Number 255, December 05, 1996.

ECOLOGY

- Link suspected between high suicide rate and use of agro-toxics.

A wave of suicides which may be associated with the intensive use of agro-toxics in rural areas has hit the Valley of the River Pardo in the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the Arapiraca region of the State of Alagoas according to the 'Folha de Sao Paulo' of November 29.

In the municipality of Venancio Aires in Rio Grande do Sul, 21 people committed suicide during 1995 - this is a ratio of 37.22 people per 10 thousand residents. The number of suicides in the municipality has been increasing - in 1994, 9 were recorded and 11 in 1993. The situation in Venancio Aires ( population of 55 thousand) is typical of other municipalities in the region such as Santa Cruz do Sul, Lajeado and Candelaria. Tobacco growing is the chief economic activity in the region. The Interdisciplinary Survey and Action Group in Agriculture and Health (GIPAS) of the state capital, Porto Alegre, presented a document to the Commission of Citizenship and Human Rights of the State Legislature which claims that there is a possibility of a link between the high suicide rate in the region and the extensive use of agro-toxics.

Experts who worked on the document claim that poisoning by agro-toxics widely used in the region can lead to physical and mental problems such as anxiety, irritability, loss of memory and depression - all key ingredients in a suicide attempt. "Clearly there may be other causes but the link between suicides and agro-toxics needs to be investigated" commented Dr. Joao Werner Falk, professor at the medical school of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and one of the authors of the report. Even though suicide rates are unusually high in Venancio Aires, the local hospital has no psychiatrist. The hospital administrator commented that during the tobacco planting season the medical staff attend 8 to 10 cases of poisonings by agro-toxics each day.

At the other end of the country, in Arapiraca, State of Alagoas, 28 people or 16 per 100 thousand inhabitants have taken their own lives so far this year. This figure is five times the suicide rate for the state. Most committed suicide by drinking agro-toxics. All who committed suicide here have one thing in common - they either use agro-toxics or live in houses where it was used close to the house. Medical statistics in the municipality show that a further 47 people needed to be treated for agro-toxic poisoning so far this year. Arapiraca is also a tobacco producing region known as 'the tobacco capital' in the region.

The trade union representing rural workers in the municipality claims the suicide rate is in fact higher because numerous cases have not been registered. The Bayer S.A. company which manufactures Tamaron, one of the agro-toxics widely used in Arapiraca, withdrew the sale of the product in November in the State of Alagoas. This product which used a red band (signifying that it is extremely poisonous), had the band color changed to yellow (highly poisonous) by an order of the Ministry of Health in 1992. Seven other similar products are manufactured by other companies and are available in the municipality.

A representative of the Brazilian Association of Tobacco Industries commented that the suspicion of a link between suicide and the use of agro-toxics "is totally an exaggeration of those who think that crops can be grown without the use of such products".

On December 02, the 'Folha' also reported that a survey carried out by the Biological Institute of Sao Paulo discovered that 58.3% of samples of strawberries analyzed between 1978 and 1995 contained residues of agro-toxics. Of this total, 19.4% contained residues of agro-toxics which are not permitted for this crop such as methamidophos, endosulfan, chlorothmidophus, dicofol and tetradion. None of these products were registered with the Ministries of Agriculture and Health for use in the cultivation of strawberries. One of the products - endosulfan (organoclorado) was banned for use in Brazil in 1985 but returned for emergency use in coffee, cocoa-nut, wheat and soy plantations.

- Update: Asian lumber companies in the Amazon.

In our September 25 edition we reported that Asian lumber companies had invested approximately US $500 million in the Amazonian region during 1996. Two Malaysian companies - the WTK company and the Samling Strategic Corporation as well as the Chinese Tianjin Fortune Company were responsible for the greater part of the investment. The entry of such large companies into the region worried environmentalists since the companies in question have been responsible for the widespread devastation of forest areas in Asia.

