Post by blackcrowheart on Sept 5, 2007 14:06:49 GMT -5
Brazil Offers Internet Access to Indians
By PETER MUELLO
The Associated Press
Friday, March 30, 2007; 3:48 AM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Brazil's government said it will provide free
Internet access to native Indian tribes in the Amazon in an effort to help
protect the world's biggest rain forest.
The environment and communications ministers signed an agreement Thursday
with the Forest People's Network to provide an Internet signal by satellite to
150 communities, including many reachable only by riverboat, allowing them to
report illegal logging and ranching, request help and coordinate efforts to
preserve the forest.
The goal is to "encourage those peoples to join the public powers in the
environmental management of the country," Francisco Costa of the Environment
Ministry said in a statement. "The government intends to strengthen the Forest
People's Network, a digital web for monitoring, protection and education."
The Ministry said city and state governments must first install telecenters
with computers in selected areas, including indigenous lands. The federal
government will then provide the satellite connection.
The areas in 13 states, including the Pantanal wetlands and the poor
northeast, were chosen by the Environment Ministry, the National Indian Foundation,
or Funai, and the government environmental protection agency Ibama, the
ministry said.
Francisco Ashaninka, a native Indian from the Ashaninka tribe who works for
the western Acre state government, said the arrival of Internet was a success
for the Forest People's Network, created in 2003.
He said there are currently a few telecenters on the outskirts of cities,
but that the new ones will be built deep in the forest and will allow Indians
easy access to public officials so that they can alert them of illegal miners,
loggers and ranchers.
"It will be a real chance for the indigenous communities to acquire, share
and provide information to public officials," Ashaninka said. He added the
Internet would "strengthen indigenous culture by linking them and providing
environmental education."
By PETER MUELLO
The Associated Press
Friday, March 30, 2007; 3:48 AM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Brazil's government said it will provide free
Internet access to native Indian tribes in the Amazon in an effort to help
protect the world's biggest rain forest.
The environment and communications ministers signed an agreement Thursday
with the Forest People's Network to provide an Internet signal by satellite to
150 communities, including many reachable only by riverboat, allowing them to
report illegal logging and ranching, request help and coordinate efforts to
preserve the forest.
The goal is to "encourage those peoples to join the public powers in the
environmental management of the country," Francisco Costa of the Environment
Ministry said in a statement. "The government intends to strengthen the Forest
People's Network, a digital web for monitoring, protection and education."
The Ministry said city and state governments must first install telecenters
with computers in selected areas, including indigenous lands. The federal
government will then provide the satellite connection.
The areas in 13 states, including the Pantanal wetlands and the poor
northeast, were chosen by the Environment Ministry, the National Indian Foundation,
or Funai, and the government environmental protection agency Ibama, the
ministry said.
Francisco Ashaninka, a native Indian from the Ashaninka tribe who works for
the western Acre state government, said the arrival of Internet was a success
for the Forest People's Network, created in 2003.
He said there are currently a few telecenters on the outskirts of cities,
but that the new ones will be built deep in the forest and will allow Indians
easy access to public officials so that they can alert them of illegal miners,
loggers and ranchers.
"It will be a real chance for the indigenous communities to acquire, share
and provide information to public officials," Ashaninka said. He added the
Internet would "strengthen indigenous culture by linking them and providing
environmental education."