Flex Mentallo

The documentary makes clear that, unlike other celebrities with charitable aims, Sting did not simply raise money for established organizations with the existing infrastructure to properly put the funds to use. Instead, he exploited the rainforest issue to set up his own charity, wasting a majority of the donated funds on offices and salaries around the world so only a mere fraction of the money remained for to the stated charitable aims.

"Overall, on balance, he's actually not been helpful to the cause of Amazonian Indians at all." Stephen Corry of Survival International England's Granada Television broadcast a major investigative documentary for their program World in Action on The Rainforest Foundation. The show was re-broadcast in the United States on the A&E (Arts and Entertainment) cable network hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show detailed the malfeasance orchestrated by Sting, Trudie Styler, and Jean Pierre Dutilleux, including the realities of the demarcation issues, the false claims that "All Royalties go to The Rainforest Foundation" from the sales of the book "Jungle Stories", and the broken promises of money to help the Indians.

To this day their web site states that: "The Foundation's first major initiative was to campaign for the protection of the lands of the Kayapo Indians in Brazilian Amazonia. This resulted in 1993 in the legal recognition and demarcation of an area of more than 27,359 square kilometers." It has been established that this initiative had already been previously ratified in law by the Brazilian Government and the land demarcated.

But then things began to go wrong. A detailed investigation for ROLLING STONE magazine proved that, in fact, the land which The Rainforest Foundation claimed as the target of their protective 'demarcation' consisted of the Xingu National Park (of which Raoni’s nephew was the Director) and the adjacent territories of several indigenous indian tribes whose land was already legally protected under the terms of the Brazilian Constitution. Under Brazilian law, the native indigenous inhabitants of the rainforest are 'wards of the state'. Outsiders are prohibited from contacting them Outsiders are also legally prohibited from giving them money, gifts, and other influences. Sting and Dutilleux told a Brazilian government official in charge of indian affairs they wanted to get Raoni a passport and needed the FUNAI official's approval so the chief could join the world tour. They explained that ”the Foundation needs a project that will capture people’s imagination. If we do that we can raise a lot of money, but we need the demarcation.”

Raoni’s message “I came to tell you my concern about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. I told you about the fires, the burning sun, high winds that would blow if man continues to destroy the forest. You supported me and you gave me the means to demarcate our lands. It’s done. This is a huge area full of chase, flowers and fruits. This is the most beautiful forest. First of all, to all those who have donated money or help I want to say on behalf of my people Kayapo, thank you…nambikwa…meikumbre. I come to you today because my concern is returned. I learned that you also now are worried. You know the fear that we know. I tell you, if man continues to destroy the earth, the winds will return with more force … not once … but several times … sooner or later. "These winds will destroy us all. We all breathe one air, we all drink one water, we all live on one earth. We all need to protect it. Home invasions resumed. Loggers and miners do not meet the reserve. We do not have the means to protect this vast forest which we are custodians for you all. I need your support before it is too late”.

He subsequently went on a worldwide publicity tour accompanied by Raoni, chief of the Kayapo tribe.

Sting did not mention that The Rainforest Foundation was founded by himself, his girlfriend Trudie Styler, and a friend named Jean Pierre Dutilleux.

In 1990 Sting made a television commercial broadcast free of charge as it was for a charitable foundation. It was broadcast all around the world. Sting recorded it in seven languages, it was slick, it was fast, and it went like this: “The faster the forest burns, the quicker the planet warms up....the greenhouse effect... earthquakes... hurricanes... droughts... famines... I am worried... What are we leaving for our children? If you want to protect the rainforest for the indians and for your children and grandchildren, you can help create vast Amazon National Parks (like in the USA or Africa) by making a donation to The Rainforest Foundation before it’s too late. It’s up to us...Now..” Then a local address for The Rainforest Foundation would flash on the screen where you could send your cash donation.