According to recent reports, the Minister for Industry in Malaysia, Len Keng Yaiak, who visited Brazil towards the end of November informed the president of the Commission for the Environment in the National Congress, Deputy Gilney Vianna, that the WTK lumber company was invited to Brazil by the Governor of the State of Amazonia, Amazonino Mendes. In brazil, the company is based in Carauari. The Minister expressed his surprise at the negative reaction given to the arrival of the WTK company by politicians and the press. He explained that in his country each state had the power to define environmental policies and initially he believed that the situation in the Amazon was similar. Deputy Viana plans to visit Malaysia to inspect locally how lumber companies have treated environmental questions.

LAND ISSUES

- MST announces escalation in land occupation during 1997.

According to news reports in recent days, the leadership of the Movement of Landless Rural Families (MST) decided last week-end at a meeting in the Pontal de Paranapanema region that land occupations by the landless would increase next year. The MST claims that the majority of exappropriations of ranches to be used in agrarian reform projects were carried out only after such areas had been occupied - "The government has only acted under pressure. The occupation of unproductive ranches is our principal instrument in bringing about an agrarian reform" commented one of the 108 leaders present at the meeting. He pointed to the example of the Pontal de Paranapanema region in Sao Paulo where such pressure has ensured the exappropriation of 38 ranches.

Jose Rainha Jr., one of the national leaders of the MST commented that if the occupations have become one of the principal tactics used by the organization the fault is of the government. He claims that if the government carried out what the constitution of the country requires - agrarian reform on lands not used for production and on public lands, there would be no cause for rural tension.

The reply of the Minister of Land Policy, Raul Jungmann to the MST announcement was to comment that in 1997 he would respond to occupations by the speedy passing of a law in the National Congress which will exclude such occupied areas from the list of possible locations where landless families can be settled. The Rural Democratic Union (UDR) which represents the large land-owners also commented that it received the MST announcement with 'apprehension'.

- "The People of the Quilombos" : a new documentary on Afro-Brazilian Rainforest communities.

"We have respected the Rainforest for over 300 years. If they win, they will destroy it because of their greed and lust for bigger profits. They are the wealthy giants. We want to keep our land and our way of life. They want to displace us and condemn our children to the Shantytowns. We are not rich, but no one goes hungry".....

So speak the people of Ivaporunduva, one of the eighteen Quilombos of the valley of the River Ribeira in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Quilombos are communities of descendants of escaped slaves brought to Brazil from Africa.

The recently released documentary "The People of the Quilombos" illustrates the life and death struggle of these people faced with powerful economic forces which would construct four dams on the river deep in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil. Such projects would drive the Quilombo inhabitants off their land where their ancestors found refuge during the early days of slavery. The dams, if constructed, would flood large areas of the Rainforest and destroy important historical sites.

The 29 minutes documentary was produced and launched by Miryam Productions, Inc. while SEJUP was responsible for research. It will be shown on PBS TV stations in the US in early 1997. If you would like to receive more information about the documentary or are interested in acquiring a copy, contact:

Miryam Productions, Inc.,

5770 Crestview Drive,

Paradise,

CA 95969,

U.S.A.

Phone (916) 978 0505

INDIGENOUS ISSUES

- Newsletter of the Missionary Indigenous Council (CIMI).

Newsletter n. 237

JUDGMENT OF VICENTE CANAS CASE IS POSTPONED AGAIN

The fifth attempt to hold an audience to hear prosecution witnesses of the murder of Jesuit and Cimi's missionary Vicente Canas on Wednesday, November 20, in Juina, state of Mato Grosso, was once again frustrated. For the second time, one of the defendants, former police officer Ronaldo Antonio Osmar, produced a medical certificate - without justifying his illness - to avoid the audience. The request was quickly accepted by judge Marcos Martins Siqueira. The other three defendants didn't even justify their absence. Without the defendants and their respective lawyers, the session cannot be held. The new date fixed for the audience is 8 April 1997.

In Cimi's opinion, the postponement of the audience is irrefutable evidence that the accused individuals are betting on impunity as an institution. Coincidentally, however, the date fixed for it is close to the one on which ten years will have gone by since the murder occurred. The crime was committed between the 6th and the 7th of April 1987, but the body was only found on May 16. Two years later, the skull of the Jesuit was mysteriously found by a child in a public square in Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais. During the proceedings, various indigenous leaders who were prosecuting witnesses received death threats. The death threats received by Cimi's coordinator in the state of Mato Grosso, Sebastiao Moreira, may also be due to his pressing for the audience to be held. The climate is tense in the region.

