• Amazon chocolatiers: Biofactory offers ''new way of living'' for forest communities
• Brazil: Indigenous Surui turn invaders' crop into high-quality Amazonian coffee
• Brazil's Indigenous communities turn to native beekeeping to recover nature

• Brazil: Maharishi University of Management faculty assist in introducing integrative medicine
• Brazil: Health Ministry hosts 1st International Congress of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Public Health / 3rd International Ayurveda Congress
• Brazil: TM 'made me a better athlete . . . made me a better person' - Olympic medalist Flavio Canto

• It's not yet summer in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping the country
• Human activity and drought 'degrading more than a third of Amazon rainforest'
• Brazilian voters attacked by misinformation days before vote

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Amazon chocolatiers: Biofactory offers ''new way of living'' for forest communities
8 January 2024 - The Surucua community in the state of Para is the first to receive an Amazonian Creative Laboratory, a compact mobile biofactory designed to help kick-start the Amazon's bioeconomy. Having a livelihood coming directly from the forest encourages communities to stay there and protect it rather than engaging in harmful economic activities in the Amazon. (more)

Brazil: Indigenous Surui turn invaders' crop into high-quality Amazonian coffee
10 November 2023 - The Indigenous Paiter Surui people of Brazil have reclaimed the coffee farms established by invaders on their land, in the process opening up a new source of livelihood and strengthening community bonds. Growing coffee has also become an opportunity for the Surui to tell their own story, through ethnotourism and the training of Indigenous baristas (more)

Brazil's Indigenous communities turn to native beekeeping to recover nature
18 October 2023 - The Meli Network Brazil brings together 53 communities -- Indigenous, Quilombola, extractivist (communities making a living from the sustainable extraction of natural resources), and campesino -- who combine beekeeping with forest recovery to generate an income, reverse environmental degradation caused by encroachers, and strengthen food security through agroforestry. (more)

Indigenous seed collectors grow a network of restoration across Brazil
18 October 2023 - Nearly 150 Indigenous seed collectors from the Amazonian Bioeconomic Seed Network, the first of its kind in the state of Rondonia, traveled to neighboring Mato Grosso state to meet with Brazil's oldest network of seed collectors, the Xingu Seed Network. The seed collector networks are the base of the ecological restoration chain and will play an essential role in enabling Brazil to reach its goal of restoring 12.5 million hectares (30.9 million acres) of native vegetation by 2030. (more)

24 ancient earthworks have been detected in the Amazon. There may be 10,000 more, scientists say
13 October 2023 - From deep in the Amazon rainforest, two dozen previously unknown pre-Columbian earthworks have been brought to light -- and more than 10,000 such constructs may still be waiting to be discovered, according to new research. (more)

Indigenous leader inspires an Amazon city to grant personhood to an endangered river
4 October 2023 - In Brazil, an Indigenous leader recently inspired an Amazon city to pass a law granting personhood status to an endangered river. The river, named Laje in non-Indigenous maps, is vital to the Oro Waram, one of the six subgroups of the Wari' people, who have inhabited the Western Amazon for centuries. However, this immemorial relationship is under increasing threat. The relentless expansion of soybeans and pastures encroaches on their land, while land-robbers promote illegal deforestation. (more)

'Small and inconspicuous' tree was thought extinct in Brazil for 186 years. Until now
22 September 2023 - About 186 years ago, botanist George Gardner discovered a unique holly tree while on an expedition. The 'small and inconspicuous' tree was officially identified in 1861 as Ilex sapiiformis, or the Pernambuco holly tree based on the Pernambuco state where it was found. Since then, scientists have been unable to locate the plant again -- until now. (more)

Tree thought extinct discovered after 2 centuries in 'incredible' find
21 September 2023 - A tree previously thought to have been extinct has been rediscovered in Brazil, in an 'incredible find.' Scientists said that they discovered the tree, which had not been seen in almost 200 years, in an urban area in Igarassu, northeastern Brazil, the Belgian news outlet The Brussels Times reported. The tree, called the Ilex sapiiformis also known as the Pernambuco holly, was first recorded in 1838, and, until recently, this was the only confirmed sighting. (more)

A tiny house gives them hope: How a homeless family in Brazil got a fresh start
13 August 2023 - Vila Reencontro is one of two programs in Sao Paulo that started during the pandemic to keep people housed as inflation and unemployment spiked. ...Its shelters constantly overflowing, Sao Paulo wanted a program that would not only put a roof over people's heads but also give them a fresh start. (more)

