Emergency


1-5-2011, The Hague

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Just one week ago 1700 people in Rio Branco had to leave their homes because of a flood……… we all freshly remember the flooding in Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Rio de Janeiro at the start of 2011 where 3000 people at least lost their bodies. In the mean time the rain forest has to deal with draught.

All this has to do with the huge disaster that is destroying the forest: deflorestation!

For us, the people that drink the most sacred beverage that the Rain Forest is giving us, it means that we have to wake up to our responsibility for the maintenance of the forest.
The forest is sharing it’s most sacred blood with us, to help us to wake up and heal our connection with life, what can we do to help the forest??

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During my travel in Brazil I met Lou Gold. He dedicates his life helping to save the rain forest, and the forest needs our help. Not only the rain forest, because there is only one forest on our entire planet, and every tree is a part of that. He is working to raise consciousness on what is happening in the Brazilian rain forest, and calling for networks that communicate and groups to keep the sharing of information and actions going and growing. I send you now the link to his website: http://lougold.blogspot.com
Don’t forget to look at the PAJERAMA movie when you come into his blog, and keep on informing yourself!


Lou said: “Planting trees for your flights across the ocean is a nice start, but it is not what is needed. If you really want to help, the most easy way is to donate money to planting organisations. A bit more difficult is to connect yourself to those organisations and keep up with their efforts, but the real work is: change your life!!!!
It is all about relations. Our relation with life and the life forms that surround us. The plants in your house, the plants and trees in your gardens and streets. The forest itself shows it; it is not a collection of trees, it is one big organism, it is all about communidade.  

I can only add to this the message I received during the Gira of Rei Oxossi in Céu do Mapiá: “replantar…replantar….replantar…..!!!!!”

So here we are, drinking the Santo Daime all over the world, with all the challenges we meet in establishing a legal status for conducting our religion, and in the same time learning that the habitat of our Sacrament and Mother Church is in big danger.

We are part of a ‘civilisation’ that does not know how to take care of the planet and life forms that sustain us…we receive help from the forest itself ……and in the mean time the forest is on the brink of being destructed.

Our help is needed and the disasters mentioned above show us that there is not much time left, so please help us, to find creative answers to the immense peril the Floresta is confronted with these days, so that we not only help Padrinho Alfredo, Madrinha Rita and the dwellers of Céu do Mapiá to maintain our Matriz Igreja and build a new temple to receive us, but in the mean time help them to maintain their habitat. We do not want to built a temple no meio do deserto do we?

So think, act, write, write Lou, write me, write each other, to join our efforts to be a constructive force to help our brothers and sisters in the Rain Forest to maintain their habitat, the place that is hosting our mother church.

Irene Hadjidakis

p.s. I know the disasters are not only in the rain forest. I know the entire planet is shaking, but as a fardada, I have this special connection with the Rain Forest, which give me a focus an anchor, to direct my energy. We have to start somewhere, don’t we?