Bishop honoured for years of indigenous rights work

(December 07, 10) A Catholic Bishop, whose life has been threatened for his defense of Brazil's indigenous people and his criticism of a major dam being built in the Amazon was recognized on Monday for his work. Austrian-born Bishop Erwin Krautler was one of four recipients of the “Right Livelihood Award”, sometimes referred to as the alternative Nobel Prize, by the Swedish Parliament. Bishop Krautler of Xingu, oversees the largest diocese in Brazil, encompassing about 368,000 sq. kilometers with vast swaths of jungle. He was chosen for a lifetime of work for the human and environmental rights of indigenous peoples and for his tireless efforts to save the Amazon forest from estruction, according to the organization.
Bishop Krautler has been working to promote indigenous rights in a largely lawless region since 1980, focusing on land access, self-organization and health care. He dedicated the award to those who work with him to protect the Amazon and its peoples, especially those who have given their lives in the struggle.Bishop Krautler has most recently been protesting the building of Belo Monte, a massive 11,000-megawatt dam that would be the world's third-largest hydroelectric plant. The project is opposed by indigenous groups, as well as celebrities.