The commitment required from us, not to give up or to forget our principles, has been huge, as huge was the amount of energy we had to use 24 hours a day. Our torturers have been relentless (and I can rightly name them torturers - what is it, to deprive someone of sleep, silence, darkness, to threaten verbally and physically in a continuous way, if not TORTURE?). They never seemed give up on their dull actions, disturbing and harassing us. Threats, insults, stalking, noises, chasing us every where, trying to scare us by all possible means, most of them illegal... I look behind to these two weeks and the feeling is that I have been here since months: so high was the intensity of this experience.

I watch the other camp from afar, where a few of the people that have shown no mercy to us still dwell. It is with a feeling of deep pity and understanding that I observe them. It's unfortunate that some of them genuinely believe that they are defending their motherland from the foreign invaders, the corrupters of the local youth, the homos (as if we would take it as an insult!), the jobs destroyers. But some of them were just really mean, nonetheless. The building up of the image of the ENEMY (Greenpeace) by the local media has been swallowed without questioning, and seemingly never put into doubt. They have called us undemocratic while silencing by force and fear any dissenting voice in and outside their Anti-Terror camp; they have named us terrorists and used all possible means, to try to scare us... with no sign of being aware of the contradictions.

Finally, I believe we have to thank them: maybe without their help, without the almost hysterical reaction to our presence of those who control the logging industry, we would not achieved the good results that we did. They have helped us so much in making the world aware of what was and is going on in Lapland. They have helped us to better understand how it must have been difficult, and still IS, for the Sámi and for all the brave hearts that had or have a different vision of the forest, that just don't see it as Metsähallitus does - as a giant stockpile of cellulose- to let their voices be heard... Sámi, hunters and fishermen, tourism workers, reindeer herdsmen, broader minds or just beauty lovers, all subjected supposedly to such repression. Many people that have tried to help or support us, even only to express a more neutral opinion on what was going on in these days, have received tens of threats through phone and mail, or just face to face.

But lo! The King is Naked! And he has done it all by himself, exposing his true face, revealing his soul, in the most amazing suicidal public relation strategy that ever a Company, whatsoever arrogant and sure of its own impunity, has done in recent years. Maybe because historically it is the very first time that its position in the management of the area has been really challenged, and for the first time by someone that just did not bend under its pressure: it was, for them, a surprise.

This is seemingly giving new hopes to many that have felt unhappy in the past about the management of the local environment, and even the Sámi Nation, dispersed among Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, wants now to pull together... this only, by itself, would represent a beautiful result that would repay us of all the sufferance we had to bear in these weeks. They say to me that Kalevi, our host, that has put his home at our disposal, whose logistical support has been vital for us, Sámi, reindeer herder, master of the forest, hunter and the heart of a lion, has never had such a happy face as in the last three days: this experience, the fact that they were able to impose the presence of the Sámi Parliament at the meeting with Metsähallitus three days ago, the prolonging of the moratoria on the tree-cutting in the sensible areas, the help of a lawyer in avoiding the usual legal traps, the knowledge that it will be not so easy to fool his people in the future, has all filled him with optimism.

Now it is time for me, for us, to go back home and rest. I already know that the sun in my garden, the surrounding silence, the peacefulness of the olive trees and all the flowers in blossom will soon heal my heart from all the bad memories and stress and pain. What will remain will be the beauty of the companions that were with me in this adventure (indeed closer to a nightmare), that have been laughing with me even in the worst moments, never losing hope and courage. To them, bright minds and shiny eyes, in and outside the Camp, local heroes and travellers from afar.

All my love and everlasting gratitude.

May our paths cross again!

Rosso