What was Chico Mendes fighting for?

Brazilian rubber tapper and land rights leader Chico Mendes pioneered the world’s first tropical forest conservation initiative advanced by forest peoples themselves. His work led to the establishment of Brazil’s extractive reserves protected forest areas that are inhabited and managed by local communities.

Why did Chico Mendes want to save the rainforest who was cutting it down?

Mendes wanted the forest to be used sustainably rather than cut off from economic activity (as some environmentalists wanted) or cut down (as the farmers wanted). He proposed the establishment of extractive reserves for tappers, Brazil nut collectors and others who harvested nature in a balanced way.

Why did Chico Mendes learn to read so late in life?

Early life At age 9, Chico began work as a rubber tapper alongside his father. For this reason, Mendes did not learn to read until he was 18 years old, when he sought out help interpreting his bills. Mendes was taught to read and write by a man named Euclides Fernando Távora, an activist turned rubber tapper.

What was the purpose of the rubber tapper movement?

The primary goal of the organization was to stop ranchers from clear cutting Xapuri’s forests for grazing land. In his speeches, Mendes drew a link between survival of the forest and survival of the rubber tappers, whose means of support was the Brazilian nuts and rubber they gathered from the forest.

What did Chico Mendes study?

Mendes received no formal education. As a boy, he worked in rubber tapping alongside his father, just before prices for natural rubber declined and working conditions for the seringueiros worsened. Tappers were expelled from land that was then sold, logged, and burned for cattle pasture.

How many siblings did Chico Mendes have?

Zuza Mendes
Assis Mendes
Chico Mendes/Siblings

How is Chico Mendes remembered?

Chico rapidly became a globally recognised activist synonymous with protecting the Amazon. He travelled to the US and beyond with his message that people, like the rubber tappers and Indigenous Peoples, can live with and from the forest in harmony.

When was Chico Mendes killed?

December 22, 1988, Xapuri, State of Acre, Brazil
Chico Mendes/Assassinated

Who murdered Chico?

Darci Alves da Silva
On the 22nd of December 1988, Chico Mendes was shot dead outside his home in Xapuri, in Acre State, north western Brazil- assassinated by Darci Alves da Silva, the son of a local rancher whose lands and plans for expansion were threatened by Chico’s efforts to protect the forest.

How do rubber tappers defend their position?

rubber tappers defend their position byt saying that they have worked there for longer than most (not all) of the other interest groups. They also say that their way of life doesn’t hurt the rainforest. So they can get the rubber out of the tree without hurting it.

When was Chico Mendes born?

December 15, 1944
Chico Mendes/Date of birth

Chico Mendes, original name Francisco Alves Mendes, Jr., (born December 15, 1944, Xapuri, Acre, Brazil—died December 22, 1988, Xapuri), Brazilian labour leader and conservationist who defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and …

Why was Chico Mendes murder?

In December 1988, the Brazilian environmental activist, Chico Mendes, was shot dead by cattle ranchers angered by his efforts to stop them exploiting land in the Amazon jungle. His murder sparked outrage and renewed interest in environmental issues worldwide.

What does Chico Mendes stand for?

Chico Mendes. Chico Mendes, original name Francisco Alves Mendes, Jr., (born December 15, 1944, Xapuri, Acre, Brazil—died December 22, 1988, Xapuri), Brazilian labour leader and conservationist who defended the interests of the seringueiros, or rubber tree tappers, in the Amazonian state of Acre, calling for land reform and preservation…

What did Chico Mendes do for the environment?

Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (December 15, 1944 – December 22, 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and indigenous peoples.

He was the son of a second-generation rubber tapper, Francisco Mendes, and his wife, Iracê. Chico was one of 17 siblings—only six of whom survived childhood.

When did Chico Mendes write fight for the forest?

Fight for the Forest: Chico Mendes in His Own Words was first published posthumously, in 1989. Rubber tree, ( Hevea brasiliensis ), South American tropical tree of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).