Stories about Portugal from November, 2012
Brazil to Portugal and Back Again: Interview With Izabel Pimentel
Léa Promaja, the alias of an independent journalist working in the Balkans, posted an audio interview [in Portuguese, with English and French subtitles] with Izabel Pimentel, “the first Brazilian woman crossing the Atlantic single-handed.”
Night Clashes Overshadow Portugal's Largely Peaceful General Strike
The general strike of November 14, 2012, in Portugal once again brought people against austerity to the streets across the country. The real motivations for the demonstrations however, were ignored by mainstream media, as by the end of an intense day of peaceful marches and sit-ins, confrontations between police and protesters turned the violence into top news.
Strike Across Southern Europe
November 14 witnessed the first strike of its kind, including all the southern European countries most affected by austerity and financial crisis. Events were covered by citizens on the street in realtime, including acts of solidarity, creativity, and reports of police brutality.
An Initiative to Keep Portuguese Language Teaching in French Universities
Portuguese is the sixth most-spoken language in the world, and there are about two million Portuguese speakers in France. Geneviève Fioraso, the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, said that having rare disciplines such as Portuguese in all French universities may not be efficient.
Portugal: An Open Letter to Germany
Portuguese economist and researcher José Maria Castro Caldas published an open letter to the citizens of Germany on the website of the Initiative for a Citizen Audit of the public debt. The Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel will be on an official visit to Portugal on November 12, 2012.