Corporate Giants, Friend or Foe?

It's so interesting how I hear about a corporate giant and I'm immediately thinking these people are evil. Perhaps I had the same misconceptions about Aracruz before the simulation we had in class. Playing the part of the NGO, I couldn't help but feel that my contributions to the rights of the natives were completely self-serving. Maybe it was the lack of background information, but in my opinion I was playing the part of a publicity whore. Now the other people in the simulation, FUNAI, the Native Indian, Aracruz, and the community were all so pleasant in the meeting that I couldn't help but feel that we were all conscious of respecting each other that we were too afraid to be confrontational. Again, maybe that's just my stance. And I can truly say with complete honesty that I initially wanted to totally rip into the corporate giant, but thought carefully about how to be most effective and the least challenging.

Regardless, the simulation was great in getting me to empathize with Aracruz. I don't know if it's because the person simulating them was so accommodating, but I actually began to feel sorry for them and try to come up with the best way to help them get what they needed. Unfortunately, that probably was true to my part.

When we debriefed in class I could quickly tell that not everyone was as "nice" as our group. I could feel the energy against the "corporate scum." But after Dr. Osland shared her insights about the situation, and the land perhaps not actually being occupied/owned by the native Indians, I just began to empathize with the "big bad giant" again. If I had paid for something, and I thought it was legally mine, how would I feel? How accommodating would I be? How nice would I be? Obviously those are rhetorical questions that lead me to the obvious ESTJ "that's not fair" response. However, for the last week, I have been so curious with what the solution to this whole chaotic mess could be. Can a corporate giant ever come to an agreement with a group of people who's complete mindset is unimaginable to them? How can I even empathize with the natives? I have no basis, no understanding of where they come from. And interestingly so, when I come to this epiphany I realize that they must be right to fight for the land, and the corporation must be wrong. And if I say otherwise I'm a greedy discriminating ignoramus. (My own projections of course.) Regardless I'm bound to believe that there's an answer to this issue, I have to hope that there's an answer. I just hope that someone, anyone, figures it out.