Jesuit Vicente Canas was a Spanish naturalized Brazilian who had been working with indigenous peoples for 20 years. At the time of his death, he was living with the Enawene-Nawe people, who named him Kiwxi, and was helping to define the Saluma~ indigenous area.

CAPOIB TALKS TO JESSE JACKSON

Kaingang Indian Juvino Sales was the representative of the Council for the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations in Brazil (Capoib) to an audience granted by reverend Jesse Jackson on Wednesday, November 20. Jackson is in Brazil to attend the festivities in celebration of the National Day of Black Consciousness. The speech delivered by the Kaingang Indian was intensely applauded by a packed auditorium at the Palmares Foundation, the organizer of the meeting. Juvino Sales told the reverend that the greatest challenge for indigenous peoples in Brazil was to remain alive, fighting for the demarcation of their lands. Capoib's representative called on

Jackson to become an ally of the indigenous movement in Brazil.

HORTA IS INFORMED ON ACCUSATIONS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIANS

While in Brazil, Nobel Prize Laureate Jose Ramos Horta attended on Thursday, November 21, various meetings with parliamentarians and representatives of organized civil society. The event was sponsored by the Human Rights Committee of the Legislative Assembly of Sao Paulo. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the situation of human rights in the world and, particularly, to disseminate the fight of East Timor against the dominion of Indonesia. Cimi took part in the meeting and delivered the "Report on Violence Against Indigenous Peoples in Brazil: 1994-1995" to Horta, asking the Nobel Prize Laureate to disseminate the accusations contained therein.

Brasilia, 21 November 1996

HEALTH ISSUES

- High rate of AIDS amongst armed forces.

The first AIDS case in the Brazilian armed forces was diagnosed in 1983. Between then and 1992 an average of 19.7 new cases in the armed forces were diagnosed each year in Rio de Janeiro alone. The largest number of registered cases in Brazil was in 1991 - 121 in the navy and 76 in the army. During 1996, 34 new cases have been registered in the navy and 16 in the army.

According to data supplied by the Central Army hospital, 58.43% of the AIDS cases are amongst recruits. Just over 12% are amongst officers who decided to have an army career. There is a total of 146.7 thousand members in the armed forces. Statistics for last month showed that 1396 (0.95% of the total membership) had the HIV virus. This compares to 0.17% in the male civil population in the Brazilian population infected with the virus - according to Ministry of Health statistics, 61.3 thousand men between 15 and 44 have been infected.

An AIDS test is compulsory for members of the army, navy and air force who decide to entry the military academies and make a career in the forces. 96% of the navy members have opted to make this their career and are required to take such tests every three years until they are 40. Between 40 and 50 years the tests are taken every two years. Tests are not compulsory for recruits into the forces.

During last July, the Ministry of Health carried out a survey amongst 23.8 thousand army recruits which showed much confusion regarding AIDS and lack of care in its' prevention. 53.1% believed that they could be infected with the HIV virus by using public toilets. A further 48.4% believed that it could be contracted by insect bites and 52.9% believed that they could be infected in swimming pools. 13.8 thousand of the young recruits admitted in the anonymous survey that they had maintained sexual relations with various partners. Only 40.3% replied that they always use condoms. 98.6% were aware that AIDs is fatal and 94.9% knew the chief preventative measures to avoid infection. Nevertheless 49.3% admitted to having unprotected sex during the twelve month period prior to the survey.

(Based on reports in the 'Folha de Sao Paulo' on November 30, December 03 and 04, 1996)

- Number of women with HIV virus in Sao Paulo increases.

The number of women being contaminated by the HIV virus and the relationship of this group to the use of injectable drugs is the principal preoccupation of the State Secretariat for Health in Sao Paulo in the combat of AIDS according to a 'Folha de Sao Paulo' report on November 30.

