Demarcation Diaries
11 September 2001
It was a day that shook the world, and it shook us in the Amazon
too.
We went out into the forest to put up another sign in the morning.
We came back early in the afternoon, to stand by for journalists
who might be interested in talking to us after Greenpeace's press
conference in Manaus. Before we even left the voadeira (aluminium
boat), Jan, who had stayed on the ship in the morning, jumped
out and told us that two airplanes crashed into the World Trade
Centre and one crashed into the Pentagon, and one of the twin
towers had already disappeared into ash!
I believe the terrorist attack must be stunning and unbelievable
to all of you, and you can imagine how shocked we were hearing
such a surreal story in one of the most remote areas of the world.
We rushed onto the Comte Savio and the people on the ship were
all watching television. It was showing how the second plane crashed
into the tower and it was one of the most dramatic scenes I had
ever seen in my life.
Few journalists called in the afternoon, for obvious reasons:
all media are preoccupied with the terrorist attack.
We sat on the deck in the afternoon, trying to listen to the
radio with a poor signal. Suddenly, we felt connected to the outside
world again, and I began to miss newspapers, TV news, the internet
etc.
As we watched the TV news with mouths open, the Deni were quiet
and clam. I wondered if this meant anything to them. They probably
did not even know where New York is, and could hardly understand
why such thing happened. The world they live in is drastically
different from ours.
They have conflicts, even Deni villages may be at odds with each
other. But such terrorist acts are unknown to them.
Nevertheless, the Indians are familiar with massive killing and
destruction. Picked up any history book of Latin America and you
will know Europeans brought exploitation and destruction to Indian
society through guns and disease.
As I write now, the world is waiting too see how the US will
retaliate against such an evil act.
We went to bed with the comfortable feeling that the Amazon suddenly
became the safest place on Earth. We shall have a good night sleep,
and carry on helping with the demarcation tomorrow.
Kontau
Find out about the different
volunteers on the demarcation project.
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