In my previous article, I wrote down about the importance of education. However, there is another significant factor affecting student efficiently. That is the "Mentor".  Mentor leads people to pursue their goal and inspires them to come true their dream. Of course, there is my favorite Brazilian mentor "Chico Mendes" who was labor leader, environmentalist and conservationist and devoted his life to saving Amazon. Today I would introduce of his life and achievements, which, I hope, will inspire all Eco-Generation Ambassadors just like that I have had.

Chico Mendes has grown up in a family working as rubber tappers. It is sustainable agriculture using sap to produce pencil erasers, car tiers etc without harming the ecosystem. However, ranchers and miners started to damage Amazon forests to earn more profits he began to fight against big companies and corrupted government.

After becoming the leader of rubber tapping union in Brazil against deforestation, he started to be spokesperson. He sent many letters to president of Brazil in order to improve the tapper working condition and their right, however, most of them were ignored in the end. He also launched the association of unions and grew them up to 30,000 members, which led to preventing the destruction of rainforest. While being active, some of their members were murdered.

In terms of his great achievements, I can pick up his Global 500 award given by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). This was the reward for his action against social, political obstacles. However, his life was end with gunshot in front of his home. In fact, he foresaw that he would be murdered as well. Before being killed, he left letter below (part of content)

"My dream is to see this entire forest conserved because we know it can guarantee the future of all the people who live in it...If a messenger from heaven came down and guaranteed that my death would help to strengthen the struggle, it could even be worth it. But experience teaches us the opposite... I want to live."

In fact, there are large of his achievements recorded and written. People consider him not only a hero of Amazon but also a hero of entire earth. His passion for saving Amazon at the risk of his life has inspired me and I believe that it will spread in any generation for future.

Source : BBC NEWS