Sorry, off-topic. READ THIS and send to your fellows

[FloresRom@netscape.net]

I'm really sorry about the off-topic contents, but I had to post this article to a high-level groups of people. 
Since I use to participate in this list...
So, please, any comments, send it direct to me, so we won't pollute the list again (I really HAD to deliver this).

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During a recent debate, in the United States, I was questioned about what I thought of the internationalization of Amazonia (the Rain Forest).
    The young man asked me, saying that he was looking for the answer of a humanist, not a Brazilian.
It was the first time anybody had ever asked for a humanist view as a starting point for me. In fact, as a Brazilian, I would simply speak against the internationalization of Amazonia. As far as our government doesn't have the necessary care for this patrimony, it is ours.
    I answered that, as humanist, who fears the risk of degradation of the environment, which the Rain Forest is suffering, I could imagine its internationalization, as well as every other thing that is important to humankind.
    If Amazonia, under the humanist point of view, should be internationalized, the oil reserves around the world should be as well. The oil is as important to the welfare of humankind as Amazonia is for our future. Besides that, the reserves owners got themselves the right to increase or decrease the oil extraction, by lowering or raising its price. The rich of the world feel within their own rights burning this huge humankind patrimony.
    In similar fashion, the finances of rich countries should be internationalized. If Amazonia is a reserve to all human beings, it can not be burned by the free will of such owner, nor of such country.
Burning Amazonia is as serious as the unemployment caused by arbitrary decisions of the global speculators. We can't permit the financial reserves to be used to burn whole countries led by the delights of speculation.
    Even before Amazonia, I?d like to see the internationalization of the world's greatest museums. The Louvre shouldn't belong only to France. Each museum around the world is a guardian of the most beautiful pieces of art made by human talent. We cannot leave this cultural patrimony, nor  the natural patrimony of Amazonia to be handled and destroyed by the free will of such owner or such country.
    Not long ago, a Japanese milionaire decided to be buried with a work done by a grand master. That picture should have been internationalized before that happened.
    At the same meeting they asked me this question, the United Nations was in the meeting for the Millenium Forum. But presidents of a few contries had difficulties to arrive, because they had been constrained at the U.S. border. Because of that, I say that N.Y., as the United Nations Headquarters, should be internationalized.
    At least Manhatann should belong the whole humankind. As well as Paris, Venice, Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia (Brazil?s capital - no, it?s not Buenos Aires), Recife (another beautiful Brazilian city), each city, with it?s own beauty, with it?s own history, should belong to the whole world.
    If the USA wants to internationalize Amazonia, fearing the risk of leaving it at Brazilian hands, we should internationalize the US nukes. Moreso because they?ve  already shown that they?re capable of using such weapons, causing destruction thousands of times more than the lamentable burns at the Brazilian forests.
    In the debates for the US presidency, the candidates have (had) been defending the idea of internationalizing the world forest reserves in exchange for the debt of poor countries. Let?s  start using this debt to assure that each child in the world may go to school. We?ll internationalize the children, treating them, all of them, regardless of what country they were born, as patrimony that deserves the care of the entire world - even more than Amazonia does.
    When the world leaders treat the poor kids of the world as a humankind patrimony, they won?t let them work while they should be studying; die when they should been living.
    As humanist, I accept the mission of defending internationalization of the world .
But, while the world treats me as a Brazilian, I?ll fight for the Rain Forest to be ours. ONLY OURS.

Cristovam Buarque is professor at University of Brasilia, where he was rector from 1985 to 1989. He was governor of Brazil?s Federal District from 1995 to 1999. He worked six years at the BID, in Latin America and Washington, DC. He?s author of 17 books.
translation to English: Romeu de Freitas Flores Jr.