This is Democracy Now, a holiday special.

When we die, our souls leave our bodies, take with them everything they love in our bedrooms, the perfume

bottles, the makeup, the necklaces, and the pens. In Gaza, our bodies and rooms get crushed.

Nothing remains for the soul. Even our souls, they get stuck under the rubble for weeks.

We'll speak with Mossab Abu Toha, an acclaimed Palestinian poet from Gaza, detained by Israeli

forces a year ago as he attempted to flee Israel's bombardment. He's just published a new

book of poetry, Forest of Noise. It includes one

poem titled Under the Rubble, which he'll read for us. Then we speak to Namante Nankimo, an indigenous

leader from the Warrani Nation in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. She helped win passage of a referendum to keep oil in the

soil in Ecuador's Yasuni Park.

The oilmen came to our territory flying in helicopters, promising development. They did a lot of damage.

They destroyed our water. They contaminated our land.

They contaminated our people as well by disconnecting us from our knowledge and values.

All that and more coming up.

This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the war and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman.

In this holiday broadcast, we begin the show with the acclaimed Palestinian poet Mossab Abu Toha from Gaza.

Last year, he was detained by Israeli forces as he attempted to flee with his family from Israel's bombardment of northern Gaza.

While in detention, he was stripped naked and beaten, but after public pressure,

Mosab Abu Toha was released two days later.

He was eventually able to flee Gaza with his family.

Mosab Abu Toha recently published a new book of poetry, Forest of Noise. His previous award-winning

book of poetry was titled, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, Poems from Gaza.

...