Saturday 9 January 2010

Their Last Chance Of Survival Is Our Last Chance Of Redemption


In our post Cold War world it is often difficult to imagine ways of life outside our own Western capitalist structure. Whilst many will point to cultural differences the world over, it is hard to find any modern nation which does not conform to our way of life to a greater or lesser extent (North Korea, I'll admit is one of the aberrations).

But there are still a few places on this planet whose exposure to our lifestyles is limited or, in some cases, non-existent. They still continue the traditions of their    (and our!) ancestors in tribal societies. You may think you've seen them on television, those plume feathered covered aborigines of various countries. But they are often tourist/television friendly versions of their uncontacted and isolated cousins.


Uncontacted tribe photographed on Brazil-Peru border



Our culture has destroyed, over the last few hundreds years, thousands of such societies through "missionary" work, spreading our diseases, and through plain and simple slaughter. And it is this slaughter that is still ongoing.

In the Americas, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea commercial interests on both corporate and individual not only threaten the places these tribes live but also their very lives as loggers, miners and farmers massacre tribes with near impunity.

We in the Western world have blood on our hands. We began this process many years ago and it's time we stood up and said "No more". It is time we accepted that, whilst it is too idealistic, and perhaps morally suspect, to isolate these tribal societies clinically and completely, we have a duty to protect them from others and allow them the freedom to choose whether they wish to participate in the modern world or live by their own ways. We owe it to them and we owe it to our collective conscience.

I'm planning on sending out some letters this coming week to various countries, as suggested by Survival International. Take a look at their website and see what you could do to help these people.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

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