“Zun Zun Egui” & “Melt Youself Down”) and Jennifer Sutton (“Pigeon Heroes”);4. An A3 copy of an image of the Munduruku protest at the “Public Consultation” event in Jacareacanga, September 29th, 2013. Image by Nayana Fernandez, taken during the shooting of “The Munduruku Indians: Weaving Resistance”. In July 2014, this photo was exhibited at Amnesty International in London.ANDThe most generous donors will receive personalized perks, made in the Munduruku villages. _________________________________
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
1) To support the process of demarcation of DAJE KAPAP EYPI – I’ECUG’AP KARODAYBI territoryTravel expenses (30 Indians): USD 4 200 Food during the travels (30 Índians): USD 1 200Sub-total: USD 6 400
2)To legalise two Munduruku Associations: DAUK and PAHYHYP: Including legal costs, transport and acommodation for 3 members of each association  to the nearest town for two days DAUK: USD 1 200 Pahyhyp: USD 985Sub-total: USD 2 185
3) To translate and dub the 25min documentary, and to distribute itTravel expenses (3 people/week): USD 1 650 Accomodation + Food (3 people/week): USD 1 000 Translation and dubbing: USD 1 500 Editing, duplication, printing and postal expenses of 1000 DVDs: USD 3 200Sub-total: USD 7 350

Perks and postal expenses: USD 1 200

General sub-total: USD 16 135

TOTAL + Indiegogo taxes: USD 18 072

__________________________________ EXTRA OBJECTIVE

– Portal Web

Visit of another 2 members of the groups above to some of the Munduruku villages (to be developed in the same period as in the third objective): Travel expenses + accomodation to reach the nearest town : USD 1 195 Boat rental and fuel to reach the villages: USD 790Tecnical development and management for a year: Domain (year): USD 50 Design: USD 920 Internet and other communication expenses: USD 920 Content (year): USD 2 195 Social Media and communication (year): USD 2 195 Translations (24 pieces / year): USD 2 195Total: USD 10 465

__________________________________

IMPORTANT:
If this campaign does not raise the full amount sought, we will only support the respective projects funded, listed above by priority. Any additional funds will be donated to the Munduruku associations.

This article is funded by readers like you

Only with regular support can we maintain our website, publish LAB books and support campaigns for social justice across Latin America. You can help by becoming a LAB Subscriber or a Friend of LAB. Or you can make a one-off donation. Click the link below to learn about the details.

Support LAB