Global Voices Online

Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva has ratified the agreement to standardise the Portuguese language and its spelling in a move to make the language, spoken in 8 countries, more uniform globally. O Hermenauta [pt] has written a round up of reactions from both sides of the ocean and concludes the agreement is still a disagreement.

Café Turco notes that “some signs are starting to appear that Madrid may soon recognize Kosova as an Independent state.”

Kianda (from Angola) and Khanimambo! (from Brazil) are some of the blogs participating in an across-borders blog campaign: “Do not let poverty become the landscape”, conceived by Isto inclui-me (This Includes Me, from Portugal) [pt - all links].

Bárbara Axt [pt] publishes a spot on video showing Jose Saramago's reaction just after watching Blindness, an adaptation of his book by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, which was launched the Cannes film festival on Wednesday. “I am so happy to watch this film… as I was when I finished writing the book”, said the Nobel-laureate Portuguese writer.

“The past, present and future of Africa will be debated for two days in Lisbon during the II International Congress of Lusophone Africa. Organized by the University of Lusophone Humanities and Technology, the event's theme is ‘Global Agenda for Lusophone Africa' and it will be attended by a range of social and political PALOP's representatives, and scholars who research these issues.” The event starts on May 28 and Orlando Castro [pt] has the full programme.

Many Angolan blogs, such as Kitanda [pt], bring today videos, articles and posts about the anniversary of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, the military-led coup d'état that changed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a democracy and brought independence to overseas territories.

There is a heated debate at Blasfemias' 4th post about the Beijing Olympics. More than 70 commentators agree or not with Gabriel Silva's [pt] that a boycott would not help, but halt the scrutiny China will come under.

The Porto Alegre Vive [”Porto Alegre Lives”, PT] blog tells us[PT] about the Portuguese blog A Sombra Verde [”The Green Shadow”, PT] that elected one of Porto Alegre's streets as “the most beautiful street in the world”, by the beauty of it's trees and the hard fight it's inhabitants are facing to preserve them. Maybe these blog posts should inspire many others around the world.

Miguel Caetano, who faithfully writes at his blog Remixtures, blogs about[PT] the relative freedom to share music non-commercialy through P2P enjoyed in Spain, and compliments Spanish judges for their fine understanding of the net and it's social dynamics.