Chico Mendes - Resources

Global 500 Environmental Forum friends,

For those who wish to know more about Chico's life through web-sites, books and videos, here is a list that can be enriched by the aid of all interested people. In case you know about other sites, you can tell us.

The most complete homepages about Chico are available in English and Portuguese; there is little information in Spanish. We are translating. If you find other notes and articles in Spanish, they are welcome!

In case of any questions do not hesitate to contact us.

-- Jorge Cappato, Fundacion Proteger.

Links

• Amazonlink.org - In Portuguese; it summarizes the activities in Brazil by the 10 years without Chico and it comprises more information of interest.
• Chico Mendes - National Wildlife Federation - A tribute; in English. 
• Amanaka'a Amazon Network - "Letters from the Amazon" - A letter from Osmario Amancio Rodrigues calling for unity between "environmentalists" and "unionists" in the struggle to preserve the rainforests and the people who live in it.
• Rainforest Alliance - For general information on rainforests around the world.
• World Resources Institute - For a good description of extractive reserves.
• EDF
• GTA - Information in Portuguese on the issues and campaigns by citizens movements in the Amazon to save the rainforest and improve conditions for the peoples of the forest. They have formed a Chico Mendes Committee, which includes the National Council of Rubber Tappers and indigenous groups, and have several events planned for December to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Chico's assassination. Newsletter and other materials available.
  : GTA@tba.com.br

Books and articles:

• Cowell, Adrian (1990) The Decade of Destruction: The Crusade to Save the Amazon Rain Forest, Henry Holt and Company Inc.

• Hyman, Randall (1988) Rise of the Rubber Tappers, International Wildlife, 18(5): 24-28.

• Mendes, Chico (1990) Fight for the Forest: Chico Mendes in his Own Words, Inland Book Company.

• Revkin, Andy (Sept, 1994) The Burning Season: The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon Rain Forest, Plume.

• Moro, Javier; Senderos de Libertad; Seix Barral, Buenos Aires, 1993; 515 págs. The most complete work in Spanish about Chico's life and seringueiro's struggle in the Amazon Rain Forest. (1)

• Ziporah Hildebrandt, MARINA SILVA: DEFENDING RAINFOREST COMMUNITIES IN BRAZIL, Marina Silva was a close friend and colleague of Chico Mendes and continues his work as senator for his home state of Acre. Website Link

Videos:

• The Burning Season - La historia de Chico Mendes. Spanish subtitled. Warner Bros, 1994, VHS, 90 minutes. Actors: Raul Juliá, Sonia Braga. Director, John Frankenheimer. Produced by Andy Revkin. It is available almost in every video shop.
• O Sonho do Chico Mendes. Greenpeace/Conselho Nacional dos Seringeiros (CNS), 1995, VHS, 26 minutes. Greenpeace Brazil, Communication Sector Rio de Janeiro. Fax: 55 -21 -240 169020
• Voices of the Amazon. 1989, 56 minutes. Produced by Miranda Smith and The Better World Society. This popular documentary is about the life and ideas of Chico Mendes. VHS copies available from Miranda Productions, Inc. (303) 546-0880.
• The Decade of Destruction: The Crusade to Save the Amazon Rain Forest. 1990, 4 video programs on 5 cassettes, 55 minutes per cassette; produced by Adrian Cowell, distributed by Bullfrog Films. Adrian Cowell's brilliant documentary series documents the systematic destruction of the rainforest from 1980 to 1990. Each episode follows the real life stories of people, "The Killing of Chico Mendes", is the final story of the series. To order, check their web site or call 1-800-543-FROG.
• Chico's Legacy. 30 mins. Produced by the Television Trust for the Environment, London, UK. Copies are available for non-profit use (Nominal charge for copying and postage). To order, choose one of the following methods directly below.
  
  Cath Hall, TVE, Prince Albert Road, London, NW1 4RZ, K
  Phone: 44 171 586 5526 / Fax: 44 171 586 4866
  : TVE-dist@TVE.org.uk

Note: (1) We don't know whether it was translated into English.