Stories about Portuguese from August, 2011
Brazil: Blogging on Poetry
The Brazilian professor Nelson Souzza, on his blog Literatura & Linguagens (Literature and Languages) [pt], writes literary and historic analyses of lusophone poetry, with a focus on famous Portuguese and Brazilian writers and musicians.
Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness
Mozambique is ceding 6 million hectares of land to Brazilian farmers. The idea is to draw on the Brazilian experience in the Cerrado, a biosphere similar to the African savanna, where industrial cattle grazing and soy plantations have already devastated 80% of the richest grasslands in the world.
Brazil: Global Action Against Belo Monte Dam in Images
Protests against Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant dam have gone global. In this post, we compile a selection of photos and videos featuring the worldwide demonstrations, from the streets of many Brazilian cities to the rest of the world.
Brazil: Construction Starts on Controversial Belo Monte Dam
Despite the protesting voices of indigenous populations and traditional settlers of Volta Grande do Xingu region, construction on Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric plant has begun. Protests against the project will take place in 10 Brazilian cities and 16 countries on August 20.
Brazil: Loggers Threaten Government Officials in the Amazon
Police officers and officials from the Brazilian government's agencies dedicated to the environment (Ibama) and indigenous rights (Funai) were surrounded and threatened by a group of about 60 loggers in the Amazon forest on August 12. Journalist Leonardo Sakamoto reports [pt] that the loggers wanted to prevent the seizure of...
Portugal: A Guide for Digital Literacy
With the aims to “increase digital literacy and citizenship”, the Portuguese blog Sobre Literacia Digital (About Digital Literacy) [pt] by Ricardo Santos Silva, provides tips, a range of examples, and step-by-step exercises on how to verify sources and find facts and people, among other internet related subjects [pt].
Blogging in Portuguese on Special Education
The blog Grito de Mudança (Cry for Change) [pt] gathers several articles and resources on special education and children with special needs in Portuguese language.
Brazil: Constraining the “Spread” of Homosexuality by Law
The City Council of São José dos Campos, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, has approved a law by the councilman Cristõvao Gonçalves that forbids the “disclosure of any material that may induce children to homosexuality”, reports [pt] the blog Eleições Hoje (Elections Today).
Brazil: Teachers Protest for Better Wages
Brazilian blogger Rosangela Basso posts [pt] several photos and a videos of the latest protest of teachers that took place on August 9 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Teachers demand a considerable salary increase while the local government refuses to negotiate.
Sao Tome and Principe: Life and Work of the Naïve Artist Canarim
Portuguese teacher MJ Falcão, from the blog O Falcao de Jade, writes [pt] about the life and work of Pascoal Viegas, “one of the greatest Naïve painters of Sao Tome and Principe”. Pascoal Viegas, known as Canarim or Sum Canalim, lived during the colonial times, in the 19th century.
Angola: “Angolanization” of the Workforce
Feliciano Cangue, on his blog Hukalilile, presents several definitions of “angolanization” [pt] and writes about national versus expatriate workforce in Angola.
Portugal: Petition For Galicia to Enter the Lusophone Space
The association MIL – Movimento Internacional Lusófono (International Lusophone Movement) [pt] – has written an open letter [pt] to the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Portas, addressing the “inflection of the Portuguese State's position towards Galicia”. MIL considers the Spanish region of Galicia as an integral part of the...
Brazil: Hetero Pride or Homo Intolerance?
On August 2, 2011, the city council of Sao Paulo, Brazil, established Heterosexual Pride Day, an event to be celebrated on the third Sunday in December. Indignant netizens are asking the question: does it make sense to dedicate a day to a majority social group that does not suffer any kind of prejudice?
Angola: Government Censors News on Massive Fainting Wave
Journalist Orlando Castro, on the blog Alto Hama, criticizes [pt] the decision of the Government of Angola to arrest a journalist who reported on a massive fainting wave. Some claim that what has led more than 500 people to faint across the country since April was an unidentified toxic gas....
Cape Verde: Presidential Candidates on Facebook
A group of Capeverdean citizens called Pioneiros de Cabo Verde have created an event on Facebook for the Presidential Elections that will take place on August 7. The event's page shares the Facebook profiles of the main candidates as well as videos of debates that have taken place during the...
Brazil: Proposal to Award a Homophobic Pastor Causes Outrage
The proposal of Rose Sales, councilwoman of the city of São Luis from the Communist Party of Brazil, to award a “Title of Citizen of São Luís” to the pastor Silas Malafaia has caused outrage among the defenders of gay rights. Malafaia is considered by many a homophobic preacher, tells...
Brazil: New Minister of Defence Becomes Trending on Twitter
Brazilian diplomat Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations of the former President Lula da Silva, was appointed by President Rousseff as the new Minister of Defence, replacing the controversial Nelson Jobim, writes [pt] Hugo Albuquerque. Thousands tweeted the news as Amorim's name became [pt] a worldwide trending topic.
Brazil: Brazilian Singer Censored by Politician
Brazilian singer and songwriter Tonho Crocco is being prosecuted by the State Deputy Giovanni Cherini due to a song in which he criticizes 36 lawmakers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul for the 73% pay rise they voted for themselves, writes [pt] Jefferson da silva, from the blog...
Mozambique: Behind the Detention of MC Azagaia
MC Azagaia, a controversial activist musician from Mozambique, had been arrested for possession of cannabis on the same day that he was going to present his latest hip hop work. Netizens have been wondering about real motivations for his arrest while discussing the limits of freedom of expression. Azagaia has been released and the presentation took place on August 4.
Brazil: The Heterossexual Pride Day is Announced
Brazilian activist Alessandra Nane (@Lessinha_nane) informs [pt] that the City Council of São Paulo has just approved the Heterosexual Pride Day, a project led by evangelical leaders, to take place on the third Sunday of December. Nane ironically wonders when the “White Awareness Day”, among others, will also be approved.
Portugal: Lusophone Communities “Have a Look” at the Center of Porto
The Portuguese cultural and artistic association 10pt has launched the initiative Olha Lá (Have a Look) [pt] aiming at “gathering an itinerant object through the Portuguese language space”. The Lusophone communities in Porto are thus called to share and spread the perceptions of diaspora across the historic center of town...
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