The Dream of Mato Grosso
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They do not trust the government and they firmly believe that they have as much right to their piece of land as anyone else, no matter how they got it. And almost all are deforesting their land at an alarming rate, pushing back the edges of the jungle. But red tape means he and his family are yet to take possession of their land. To add to Sebastiao's problems, the land he has been promised has already been "grabbed" by others who have started clearing it for their own use. Among the "landgrabbers" is Lindomar, who we met down a long road that a group of families had cut out of the forest.
Grey area Rolling a cigarette and resting beside his two chainsaws, Lindomar readily admits he took his land illegally. The region attracts people with a frontier mentality His justification is there is no proper land title and public land belongs to the people, so unlike Sebastiao he did not go through official channels to be allocated land. But if it is something they haven't paid taxes for and that they don't take good care of, we should have it", he says.
Further along the road was Milton, working on a piece of land he said he had bought 45 days earlier. He falls in that grey area between land grabber and land owner, so we'll call him a "settler" for argument's sake. He says he has a legal deed for the land and he paid for it, but he also admitted he knew all along it was disputed property. What is our option? People here are aware of the bigger issue of deforestation but are also convinced it is their right to make a living from their own parcel of land "They got here and finished with it all," he said.
The Xavante need government help to keep their , hectare reservation safe from land invaders, Damiao says. Suspicion of outsiders is rife in this region and I was warned more than once that I should be very careful what we said to whom. Corrupt politicians, hired gunmen, night-time attacks were mentioned, and two of the people I spoke to freely admitted they had threatened to kill each other at one point. People here are aware of the bigger issue of deforestation but are also convinced it is their right to make a living from their own parcel of land.
They also feel they alone should not be blamed for deforestation.
Brazil as the biggest beef exporter and second largest soya exporter in the world is under pressure to create more agricultural land, especially given the rising prices for foodstuffs. For Carlito it is pure hypocrisy for the rest of the world to criticise him as a deforester.
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The place is great pratice mindfulness and be closer to yourself. We have our guest house with dorms and double beds.
The guest may have to share the room. We highly recommend workawayers to check the pictures of the accomodation we provide. The houses are located in the same area, there is one house where the workawayers stay, it's a wood house, you may be asked to share room depending on demand.
Make sure you are awared of some rural aspects, for example, flies. The place is great for mindfulness and being closer to your inner you. There is a city close by but it is only accessable by car but usually at least twice a week the farm owners get to go to town. Our place is great for nature-lovers. Come and help us on our farm in Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil. Add to my host list Contact Register. You need to have a valid Workaway subscription to see a host's map.
Come and help us on our farm in Mato Grosso do Sul
Description We have a farm and since a few years we have been putting effort to diversify our production. Help Change is worth it but demands a lot.
The Dream of Mato Grosso - Kindle edition by Joshua Sinclair. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like. Dream Catcher. Mato Grosso. Add. Added. Remove. Share. Featured in. Back Next. Mato Grosso - The Definitive Indians Album. The Definitive Indians.
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities They can learn a lot, specially graduated who get to live and experience the empirical sciences. Accommodation We have our guest house with dorms and double beds.
A little more information Internet access. How many Workawayers can stay? Hours expected Maximum hours a day, 5 days a week. Feedback left by and about host 1. Left by Workawayer Gerhard for host.
I feel very honored being the first person to commend on Guaracy and Angelica's profile. It is very hard to describe the experience I had volunteering for them. It is now a month that I have left their beautiful farm close to Caarapo and still I haven't fully comprehended the effects of that time. Basically it was a time and space for healing! Guaracy and Angelica are outstanding in their compassion and hospitality and appreciate honest help in one of their many ongoing projects.
The farm is quite isolated and if you want to stay there you need to be aware of indulging yourself into an entire different universe! I am more than grateful having been accepted by them on their farm.
