Stories about Portuguese from February, 2012
Video Highlights: Defending Human Rights
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories on video advocacy including indigenous rights and recent news from Latin America, East Asia, Western Europe and Sub Saharan Africa selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Brazil: Visually Impaired Dancers Become Ballet Professionals
Pierre Larose, on his blog Discovering São Paulo, shares a video report on ‘a ballet school in São Paulo which has developed a method of “teaching by touch” in order to develop professional ballet dancers who are blind or visually impaired’. He adds that in 12 years approximately 300 dancers...
Portugal: Web Users Debate Portuguese Private Copying Bill
Currently being debated in the Portuguese Parliament is a new bill (PL118) which proposes a tax on any equipment or software capable of recording, copying or storing analogue or digital content, in the name of author's rights. The online community has wasted no time in wading in on the debate, with the hashtag #PL118 duly trending on Twitter.
Brazil: The Deficient Prison Systems of the Americas
Under the Brazilian Sun is a documentary on the current state of the Brazilian penitentiary system. In the aftermath of the tragic prison fire in Honduras that killed 350 inmates, prison escapes in Peru and riots in Mexican jails, coming up with solutions to this situation becomes more relevant than ever.
Brazil: Quilombo Community in Bahia About to Be Evicted
One of the oldest slave descendent communities in Brazil, Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, has a date for its eviction: March 4, 2012. The claim for the land comes from the Navy of Brazil, that intends to broaden a condo for its officers in that territory, in the state of Bahia.
Cape Verde: Imagery from Carnival's Celebrations
The Great Adventure of Cape Verde's blog has posted a series of photos and one short clip featuring Carnival's celebrations.
Brazil: Global Act “We Are All Pinheirinho”
A global act in solidarity with the population expelled from their homes at the Pinheirinho community has been called on Facebook for Thursday, February 23. The idea is to demonstrate in front of Brazilian consulates and embassies all over the world.
Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Month Later
Blogger Giambatista Brito recalls [pt] the one month anniversary of the “Massacre of Pinheirinho“. On the morning of Sunday, January 22, 2012, thousands of families where expelled from their homes with violence by the military police, in the city of são José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Angola: Anti-Corruption Initiative Urges CNN to Refuse Advertising Deal
Maka, a website that monitors corruption in Angola, launched an online campaign petitioning CNN International to stop accepting advertisement from the government of President Dos Santos. The presidential budget for 2012 allocates about US$17 million for promoting a positive image of Angola on CNN International, through a company run by...
The “Brazilebanese”, or Brazilians from Lebanon
The return of Lebanese immigrants and their Brazilian families to Lebanon has resulted in the creation of an important community of "Brazilebanese". This community has been making efforts to keep ties with Brazil through the Portuguese language, which has more speakers than Arabic in some villages.
Brazil: LGBT AIDS Prevention Campaign Excluded From TV
Marcelo Gerald, from the blog Eleições Hoje, comments [pt] on the alleged censorship by the Brazilian Ministry of Health of a recently launched campaign on AIDS prevention, focused on the LGBT public. He posts some of the videos that were excluded from the TV a few days after the campaign...
Sao Tome and Principe: Series on Education, Genre, Arts & Culture in Video
Brazilian journalist Dani Moura, from Jornal Futura, published on her Youtube channel a series of short pieces on Sao Tome and Principe: she reported on education and children feeding in schools, on capoeira for social inclusion, and women entrepreneurship. She also interviewed the artists Kwame Sousa and Tomé Coelho [all...
Colombia: Through the Eyes of Expat Bloggers
Colombia's official travel website has called on some 30 foreigners to share their Colombian living and travel adventures to the world through blogging. The official site will launch on February 20, but some of the participants offer a glimpse of the project on their personal blogs.
Portugal: Protests Against ACTA
On February 11, more than 200 cities around the world joined the global protests against ACTA. In Portugal, around 300 people demonstrated on the streets of Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Viseu and Braga, following the calls that had been organized via Facebook.
Brazil: “We Are All Pinheirinho” Spreads Around the World
Brazilians all over the world, as well as citizens from different countries, have mobilized in support of the community of Pinheirinho recently evicted from their houses in São José dos Campos. Protests were held in various cities around the world.
Brazil: Is the Weather Wacky?
Talking about the weather may be mere elevator chit-chat but, come rain or shine, there is no honest conversation that does not make some reference to the weather. Obviously the online community could not remain silent on the issue. Especially not in the face of Brazil's readying for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.
Brazil: Comments On A New Wave of Privatization As Airports Are Sold
Blogger Mauricio Caleiro comments [pt] on a new wave of privatization – “masked” as “concessions” – led by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff who, during the electoral campaign, said she was against this instrument. So far three of the biggest Brazilian airports were sold to private companies.
Brazil: New Minister Denounces Torture Against Her Daughter
Blogger and writer Antônio Mello reproduces a denouncement [pt] by the new Minister of the Special Secretariat for Women, Eleonora Menicucci, in which she says that her 1 year old daughter was tortured during the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985) in 1972, in front of her.
Brazil: Folha, The Second Best-Selling Newspaper
Teacher Chico Bicudo [pt] and journalist Lino Bocchini from the blog Desculpe a Nossa Falha [pt] comment on the fact that the newspaper Folha de São Paulo still declares itself as the number one newspaper in Brazil while the country's institute that verifies the circulation of newspapers denies it.
Brazil: Indigenous Guarani Kaiowá's Letter Asks for Survival
Blogger Sonia Matuscelli posts a letter [pt] written by the leaders of the Guarani-Kaiowá people of the Ñanderu Laranjeira-Rio Brilhante settlement, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, saying that they “want to physically and culturally survive as a Brazilian original people”, in face of the genocide they...
Mozambique: All Aboard the Musical Marrabenta Train!
Southern Mozambique hosts one of the continent's best kept secrets, the Marrabenta Festival, an event which celebrated five years this month. Highlight of the Festival is a musical train journey in which musicians and revelers travel to the outdoor finale, picking up people along the way.
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