.: The manager of the director of Google Rebecca Moore signed partnership term with Almir Suruí

Cacoal/RO – the manager of the Google Earth Outreach, Rebecca Moore, representatives of the Agency of the United States for the International Development (Usaid), of Amazon Conservation Team Brazil (ACT Brazil) and of other international entities stayed in Cacoal during a week, to link up the partnership between Google and the Suruí People. Through the partnership, the Indians are going to make avaible in Internet, information on their history and culture, besides that, they can follow the situation of the deforestation in their lands. 20 Indians Suruís are being trained by Google to administer the technological system.

Rebecca Moore affirmed that there won/*t be monitoring in real time of the Surís’ land. According to her, with the partnership the users of Google of the whole world will be able to know the history and other information on Suruís, while the Indians will be able to use the system as a tool to show their needs, their projects and other information that may be necessary to look for a maintainable future.

Questioned about the Brazilian Government/*s position as for the partnership, Rebecca said that the Brazilian legislation doesn/*t impede that it is firmed. “Google is available to the whole Brazil. Thousands of people supply their information there. Suruís that are beginning now ", she said.

As for the date that the technological system will go on in the air, Rebecca said that will just depend on the own Indians, since they are them that will decide what they will dispose in the Internet, as well as to add the information. “I offer the tool and I teach how to use it, but they are the ones who will do it "she affirmed.

According to Rebecca Moore, the same training offered in Cacoal will be accomplished in Porto Velho, in 23 and 24 of that month, for 12 different Indians communities. Rebecca also praised the politics of social inclusion of the Brazilian Government, mentioning as example the offer of Internet to several indigenous communities.


Historical event

The president of the association Metareilá, Almir Suruí, who looked for the partnership with Google, believes that the technological system will facilitate the work that he and other indigenous leaders are accomplishing in defense of the environment, even of the Suruí territory. He doesn/*t also see risks in the exhibition of information in Internet. “We are the ones that will choose what to be published ", he said.

According to Almir Suruí, information won/*t be supplied on plants or animals. The forecast, according to him, is that the information will be available in Internet in about most 60 days.

The coordinator of the Program of environment of Usaid, Ernane Pilla, classified the partnership as a historical fact. He also affirmed that is it a safe system for Suruís. “Google is giving the tool and the Indians will supply the information that they want ", he said.

According to Ernane Pilla, the partnership with Google is ways for the Indians Suruís strengthen as people. Strengthening they have more chances of having the control of what is happening in their lands, he affirmed.

New headquarter
The prepared programming to commemorate the signature of the term of partnership of Google with Suruís included the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Indigenous Association Metareilá, in the district of Riozinho. Besides members of international institutions, may come to the event, representatives of the Federal Police, of the Brazilian Agency of Intelligence (Abin), of the National Foundation of the Indian (Funai), of the City hall of Cacoal, of the Association of Defense Etnoambiental Kanindé, of the Group of Amazon Work (GTA) and of other rondonienses NGOs.

In the Indigenous Village September Seven, located in the Line 11, there were also special activities. For three days, the Indians will perform dances and other rituals to the visitors. There were still visits to the forest and to areas of reforestation of Suruís. The programming was registered by journalistic teams of several countries.