To safeguard a rare Brazilian woodpecker, the Araguaia Institute bought out its habitat
9 August 2023 - Conservationist George Georgiadis vividly remembers the first time he saw Kaempfer's woodpecker, a species once thought to be on the brink of extinction. He heard its drumming, then the bird flew out from the bush, filling the forest with its dramatic cackle. The encounter inspired Georgiadis, co-founder of the Araguaia Institute, a conservation NGO, to dedicate himself to the protection of the rare bird and its habitat, the Cerrado savanna in Brazil. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Brazil: Maharishi University of Management faculty assist in introducing integrative medicine
30 August 2018 - Brazil is one of the first non-Asian nations to introduce integrative healthcare into the national healthcare system, and faculty of Maharishi University of Management, USA are significantly contributing to the initiative. This year professors Robert Schneider, Sandy Nidich, and John Fagan spoke in Brazil at the 1st International Congress of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Public Health, and MUM President John Hagelin and Professor Fred Travis sent presentations. 'This initiative by the federal government of Brazil is real,' Dr Schneider said. 'This is a major step of government implementation that will entail bringing Maharishi Ayur-Veda, Transcendental Meditation, and other prevention-oriented, natural health approaches to the people of the country through their national health care system.' (more)

Brazil: Health Ministry hosts 1st International Congress of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Public Health / 3rd International Ayurveda Congress
11 July 2018 - In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 4,000 delegates recently participated in the historic 1st International Congress of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Public Health, in which the 3rd International Ayurveda Congress formed a key part. The Ministry of Health of Brazil, while promoting the 1st International Congress of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Public Health, had the honour to host and support the 3rd International Ayurveda Congress. The 1st International Congress marked the collaboration of important government health organizations. It also received support from the All India Ayurveda Congress, the International Academy of Ayurveda, the International Maharishi AyurVeda Foundation, and the Fundacion Maharishi de Latino America. (more)

Brazil: TM 'made me a better athlete . . . made me a better person' - Olympic medalist Flavio Canto
26 October 2016 - Flávio Canto is a Brazilian judoka and jiu jitsu black belt who won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and three medals at the Pan American Games. He attributes his success and focus to practising Transcendental Meditation since 1995. In 2003 he founded Instituto Reação, a non-governmental organization that promotes human development and social inclusion through sports and education, transforming underprivileged kids into 'black belts' on and off the mat. TM helps institute students relieve stress and achieve the inner equilibrium required to excel both inside and outside the classroom. One student says: 'TM makes me feel relaxed, feel lighter, like if I could fly among the clouds. I was able to focus better on my studies, understand more about my life and reflect what I can become someday.' (more)

Rio de Janeiro's elite police learning Transcendental Meditation in preparation for 2016 Olympics
24 November 2015 - With Olympic Games just a year ahead, the pressure is mounting on Rio de Janeiro police. Security has remained a major challenge in preparation for the grand international event. To prevent stress-induced burnout, last week a group of 400 Rio police officers started a course of Transcendental Meditation. An official explained that a policeman who is less stressed will have a better capacity to make decisions. If TM is proven to reduce the stress, the goal is to expand teaching the technique to the whole troop. The courses are supported by the David Lynch Foundation, which was founded to prevent and eradicate the effects of traumatic, toxic stress among at-risk populations. (more)

Leader of Amazonian tribes to launch programmes for traditional peoples
24 November 2010 - A major leader of Amazonian tribes, who has worked to unify them and protect their traditional cultural values, expressed his intention to launch, in conjunction with the World Federation of Traditional Kings, a programme for the promotion of the region's traditional people. The World Federation is an initiative of the Global Country of World Peace. (more)

Safeguarding the knowledge of traditional peoples to benefit the world
24 November 2010 - The recent visit of Haru Kuntanawa, a great leader of Amazonian tribes, inspired deep appreciation among leaders of the Global Country of World Peace in MERU, Holland. That the knowledge of the traditional peoples has been safeguarded and protected deep in the Amazon forests is 'heartening and inspiring', commented a young Global Country leader in the field of culture. And now that knowledge is coming out into the world and is being shared with others. (more)

Brazilian TV news features Transcendental Meditation in Paul McCartney report
19 November 2010 - On Friday, 19 November, a prime time Brazilian TV news show covered the recent visit of Paul McCartney to the city of Sao Paulo, a report which included a three-minute segment on the Transcendental Meditation Programme. Nearly 60 million people viewed the broadcast, which described benefits of the technique in reducing stress and improving brain functioning. (more)

Agence France-Presse report: TM program helps de-stress schools in Brazil
14 November 2010 - Improved grades and better test scores, reduced stress and less anxiety, greater happiness and more inner peace. That is the forecast for more than one million students attending 1,000 public schools in Brazil's second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro, who will soon get the chance to practise Transcendental Meditation twice daily during class. This news was recently reported by the international wire service Agence France-Presse. (more)

Maharishi University of Management partners with college in Rio
17 June 2010 - An agreement to offer a joint MBA program with a Brazilian college will afford Maharishi University of Management students the opportunity to study in Rio de Janeiro. (more)

