‘Portugal has a romanticized interpretation of its past.’ Portugal was the European country with the longest historical involvement in the slave trade, kidnapping and forcibly transporting about 6 million African men, women and children across the Atlantic between the 15th and 19th centuries. Although it abolished slavery to the Portuguese mainland in 1761, the trade […]
There are numerous terms to describe the wide array of far-right parties and their leaders. They are in one way or the other extreme right, radical right, populist, nativist, ultranationalist, authoritarian, neofascist, illiberal, ‘anti-woke’, anti-Islam, anti-immigration and Euro- and climate-sceptic. The PopuList – an innovative project involving more than 100 political scientists from over 30 […]
A beacon of hope for the preservation of coral reefs An amazing piece of tapestry by Algarve textile artist Vanessa Barragão has been donated by the Portuguese government to the United Nations, which will display it permanently on the wall of the Delegates Lounge at its headquarters in New York. The four-by-two meters artwork, entitled […]
‘We leave peace behind and face noise with fear’ After 50 years of delay, the Government has finally decided on the location of Lisbon’s new airport and considered the former Alcochete Shooting Ground (Campo the Tiro Alcochete) the best place to build the new Aeroporto Luis de Camões. An infrastructure which – according to the […]
Poet, essayist, writer, novelist and academic On the 17th of March Nuno Júdice, one of Portugal’s most famous contemporary poets died in Lisbon at the age of 74. Nuno Judice was born in Mexilhoeira Grande (Algarve). Poet, essayist, writer, novelist, and – until 2015 – professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at […]
Retornados were not always received with open arms The Portuguese decolonization proposed by the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) was one of the main points of political divergence on the very day of the military coup 50 years ago. ‘Our intention was good but the change of the Program on the 25th of April, 1974 in […]
Sem rosto Foi mais de quarenta anos, quando trabalhei como médico no Norte de Moçambique, é que aconteceu o seguinte. Numa certa noite fui chamado pelo motorista da ambûlancia para julgar um caso de morte numa pequena aldeia longe do hospital. Como não estava bem claro se se tratava duma morte natural, tive de levar […]
Ashwa‘Dus de familie zegt met wie je gaat trouwen?’Ze knikt enthousiast.Negentien jaar, slank als een rietstengel, rustige, donkerbruine ogen in een ovaal gezicht.Ashwa komt uit Afghanistan en wil voedingsassistente worden.‘Hebben zich al jongens gemeld?’, vraag ik plagend.‘Best wel’, zegt ze. ‘Mijn familie zoekt alles heel precies uit en heeft al iemand op het oog.’‘Oh, en […]
Raising awareness of dating violence at an early age is crucial Violence in dating relationships is defined as the use of behaviours that intend to assume power in the relationship and hurt or control the partner. It may take the form of physical violence (beating, pushing), psychological violence (insulting, humiliating), sexual violence (kissing against the […]