Egon Heck

Asuncion, Paraguay

 

The sky was preparing to pour its blessing on the hundreds of Guarani who were in Asuncion, concluding yet another important moment in their struggle for "Land, Territory, Autonomy and Governance". Friday morning, November 19, the last day of the continental meeting was reserved for discussion and approval of the final document and delivering this to the authorities of Paraguay. For health reasons the Paraguayan president Lugo did not come to the meeting. But one group of representatives was received by him at his residence.

 

Ritual Blessing

While the commission handed over the document to Lugo, in the plenary meeting the ñanderu (religious leader of the Guarani) performed the ritual blessing of the final document. Chants and speeches by the religious leaders of all countries, filled the moment with emotion and dignity.

 

Council

Among the advances of this meeting is the creation of the Continental Council of the Guarani Nation, whose primary objective is to consolidate articulation, solidarity and organization of the Guarani peoples, with the perspective of securing their rights in the construction of autonomy in their territories. Another point of agreement is the importance of making the awareness of the Guarani Nation grow, together with its cosmovision and life project, drawing from their identity and culture.

 

Following the final document.

 

FINAL DOCUMENT THE THIRD CONTINENTAL MEETING OF THE GUARANI PEOPLE

 

ASUNCION, PARAGUAY, November 15 to 19, 2010

 

We, representatives of different indigenous organizations of the Guarani Nation in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil, meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay during the Third Continental Meeting of the Guarani People bringing continuity to the First Continental Meeting held in San Gabriel, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2006 and the Second Continental Meeting that took place in Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil in 2007. Today, with the theme Land-Territory, Autonomy and Governance, animating our hearts constantly by the wise words of our elders, seeking to comprehend through the coincidences in lengthy discussions and deep reflections always performed in accordance with the principles of respect and consensus, traditional in our cultures, we seek to reach the most profound spirit of the authorities, national and international and all citizens of the places that live in our thoughts in these words.

 

CONSIDERING

 

* That the Guarani Nation has always had its own territorial space the "Yvy maraê’y" or Land Without Evil that extrapolates frontiers.

 

* That within the cosmovision of the Guarani Nation, part of our millenary cultures, fire, air, land and water, constitute one unit and are vital elements for life: the sacred land is life for our peoples.

 

* That the Guarani Nation parting from its cosmovision has always sought to avoid confrontations with those who have appropriated their territory, in a violent way in the majority of cases.

 

* That since the demarcation of the national borders the Guarani Nation has become fragmented and divided geopolitically into ethnicities, communities, villages, families, a condition which significantly weakened its spiritual, cultural and linguistic project as a Nation.

 

* That the transnationals and/or multinationals, with the support of the different governments in power do not respect the customary and collective rights of the Guarani Nation, destroying territories, expulsing communities.

 

* That the various governments do not attend to the demands of the Guarani Nation despite the existence of national and international standards that protect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples such as Convention 169 of the ILO, the United Nations Declaration and national laws, Constitutions and Laws of the States.

 

* That an examples of the above statement is the fact that the Brazilian Judiciary authorizes eviction of communities of the Guarani Nation from their territories, contrary to the laws that protect them.

 

* The failure of the Brazilian government, to fulfill Article 231 of its Federal Constitution, regarding the demarcation of lands; in the same way the Argentine government fails to fulfil Law 26.160  "de Emergencia de la tierra comunitaria indígena" for territorial demarcation.

 

* That in Argentina there is intent to sell Lot 08 of the Yaboti Biosphere Reserve, declared to by the UNESCO in 1992, to a Foundation with European funds, when there are two ancestral communities of the Guarani Nation living there.

 

* That the Guarani Nation in Paraguay suffers a constant loss of their ancestral territory, the result of an absence of effective policies oriented to the defence of the same

 

* That there exist innumerable communities living in subhuman conditions, without minimal conditions of physical safety, health and nutrition.

 

* That in Bolivia the demand for Territory by the nation Guarani Nation has still not resulted in full titling of the lands they occupy.