According to statistics released on November 29, there are 10.49 women per 100 thousand inhabitants in the State of Sao Paulo infected by the HIV virus. This compares to 10.42 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 1995. 1790 cases of women infected by the virus were registered in the state last year. Expectations are that the number for this year will be higher. The use of drugs is seem as being principally responsible for this trend. 28.14% of cases registered amongst women this year in the State of Sao Paulo were due to infection during the use of infected syringes. This compares to 26.9% due to heterosexual relationships.

Since 1980, 9624 cases of women in the State of Sao Paulo infected by the virus have been registered and 39757 cases of men similarly infected - a total of 49381. The last statistics were presented in May and showed a total of 45425 people infected. A spokesperson from the Health Secretariat commented that this indicates that contamination is happening at approximately the same rate as previously - almost a thousand cases per month with a tendency to increase 20% annually. According to statistics of the Ministry of Health, 88099 cases of people infected by the HIV virus have been registered in all of Brazil since 1980. Of this total 16652 (18.9% of the total) are women.

- Work accident increase again.

Official statistics show that work accidents are once again on the increase in Brazil after an eight year period of decrease. During 1995, 424137 such accidents were reported - an increase of 9.22% on 1994. The number of deaths in such accidents also increased during the same period by 23.7% from 3129 in 1994 to 3967 in 1995.

Experts in the area agree that statistics on work accidents in Brazil are not reliable. Calculations are that only one in every four accidents are reported. In this case approximately 1.6 million work accidents took place last year. "The Brazilian statistics are distorted. They do not include for example workers in the informal sector" commented Therezinha Correa of the Unimed company which offers health plans. According to Remigio Todeschini of the Sole Central Trade Union (CUT) many companies do not officially register work accidents in order to escape the legal consequences. For example, after such an accident the worker is guaranteed work stability for a twelve months period according to law. Many companies for such reasons prefer to help the injured worker financially instead of reporting the accident.

Experts also believe that such accidents cost the country approximately US $4 billion annually and link the recent increase to the economic crisis. In other years when the economic crisis was acute (for example 1984 and 1987) companies cut on costs and did not invest on the prevention of work accidents.

(Source: 'Folha de Sao Paulo', November 30, 1996)

CHURCHES

- New profile emerging of Brazilian clergy.

A slow but definite change has been modifying the profile of the Catholic clergy in recent years which is becoming more Brazilian. In 1970 of a total of 13092 priests working in Brazil, 41% were foreigners. In 1995, there were 15310 priests in the country - 23% of this total were foreigners.

During the last 25 years the number of diocesan clergy has increased significantly while the number of clergy belonging to religious congregations and orders has diminished. In 1970 for every diocesan priest there were 1.6 priests belonging to congregations and orders. Last year the rate was approximately 1 to 1. On a world scale the ratio is 2 to 1 in favor of diocesan clergy. "The Church is becoming more Brazilian and with this is less dependent on foreign ideas for pastoral service" commented Fr. Evandro Ruiz, executive secretary of the Center of Religious Statistics and Social Investigation (CERIS). "There is a decrease in dependency in relation to foreign models such as style of work, finances and even in the manner of being Church. It is not healthy to have had 500 years of a Catholic history with half of the priests still foreigners" commented Fr. Edenio Valle who for six years served as president of the Conference of Brazilian Religious (CRB) to which all congregations and orders in Brazil are affiliated.

According to anthropologist Rubens Cesar Fernandes of the Institute for the Study of Religion (ISER) the great challenge for the Brazilian Church has been to have northeastern and afro-brazilian priests whose profile would not only be more Brazilian but also closer to the majority of the people who go to church. A 1993 survey carried out by the Brazilian Catholic Bishop's Conference (CNBB) shows that in fact this may be slowly happening. In that year 32.5% of the seminarians were from the north, north-east and center-west of the country as compared to 10% in 1982. In states which traditionally provided more candidates for the seminaries such as Santa Catarina, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo, numbers of seminarians decreased by 6%. According to the coordinator of the CNBB survey, Fr. Alberto Antoniazzi, "until the 1960s, the Church recruited more from the middle class as well as amongst the sons of European immigrants in the south of the country. Today this has changed and seminarians are no longer young boys but youth over 18 years of age who have completed high school and prefer the diocesan option because they feel this is more autonomous".

