Stories about Portuguese from September, 2012
Portugal: Unionists Take to the Streets in Protest
Following the biggest popular protest of the last decades in Portugal, on September 15, 2012, every week people have been taking to the streets. More demonstrations were called for September 29, “against the theft of wages, pensions and retirements” by the union confederation CGTP. On Twitter hashtags #29s, #29sPT –...
35 Million Escape Poverty – But Can Brazil Overcome Inequality?
The United Nations campaign to end poverty in 2015 is finding results in Brazil, home to 194 million people. Some 35 million Brazilians have escaped poverty over the last decade, but questions are nevertheless being raised concerning the government's effort to overcome inequality.
Cape Verde: Blogging for Soul Healing, Facebook as a Catwalk
Capeverdean blogger Jorge from Diário de um Thug notes [pt] that the country's blogs are dying everyday. Should Facebook be blamed? for the ones who enjoy writing, that problem is not an issue. Writing is an act of mourning and of memory healing; a soul cure has many more advantages...
Guinea-Bissau: Impact of Tourism in the Bijagós Islands
Tourism doesn't always mean wealth and development for the Southern countries. The statement comes from a report [pt] on “Dynamics and impacts of the expansion of tourism in the Bijagós islands”, a protected sea area in Guinea Bissau. Cape Verdean blog Morabeza shares [pt] the study by CETRI (Centre Tricontinental)...
Brazil: Media, Citizenship, and Public Policies Under Debate
To explore topics on "Media, Citizenship, and Public Policies" is the invitation launched by the VIII Brazilian Citizen Media Conference, in September 24th and 25th in Brasília, and Global Voices is there too. Get to know in this article some of the debates, initiatives and workshops that will happen.
Cabinda: Black Gold of Angola
Cabinda, the eighteenth and most disputed province of Angola, has been waging an ancient struggle for its independence. The majority of the Angolan population says that Cabinda is part of Angola, but others defend the opposite position. The enclave produces around 70% of the oil exported by the country.
Brazil: Misogynistic ‘Humor’ in MTV-Sponsored Blog
A complaint was filed against the blog Testosterone, a blog sponsored by MTV Brazil that constantly posts misogynistic content. Now, online campaigns are calling for MTV to end the partnership with the blog's writer.
Brazil: Reflections of a Country Searching for Peace
Brazil is 83rd among 158 ranked nations in 2012's edition of the Global Peace Index, having fallen nine places since last year's. In the wake of International Peace Day Global Voices shares reflections and initiatives by Brazilian bloggers on the subject.
Portugal: Demonstrations During Presidential Meeting with State Council
Following September 15's massive anti-austerity protests around Portugal ‘Screw troika! We want our lives’, new demonstrations were organized for September 21, the day President Cavaco Silva is holding a meeting of his advisory State Council at the Belém Palace. Follow hashtags #15sPT, #CE21s and #QueSeLixeaTroika on Twitter for updates.
Angola: Police Puts End to Protest
The Angolan collective @Central7311 informed on Twitter that some of its members were detained on September 20, 2012, “for holding a peaceful demonstration” which intended to “pressure the opposition not to take their place in parliament after clearly fraudulent elections”. The demonstrators were released six hours after the detention, Maka Angola...
Mozambique: Musician with a Cause
Ruben Mutekane invented Ndjerendje, a musical instrument that he uses to accompany social intervention songs while singing around Maputo, Mozambique. In the following video by Miguel Mangueze (@FotoMangueze)…
Mozambique: Photos of Bike-Taxis in Quelimane
A photo album by António Silva on Sapo illustrates the widespread use of bicycles as taxis in the flat city of Quelimane, in Mozambique, a place where there the lack of public transports has opened the path for a healthier environment.
Brazil: Internet Bill of Rights Vote Postponed Again
The progressive Bill of Rights for Internet users in Brazil, the Marco Civil da Internet, which was expected to be voted in Congress today, September 19, 2012, ended up being cancelled for the third time since June. The vote was postponed until after the elections in October, inform Twitter users under...
Portugal: Massive Protest Against Troika Sparks Momentum
The biggest demonstration of recent decades in Portugal took place on September 15, under the anti-austerity motto 'Screw the troika! We want our lives'. Nearly one million people took to the streets to protest against the government.
Portugal Protesting: “We Want Our Lives”
Before September 15's anti-austerity protest in Portugal titled 'Screw troika! We want our lives', high participation was expected, at least on social media. The austerity measures recently announced by the Prime Minister Passos Coelho seem to have given plenty of reasons for an increasingly broader section of the population to take to the streets.
Brazil: Threat to the Autonomy of Indigenous Lands
The issuance in mid-July of a governmental measure, Decree 303, that restricts the autonomy of indigenous lands in Brazil has been strongly criticized by many social movements, both in Brazil and beyond, which fight for the rights of indigenous peoples.
Portugal: More Austerity, Why's the Revolution Taking So Long?
The Portuguese government led by Pedro Passos Coelho is increasingly distancing itself from its electoral promises and from the path which it promised to follow during the election period, generating a wave of discontent which is manifesting itself primarily on social networks.
Brazil: Youth Documentary on Pacification in Rio's Favelas
The Project 5X Favela (5 Times Slum), which aims to give a voice to young filmmakers living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, is now addressing the pacification process in Rio's slums. Their new documentary, 5X Pacification, intends to portray the impact of police units presence in the daily...
Brazil: Mapping Fires in São Paulo Favelas, Land Values
After crowdsourced research on fires in São Paulo's slums and informal settlements, known as favelas, Patrícia Cornils and a group of São Paulo citizens are mapping the fires at a site called “Fogo no Barraco” which translates as “Shanty on Fire”. The site also reveals dramatic increases in land value near fire...
Angola: From the Highlands to the Coast
See more photos on Buala.org.
Portugal: Public Television on the Way to Being Privatised
“Portugal will be the only country in Europe without a public radio and television service.” This was one of the first outraged reactions on Twitter, soon after the (un)official announcement of the proposal to privatise Portuguese Public Television (RTP) made by government privatisation advisor António Borges.
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