Those of you who have followed this thread from the beginning will recall that in our youth, Gordon and I attended the same school. We were in the same class for five years. We were not friends. Sting

"A charity built on promises that has failed to deliver." World in Action Including his years with The Police, Sting has sold over 100 million records worldwide. In the UK, he has been awarded seven Platinum album certifications, three Gold and a Silver, and in the US, nine Platinum and three Gold certifications. In 2006, Paste magazine ranked him 62nd on their list of the "100 Best Living Songwriters". He was also ranked 63rd on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Rock" and 80th on Q magazine's "100 Greatest Musical Stars of 20th Century". "With his wife Trudie Styler and Raoni Metuktire, a Kayapó Indian leader in Brazil, Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund to help save the rainforests and protect the rights of the indigenous peoples living there. A species of Colombian tree frog, Dendropsophus stingi, was named after him in recognition of his "commitment and efforts to save the rain forest". Wikipedia

I've been a chief executive in the charitable sector since 1995. Part of my role has been to fundraise and I estimate that I've raised close to £2,000,000 spread over those years. I've also co-founded a front line charity, acted as a consultant for a non-government organisation in West Bengal, volunteered in a war zone on behalf of the charity Warchild, and currently serve as a non-paid Director on the boards of two other local charities. One of these is an infrastructure agency which exists to nurture, train and develop front line charities and community groups. Our remit embraces approximately 80 charities and 1500 groups. Many of the hundreds of funding bids I've made have been to charitable trusts and foundations of varying sizes. The largest of these manage vast funds. The entire charitable sector here in the UK is overseen by the Charity Commission. Every charity is expected to have a board and to publish an annual report and published accounts. Large or small, there is an onus of responsibility to remain true to the charity's objects, and to handle funds with care. It is considered good practice to maximise the percentage of funding that goes to benefit the general public, including groups of special interest and minorities, the vulnerable, the excluded and abused, etc, etc. Consequently it is also good practice to minimise staffing costs and overheads. It is considered malfeasance to misappropriate a charity's funds, and/or misrepresent it's mission, values, public benefit or charitable objects. With reference to Arc, the charity I co-founded, we turn every £1 received from the statutory sector into the equivalent of £11 worth of delivery. That is twice as much as any other charity in our area. So you could say, I know a little bit about the subject. Next: Sting in the tail

Never saw that one before, Jack. Congrats! What's the interior like Jack. Any Charles Sultan?

I'm enjoying these, some I've never seen before.

Right there with you. Kids these days... Preach it brother! Darn tootin'!

Right there with you. Kids these days...

Next:Yanomami “You can’t uproot us and put is in another land; we don’t exist away from the forest”

But elsewhere, conflicts continue between the Amazon tribes and the gold miners, which have led some tribes to the brink of extinction.

Because of the use of mercury in the gold extraction process large areas around the mine are considered dangerously contaminated. People eating fish downstream from the mine have elevated mercury levels. Today the Serra Pelada mine is abandoned and the giant open pit that was created by hand has filled with water, creating a small polluted lake.

Because of the chaotic nature of the operation estimating the number of miners was difficult, but at least 100,000 people were thought to be present, making it one of the largest mines in the world.

The mine was made famous by the images taken by Sebastião Salgado showing an anthill of workers moving vast amounts of ore by hand.

Serra Pelada (English: "Bald Mountain") was a large gold mine in Brazil 430 kilometres (270 mi) south of the mouth of the Amazon River.

Serra Pelada Ironically, Salgado's most famous pictures are of a gold mine in Brazil called Serra Pelada. Gold mining in the rain forest is supported by the Brazilian government even though it threatens the extinction of the tribes. This is because the Brazilian government carries an international debt running to billions of dollars and is desperate for the foreign currency only exports can yield.

Their business clearly relies upon the exploitation, rather than the preservation of the environment - hardly an ideal source of funding. The exploitation of the rain forest is in turn exploited.

A case-study released by Friends of the Earth International reveals Vale's lobbying activities, exerting pressure on politicians in order to influence and undermine climate change policies (their own carbon emissions went up by a third between 2008 and 2010).

But there's a problem at the heart of Salgado's Genesis: the main sponsor is a Brazilian mining company called Vale. One of the largest producers of raw materials on the planet, they were identified in 2012 as the company with the "most contempt for the environment and human rights in the world".