 

* That the massive and constant destruction of natural resources by transnational companies, is deteriorating forest assets indiscriminately in the Guarani territory in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay generating irreparable damage, causing those who are not responsible to suffer the effects of climate change.

 

* That the construction of the Bi-national Hydroelectrics (of Itaipu and Yaceretá) in Guarani territory, without consulting our Nation, has produced not only irreparable environmental damage, as well as violation of territorial, cultural and religious rights of the Guarani Nation.

 

WE DEMAND:

 

* Of the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay recognition as the Guarani Nation and its condition as Trans-territorial and Trans-border and that for this reason all should have the same rights to health, education and work in the four countries.

 

* Of the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay the granting of constitutional recognition to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Convention 169 of the ILO.

 

* That they stop handing over to transnational, multinational and national corporations territories of the Guarani Nation for their exploitation and devastation, violating the collective rights that protect them.

 

* Of the state government of Misiones – Argentina – that it not permit the sale of Lot 08 – Guarani territory – in the biosphere reserve Yaboti.

 

* The immediate demarcation of all Guarani lands and territories. Compliance with Law 26.160  in Argentina and that in Brazil, the Federal Supreme Court immediately judge all processes regarding land demarcation in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in compliance with Article 231 of the Federal Constitution of 1988.

 

* The non-installation of new mega-dams that would compromise Guarani territories and that both the bi-national Itaipu and Yaceretá dam enterprises recognize the damage caused to the communities, reinstating their territories.

 

* Of the Bolivian government compliance with the requirements of larger extensions of land to the Guarani Nation.

 

* That the international political spheres prevent the criminalization of the demands of the Guarani nation.

 

* Punishment of those who committed crimes that affected the indigenous peoples in the struggle for their rights.

 

* That the advances made by the Guarani Nation be respected in national and international political spheres.

 

* That the transnational corporations comply with environmental standards, that they prevent the massive and constant destruction of natural resources caused these very corporations.

 

*That all countries on which the territory of the Guarani nation is found understand and be aware that rights to Land and Territory are inalienable and never prescribe.

 

WE RESOLVE:

 

FIRST – The land and territory are inalienable rights of the Guarani Nation, are the life of our cosmovisions; the condition that allows us to be free and autonomous "IYAMBAE”.

 

SECOND – To consolidate our organization in each one of the countries with Guarani presence in order to effectuate our demands as Guarani Nation.

 

THIRD – We constitute a Continental Council of the Guarani Nation for the articulation with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay concerning the demands for equal rights that we lay claim to, as well as to strengthen our economic, social and political development.

 

FOURTH – To Participate in all democratic processes of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay according to our uses and customs as a Guarani Nation succeeding in this manner to convey our demands to the highest levels of political decision-making.

 

FIFTH – We exhort everyone to join in this struggle, those who are part of the thinking and feeling of the Guarani Nation – national and international organisations, NGOs, Social Movements and others – to support with proposals and projects oriented by the demand for customary and ethno-cultural rights of the Guarani.

 

SIXTH – We declare ourselves in permanent resistance against the violations and subjugations that are occurring throughout the entire extension of our territory as a Guarani Nation.

 

SEVENTH – We unite in defence of our mother earth against the progressive contamination of the environment provoked by the activities of exploitation of the subsoil and hydroelectric dams that violate the rights to worship and participation of the Nation Guarani.

 

 

This is what we think, feel and say about our collective rights and the obligations that the countries that now occupy our territory have to the Guarani Nation, in hope of being able to live in harmony and freedom, as was envisioned by our ancestral heroes.

 

                               

 

For more information on the Continental Encounter:

Angel Vera – 0971 461 212 (Paraguay)

Lorenza Benítez – 0981 631 200 (Paraguay)

Shop Conapi – 021443752 (Paraguay)

 

Paul Wolters – (55) 61 2106 1666 (Brazil – English speaking)

 

[email protected]

www.facebook.com/Povoguarani

He received with great interest the information about the meeting and its decisions. He promised to give priority to indigenous issues when Paraguay is in the presidency of the MERCOSUR/MERCOSUL, the South American free trade organisation.