In another stunning rainforest conservation victory for our movement, Brazil has established two new extractavist reserves in the Amazon state of Para, protecting over 2,000 square kilometers of rainforest from industrial development, while ensuring local peoples can continue their relatively benign forest uses. Forests.org?s network (you) meaningfully contributed to this victory, as we generated may thousands of emails in support of establishment of the Verde Para Sempre (Evergreen) reserve. Recall that in late 2002, upon the request of Greenpeace, we protested via email encroachment upon local lands by illegal loggers, and physical violence to break local protests.

This success validates Forests.org's emphasis upon ending large scale industrial development in most remaining forest wildlands, and supporting local peoples to develop community and ecologically based alternatives. This approach must be scaled up in Brazil, and embraced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea as well. Together our continuing strings of victories demonstrate that solidarity between local peoples and global citizenry can challenge resource banditry by the powerful. Today is a good day, full of hope for an ecologically sustainable, equitable and just future for all.