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 […]
‘Where 2 dogs fight for a bone, the 3rd runs away with it home’ – Dutch saying A 50-year-old political system dominated by two main parties – the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Socialist Party (PS) – has come to an end as the far-right party Chega (Enough) picked up nearly one-fifth of […]
‘Those who care about their grandchildren plant cork oak trees – Portuguese saying Cork has been around for thousands of years in the western Mediterranean. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used it for fishing gear, sandals, and sealing of jugs, jars, and barrels. As glass bottles gained popularity in the 18th century, cork became the preferred […]
Immigrant agricultural workers afraid of eviction and having nowhere to live The Public Prosecutor’s Office estimates that a criminal network accused of human trafficking earned more than 3 million euros in five years. Last November charges were made against 41 defendants in Beja – the city that has become the epicenter of the circulation of […]
Portuguese ceramic tiles encapsulate centuries of history and artistic evolution Azulejo – derived from the Arab word Az-zulayi (‘polished stone’) – is a form of Portuguese and Spanish painted tin-glazed ceramic work found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, houses, restaurants, and even railway or subway stations. Although an ornamental art form, these […]
Portuguese fishing communities swallowed by giant Dutch family company The North Atlantic waters are valuable for their cod, redfish, and halibut species. With fish prices increasing, the fish right is big business. National governments and the EU no longer control fishing rights but a few giant fish companies do, like the Dutch Parlevliet & Van […]
Drought, wildfires and rising temperatures One of Portugal’s oldest environmental groups Quercus has marked the end of 2023 with the best and worst environmental events of last year. The creation of more marine protected areas (especially in the Azores), the rejection of a mega solar farm by the Portuguese Environment Agency APA – planned to […]
‘Em todas as ruas te encontro – On every street I encounter you’(from: Pena Capital, 1957) To celebrate the centenary of the birth of Mário Cesariny de Vasconcelos (1923-2006), the country will mark a year of reflection on the work and life of its most famous surrealist poet, activist, and painter. Last month the festivities […]
‘One of the most innovative cities’ Cascais is a town in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, situated on the western edge of the Tagus river, between the Sintra hills and the Atlantic Ocean. It has about 225,000 inhabitants and is one of Europe’s oldest holiday resorts.The municipality is one of the wealthiest in the country – […]