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ments. He created the world. He can
never die. If he did , the whole world
would perish with him. God dwells
on rugh , in the Firmament. God
is
the Lord above all things. He reigns
also over men, whose actions he
watches day and night."
Now, why should we in the West–
em world - beset by infiation,
unemployment, etc. - care about a
dying race thousands of miles away?
The world is not so large that we
can ignore what is going on even a
few thousand miles distant, and any
human tragedy that occurs there
may happen here sooner or later.
Have we forgotten what happened
in Europe and in Asia during World
War II? The ma in point as far as we
civilized people are concerned is
that we have one last opportunity to
preserve a people who would other–
wise disappear - a people whose
simple wisdom, reftected in human
relationships and family ties, should
make us think about and seek a re–
alistic compromise between our self–
destruction, often blind technology
and a simpl e, honest way of life.
Should these people, despite their
human limitations in which we all
share, be deprived of the right to life
in tomorrow's world? What
if
we
were in their situation - and they
in
ours? With the help of good-hearted
people, l have developed a feasible
plan for preserving part of the lturi
Forest which, wi th enough money,
could assure the relative stability of
the Pygmies' society before it is too
late.
I devote the proceeds of my film
and books to the PYGMY FUND/ as
well as my life's energies. But alone
1 cannot save an entire race from
extinction. Substant ial help is ur–
gently needed if we are to save the
survivors.
1
wou ld like to say
in
con–
clusion a warm and very sincere
"thank you" to the people who have
a lready helped and to the ones who
will care enough to become in–
volved. O
'The address o f the PYGMY FuND is 5630 West 79th
Strect. Los Angeles. California 90045. lnformation
about the avai labtltty of the film or lectures can be
obtained by inst itutions and organwuions at the
same address.
THE PYGM/ES developed a life-style
respecting the wondrous marvels of
the lturi Forest (opposite page). In
the middle are a child, a young adult,
and an old man who sti/1 belong to
the uncorrupted Efé way of life of
CentralAfrica 's oldest known people.
In contrast, the three men below are
rather pathetic examples of the
impact of cast-off Western clothing
on Pygmies in servitude to Bantu
neighbors. They convey the tragedy
of the loss of cultural identity and
their basic human dignity. To reverse
the tragedy besetting the Pygmies,
funding is used to provide medica–
tion when n eeded, to secure land,
to buy tools and seeds - none of
which the Pygmies can afford to buy
on their own . This aid is to compen–
sate for the destructive effect of the
accelerated reduction of the forest
on their lives and culture -
since
they receive no support local/y. Their
only hope for survival is from outside
he/p.
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