Chief Juana Calfunao is honoured with Chico Mendes Resistance Medal

Rio de Janeiro , 20 February 2006

To Mrs,
Juana Calfunao Paillalef
Chief lonko of the Community "Juan Paillalef", of the Mapuche nation - Chile.

'Tortura Nunca Mais/RJ' (Torture Never Again Group) created The Chico Mendes Resistance Medal in 1989 in order to honour people and organisations who have distinguished themselves in the fight against military dictatorship, torture, injustice, violence against popular movements and human rights violations in Brazil and the world.

On the 31st of March 2006, we will solemnely be carrying out the presentation of the 18th Chico Mendes Resistance Medal and we have enormous pleasure in inviting you to receive a medal.

This year those chosen by GTNM/RJ, along with other civil organisations - Centro Acadêmico Cândido de Oliveira (CACO), Sindicato dos Bancários do Rio de Janeiro, Comitê Chico Mendes, Associação Brasileira de Imprensa (ABI) e o Arquivo Nacional - are:

Dr. Hélio Bicudo - jurist and president of the Interamerican Foundation for the Defense of Human Rights (Fundação Interamericana de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos); Frei Jean Marie Xavier Plassat - Coordinator for the Campaign against Slave Labour from CPT (Campanha Contra o Trabalho Escravo da Comissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT)); Journalist João Saldanha ; "Mothers of DEGASE" General Department for Social-Educational Actions (Departamento Geral de Ações Sócio-Educativas); Érica Bayer in Roth - Physics doctor, social worker and psychotherapist Regional coordinator for the Movement of landless Rural Workers ( Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra/PE) ; Cléa Moraes - founder of Torture Never Again Group (Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais/RJ); Marcos Nonato Fonseca -political militant from National Liberation Action (Ação Libertadora Nacional (ALN)), assasinated in 1972;  Kleber Lemos da Silva - militant of the Brazilian Communist Party (Partido Comunista do Brasil (PcdoB)),who disappeared in the Guerrilha do Araguaia; Juana Calfunao Paillalef - chief lonko of the "Juan Paillalef" community, of theMapuche-Chile nation, and the Special Tribute to : João Cândido Felisberto - the Almirante Negro.

The presentation of the medals will be carried out on the 31 March 2006 at the Auditório do Arquivo Nacional,  Praça da República., 173  - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, at 18.00 hours.

So as to ensure adequate organisation we request your presence half an hour before the ceremony, at 17.30 hours.

After the ceremony, the above will be invited to dinner with the particiapting organisations of the event and other guests.

Cordially,

President of the Torture Never Again Group/RJ

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