Help the indigenous peoples of the Congo to be heard above the sound
of the chainsawsWe are asking people around the world to sign an
online petition
asking the World Bank to immediately halt plans for the expansion of
industrial logging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read on to
find out more, and don't forget to forward this to friends and
colleagues, as we need as many signatures as possible.

http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Petition%20the%20World%20Bank%
20on%20Congo%20Forests

Logging the Congo rainforests will cut down more than just trees!

The rainforests of the Congo - which are the second largest on Earth
after those of the Amazon - are imminently threatened. New laws being
introduced under the guidance of the World Bank, as well as
a 'zoning' of the country's forests, will potentially see an area the
size of France handed out to logging companies.

35 million people (75% of Congo's national population) live in and
around the forests, and depend on it for food, shelter, and natural
medicines. The forests are also home to thousands of plant and animal
species, including the lowland Gorilla, chimpanzees, forest
elephants, and the rare okapi. So far, the rainforests have largely
been spared widespread destruction.

However, the new laws, which are due to come into effect this year,
will encourage a massive expansion of the timber industry, including
a 60-fold increase in industrial logging.

This could be the start of the first major environmental and
humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century.

The Rainforest Foundation, along with dozens of environmental and
human rights groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo is calling
on the World Bank to immediately halt plans for the expansion of
industrial logging of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to ensure
that the rights of people living in the forest are respected.

Please spare two minutes to sign the online World Bank petition and
forward this email on to your friends and colleagues?

http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Petition%20the%20World%20Bank%
20on%20Congo%20Forests

Yours sincerely

The Rainforest Foundation

Read more about the carve up of Congos forests -

http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Stop%20the%20carve%20up%20of%
20the%20Congo%20forests


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The Rainforest Foundation is a registered charity (801436) working to
support indigenous people and traditional populations of the world's
rainforests to protect their environment and fulfil their rights to
land and livelihood.