A LAND  TO DIE FOR By Binka Le Breton ISBN: 0-932863-24-8 148 pp. $12.95

This is a true story of a death foretold. To tell it, journalist Binka Le Breton traveled to the infamous Parrot’s Beak (Bico de Papagaio) at the outskirts of the Amazon rainforest, plunging deep into the Brazilian wild west where beyond the feeble grasp of law and order, the world’s last great land grab is still taking place. Recouping the events surrounding the assassination of Josimo Morals Tavares, a black priest internationally recognized for his role in the struggle of impoverished squatters for land, Le Breton captures a unique grass roots view of the turbulent social fabric of rural Brazil: large landowners, wealthy speculators, pistoleiros, peasants, and on both sides, the Catholic Church, torn between ancient ritual and contemporary liberation theology, heeding the cries of the poor and calling for justice.

Last year there were 47 land-related murders in rural Brazil. A Land to Die For illuminates our understanding of the complexities and tragedies that mark this process of transition from feudal to capitalist economies – a process suffered worldwide by countries caught in the coils of development. But this is not another theoretical tract or statistical survey on the land reform issue. This is its real-life agony, measured in blood.

 "This book should be ready by everyone who is concerned with social development and land conflicts in Latin America…A remarkable book."

 "To view Brazil's struggle over land through the life and death of a man like Padre Josimo Morais Tavares is a privilege."

 "Why are hundreds of people killing each other each month in the Brazilian Amazon while the authorities look the other way? Le Breton reveals, through the words of the people who represent them, the many forces at play in the land wars that threaten the survival of the world's largest rainforest. She tells the story of the murder of one hero, Father Josimo, and in so doing tells the stories of so many more."

 "This is a highly readable book on a very important topic. There is a dearth of information in English on land struggles in Brazil. There have been relatively few efforts to tell the story of particular individuals involved in the social conflicts in the region...Le Breton utilizes her interview material well, creating over the course of the book a portrait of Josimo's exceptional character, his poor background, his religious `vocation' and his dedication to the struggle for land and social justice...an important book...."

I had the privilege of meeting Padre Josimo in some of the meetings of the CPT in Goiania. I was impressed by the humility, coherence and dignity of that priest;  a black man and a courageous fighter.  Embroiled in the far reaches of Goiás  - later to become the  state of Tocantins - he understood like noone else the idiosyncracies of  the peasant squatters, and, beyond the call of duty, he transformed himself into a moving spirit behind the peasant movement.  It was this  commitment to the necessity of organizing the rural poor  which took him to the final consequences; even when his death had had been foretold,  announced, decided upon by all the forces of conservatism that controlled the region and wanted to keep the peasants in a state of servitude, as the poet Pedro Tierra  tells us.

We all wept for the death foretold.  Had it taken place in any other region of the country, it is possible that Padre Josimo might still have been with us.  But in the Parrot's Beak the big landowners are the lords of all; the lands, the power, the government, the judges, the police, the hospital, the peasants.  They could not permit a priest - particularly a black man - to dare to attempt freeing the serfs.

But  honoring the memory of  Padre Josimo should be more than a personal testimony;  more than a simple  acknowledgement of what he signified in the social struggle and the cause of justice. His importance is far greater than just that.  Padre Josimo is a martyr of the peasant movement.  Padre Josimo is a present day saint. Padre Josimo  should be an example to future generations.

A people that doesn't study its past  will never understand the present, far less be able to plan  and build the future. For this reason it is fundamental that new generations should be educated to know who were the fighters for the people and which were the historic battles fought on their behalf.   It is vital that we teach our activists about respect, about  self worth,  about understanding the lives and achievements of the great fighters for the people, in order to learn about what it means to dedicate oneself body and soul  to the cause of humanity.

Padre Josimo  gave his life for the people.  But the seeds  sown by him  have germinated and sprouted into many trees. Not only is the MST committed to Josimo's cause,  but it is in fact the fruit of the tree which he planted.

"Written with the artistry of one who knows how to weave the threads until the picture becomes clear."

 "This book is a real gift from heaven. Written with love, with notable literary competence, faithful to
the story.. it rescues the memory of this singular figure."

BINKA LE BRETON is a British journalist, and author of Voices from the Amazon and The RainForest. She has lived and worked in Nairobi, Jakarta, New Delhi, Recife, London and Washington, D.C.  She has delivered presentations and seminars on the Brazilian land wars at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; the University of Chicago; the University of Illinois, Urbana;  University of Puget Sound; King's College, Cambridge; and Hunter College, among others.  She is presently working on a book on slavery in contemporary Brazil.
To arrange for Ms. Le Breton to present at your university or college, association or other group in late September, early October 2000.

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