ProtestBlog.org Last 5 Years
Murders of environment and land defenders hit a record high in 2020, vicious greed and destruction spurred on still further by the pandemic, with resources increasingly scarce, murder is seen as the best solution by those who do the killing, largely unopposed: mercenary murderers paid by the loggers, the miners, the ranchers, and in some cases government officials. Global Witness testifies that 227 people were killed in 2020 while trying to protect forests, rivers and other ecosystems upon which they and their families depend for a livelihood. Ultimately, all of us also depend on the same air, rivers, and trees, for our own survival. The murder of Land, Environment, and Water Defenders, is the slow . or not so slow - assasination of us all.
All but one of the deadly attacks against Land and Environment Defenders in 2020 took place in the Global South, where penalties meeted out to those who assasinate poor people are minimal at best. Almost all of these murders have gone unpunished, and this will in all likelihood remain the case. Until we can develop some type of global system of justice to protect the earth from further rape and pillage - our only chance - these kinds of murders at the hand of mercenary assasins paid by logging, ranching, and mining interests will continue. Unless government officials who also profit from these same operations are held accountable, our efforts to save the planet are, in the words of Jesus, like putting new wine into old wineskins. Unless we are able to stem the tide of murder of those who are the bravest, the least afraid to speak out, soon, there will be no voices left capable of giving testimony to the end of us all.
Indigenous communities have had to endure more than a third of the killings in 2020, despite accounting for only 5% of the world population. This should make all of us reflect on the true nature of the problem, and the best way to go about finding sustainable solutions.
#indigenouspeoples #globalsouth #landdefenders #waterdefenders #environmentprotectors #murderoflanddefenders #protestblog #assasination #murder2020
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