Media in Brazil report benefits of Transcendental Meditation for cardiovascular health
17 November 2009 - The Transcendental Meditation Programme not only reduces stress, but recent research shows that it lowered risk of heart attack, stroke, and death by nearly 50 per cent in patients with coronary heart disease. A local couple in Brazil also shares the benefits they've experienced in their lives. (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

It's not yet summer in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping the country
20 November 2023 - It's still spring in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping across large swathes of the country, forcing Rio de Janeiro's vendors off the streets due to health alerts and driving up energy demand amid reports of power outages. Most Brazilian states face 'great danger' from the heat, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (more)

Human activity and drought 'degrading more than a third of Amazon rainforest'
26 January 2023 - Human activity and drought may have degraded more than a third of the Amazon rainforest, double the previous estimate, according to a study that heightens concerns that the globally important ecosystem is slipping towards a point of no return. (more)

Brazilian voters attacked by misinformation days before vote
25 October 2022 - Brazilian voters are being bombarded by online misinformation less than a week before they pick their next leader. ... Baseless and politically motivated rumors are whipping through social media in Latin America's largest democracy, roiling Brazilian politics much as U.S. politics has been roiled. ... Overall, conservative channels produce more content -- and more false, problematic content, too. According to a tally by the Igarape institute, in the eight days before and after the Oct. 2 first-round vote, far-right YouTube channels attracted 99 million views while leftist channels had 28 million views. Political analysts and the opposition have expressed fears that Bolsonaro's internet army may help him challenge the results if he loses, by spreading unfounded allegations of fraud. (more)

Brazil moves toward paving road key to deforestation
30 July 2022 - In a decision that critics have labeled as dangerous, Brazil's government granted a preliminary environmental permit for paving a dirt highway that cuts through one of the Amazon rainforest's most preserved areas. Researchers and environmentalists argue that the paving will lead to mass clearing of pristine rainforest, given that most Amazon deforestation occurs alongside roads where access is easier and land value is higher. ... The BR-319 Observatory, a network of non-profits including WWF Brazil, Greenpeace Brazil, and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations, says local communities haven't been consulted about the project, as the law requires. (more)

Red-hot demand for ipe wood coincides with deforestation hubs in Brazil
18 July 2022 - Logging to meet demand for the tropical hardwood ipe coincides with hotspots of illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, the source of 96 percent of the ipe used worldwide, a report shows. The logging industry says concessions authorized by the government deliver only 2 percent of the native wood that reaches the markets; the remainder is potentially tainted with illegality. (more)

Amazon deforestation in Brazil hits its worst level in 15 years
19 November 2021 - Brazil's Amazon rainforest saw its highest annual rate of deforestation in over 15 years, the latest data shows, after a 22 percent climb from the previous year. The country's space research agency monitoring system showed that the region lost over 5,100 square miles of rainforest -- comparable to about the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut -- between August 2020 to July 2021, according to data published on Thursday[18 November]. Until President Jair Bolsonaro took office, the Brazilian Amazon hadn't recorded an annual loss above 3,000 square miles of deforestation in over a decade. (more)

Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits highest annual level in a decade
20 August 2021 - Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has hit the highest annual level in a decade, a new report has shown, despite increasing global concern over the accelerating devastation since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019. Between August 2020 and July 2021, the rainforest lost 10,476 square kilometers ... according to data released by Imazon, a Brazilian research institute that has been tracking the Amazon deforestation since 2008. The figure is 57 percent higher than in the previous year and is the worst since 2012. (more)

Lear's macaws threatened by planned wind farm in Brazil, experts warn
23 June 2021 - Conservationists in Brazil have raised alarms about the impact of a wind farm being built in a region that's the last stronghold of the endangered Lear's macaw. Conservationists warn that the birds may collide with the turbines, especially because they fly at dawn and dusk, when visibility is poor. ... Despite [French renewable energy developer] Voltalia's stated commitment to the Lear's macaw, the highly threatened mascot of the Caatinga, the project faces criticism because its impact studies will only be done after the wind farm goes into operation. (more)

May deforestation in the Amazon hits 14-year high, with 4 days of data still to process
4 June 2021 - Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rose sharply in May, reports the country's national space research institute INPE. Deforestation in May was the highest for any May dating back to at least 2007. The next highest May on record is May 2008, when 1,096 square kilometers was cut down. Scientists are bracing for a bad fire season in the southern and eastern Amazon due to below average rainfall during the most recent rainy season. A resurgence of fire and deforestation in the Amazon is heightening concerns about the fate of Earth's largest rainforest, which some researchers say could be approaching a point where vast areas transition toward drier habitat. (more)

In Brazil's Amazon, rivers rise to record levels
1 June 2021 - Rivers around the biggest city in Brazil's Amazon rainforest have swelled to levels unseen in over a century of record-keeping, according to data published Tuesday by Manaus' port authorities, straining a society that has grown weary of increasingly frequent flooding. (more)