Flower of the month
CMF |
The Centro Medicina da Floresta is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) located in the Purus National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon, within a spiritual community, the town of Mapiá.
Its distinctive character lies in the recovery of the forest peoples’ traditional knowledge about how to prevent, treat and cure diseases, as well as in preserving this knowledge by passing it down to new generations. Although the CMF values the spiritual aspect of this wisdom, it does not lose sight of the scientific standards in researching and processing the plants. Its work is dedicated to the creation of human development alternatives in the areas of culture, education, health, ecology and the environment, providing professional qualification and opportunities for social mobilization, especially for youth.
Prominent among its activities is the practice of extracting medicinal species from the forest for the production of health elixirs as well as to replant them in degraded areas. The Florais da Amazônia [Floral essences from the Amazon] are among the main products of the CMF. The preparations obtained are distributed free of charge to the local population, as a preventive measure against the diseases predominant in the area. Visitors from all over the world also benefit from the CMF.
Founded in 1989 by a group of women and youth, the CMF was established as a legal entity in 1997, and since then has widened its horizons, interacting with other groups or individuals involved in social action, developing partnerships in Amazônia, Brazil and abroad.
Code of Ethics of the Centro
Cultivate love for the forest and for the Creative Nature; to study, respect and practice their laws.
To have a commitment with the preservation of Nature, especially the Amazonian forest, observed the limits of extra activities, in accordance with the offers of nature and developing ecological management strategies and reforestation.
We recognize the authority of the people of the forest (Indian nations, rubber tappers and the many communities organized around their traditional culture) on the biodiversity of the forest, its physical, intellectual and spiritual patrimony. We legitimize their rights to decide about any concession to explore and research of the universal patrimony care by them, as well as their exclusive rights to registry for the protection of the traditional and popular knowledge over this biodiversity.
Observation I: We understand as the People of the Forest, the people native or people that occupy the same territory for more then ten years, living in the organized social life of this territory.
Observation II: We understand as Caring for the Universal Patrimony, a group of attitude and actions that contribute for perseveration, protection and development of all life that live in the forest.
To research, to practice and development of the knowledge of the traditional medicine of the forest, putting the global health of humanity above any political, partisans, religious, racial or commercials interests.
To return to the Amazonian forest all that has been gained in its name, or through the commercialization of the products of its patrimony, under the form of social, environmental, technical or educational investment.
Do not extract the prime crude material or medical matrix for exportation or commercialization outside the forest, striving to develop the whole chain of production in the region and only take the end product that come to benefit the people of the forest.
To defend inner alliance between the people of the forest, exchange of knowledge or associate for the cooperation in the production of the products that come to generate economical sustainability to our medicine.
We cultivate as goal that from the organized alliances between the people of the forest around their traditional medicine, can rise collective forms of registration for the protection of the traditional and popular knowledge, in name of the communion of the ethical principals affirmed officially, which would have the same official valor of protection as does the patents, and it will not be negotiable, being considered an untransferable patrimony.
We defend the interchange with the scientific community, with in our ethical principals, seeking the betterment and legitimization of our procedure, as well as to make available our research to benefit humanity.
We only take responsibility for the information on our research that is divulgated by people with credential from our center.