At the moment Brazil has one priest per 7500 Catholics. This compares to one priest per 3965 Catholics in Africa; 1 per 1030 in North America; 1 per 1311 in Europe and 1 per 2586 in Asia. The number of priests ordained in Brazil has increased by 1.5% on an annual basis during the last decade - there has been an average of 268 ordinations per year during the period. This increase has not been sufficient to cater for the population growth in the country. If the ordinations have increased during the last decade, an average of 38 priests have resigned from the ministry, 54 returned to their own countries and 100 died each year (a total of 192 - 76 less than the increase through the ordination of young priests). There are approximately 3 thousand priests who have resigned from the ministry living in Brazil at the moment.

(Source: 'Folha de Sao Paulo', December 01, 1996)

- Church launches its new millennium plan of evangelization.

A plan for evangelization until the year 2000 was launched officially by the Catholic Church on December 01 in the Candelaria church in down-town Rio de Janeiro. The choice of the church for the launching ceremony was symbolic because here eight street children were massacred on July 23, 1983 as they slept on the side-walk. The accused of the massacre, most of whom are military police, are being brought to trial at the moment.

The plan will give priority to the question of civil rights during 1997; to social rights during 1998 and to economic rights during 1999. During each year a different religious topic will be emphasized and this will give rise to an intensive program of catechetics and adult education. Four aspects of personal living will also be emphasized during this period - personal testimony, service emphasising the importance of the human person, dialogue especially with other religious groups and the announcement of the gospel.

- Religious leaders receive important awards.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns and Rabbi Henry Sobel, President of the Jewish Community in Sao Paulo received the Citizenship awards from the PNBE (an organization representing industry) on December 03. Cardinal Arns received the award in recognition of his work with the excluded, for his dedication to the question of rights and citizenship and for his defense of public and individual rights during the military regime (1964-1985). Rabbi Sobel received the award in recognition of his work in the area of human rights, and for his efforts to integrate the Christian and Jewish communities in a joint action in favor of street children and senior citizens.

On December 10, Cardinal Arns will be awarded the 1966 Franz Castro Holzwarth prize by the Order of Brazilian Lawyers (OAB) of Sao Paulo in recognition for his work in the area of human rights.

EDUCATION

- 10% of all Brazilian children do not attend school.

2.7 million or 10% of all children in the 7 to 14 age group are not in school in Brazil according to the 'Folha de Sao Paulo' of December 05. 78% of this total live in the north and north-east of the country especially in urban areas. 30% of the Brazilian population in the 7 to 14 age bracket live in the north-east. In the nine northeastern states there are 1.4 children who are not at school; in the south-east there are 700 thousand.

One of the reasons for the high number of non school attendance is the lack of class-room space. A survey carried out by the Ministry for Education and the World Bank showed that if new investments in school construction are not made immediately in the north-east by 1999 the region will have a deficit of between 27 thousand and 31.7 thousand classrooms. To resolve the shortage of classroom space in urban areas alone it would be necessary to build 23 thousand classrooms. The States of Bahia and Ceara have the greatest classroom deficit closely followed by Maranhao and Alagoas. However some progress has been made this last year. There are 1.9% more children in school in the north-east this year than during 1995. Bahia and Ceara - the states which have the greatest deficit of classroom space, registered an increase of 3.8% and 4% respectively of children in school when 1995 is compared to 1996.

- Violence threatens to close schools.

Roberto Augusto Torres Lima, president of UDEMO (an organization of school directors in the State of Sao Paulo) announced during the last week that night courses in many of the 6700 public schools in the state are in danger of closure because of increasing violence which has affected many of the schools.

A survey carried out in 1995 by UDEMO showed that 46% of schools in the Greater Sao Paulo area have been invaded and extensive damage has been caused in many such cases. The State Secretariat for Education admits that there has been an increase of 500% in the number of guns found on students and shots fired within schools.

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