“Can I ask you something?”/ ”Posso fazer
uma pergunta?” é um projecto internacional e inter-geracional que tem como
principal temática a Democracia e Participação activa na sociedade. No próximo dia 4 de Julho entre as 14h e as 19h, vamos realizar uma nova sessão de entrevistas a jovens e idosos. Não percas esta oportunidade!
Este projecto envolve parceiros de
Itália e de Portugal que têm como pano de fundo comum o dia 25 de Abril como o dia
de liberdade.
Tanto jovens como idosos Italianos e
Portugueses são convidados a partilhar o que entendem por “democracia” e por
“participação” e de que forma estes conceitos e práticas fazem parte do seu dia-a-dia
e da sociedade em geral, tal como a presença da ‘sombra’ da ditadura que ambos
os países viveram.
O produto final será o resultado dessas partilhas e actividades
materializado num vídeo com todas as entrevistas efectuadas.
São três os principais objectivos desta
actividade internacional:
·
Promoção
e o estímulo da participação activa dos jovens na vida democrática, envolvendo
os idosos como uma fonte de conhecimento/sabedoria viável para as novas
gerações;
·
Alargamento
de possibilidades de sociabilização e de convívio inter-geracional tendo a
democracia como principal tema;
·
Oferta
da oportunidade aos jovens de comparar/confrontar a sua situação com a de
jovens provenientes de outros países europeus no que concerne a estas
temáticas.
Este projecto irá desenvolver-se em
várias fases:
1.
Registo
em vídeo de entrevistas a jovens e idosos portugueses seleccionados para
conhecer a sua percepção de Democracia e de Participação tal como a forma como
a praticam;
2.
Acolhimento
de alguns jovens participantes italianos em Portugal para uma troca de ideias e
resultados das entrevistas;
3.
Encontro
entre os jovens dos dois países em Itália para uma reflexão conjunta sobre a
democracia e como esta é encarada em ambos os países.
Não percas a oportunidade de participar
neste projecto e contribuir para a democracia em Portugal e no Mundo! Posso fazer uma
pergunta?!
Para mais informações e inscrições,
contactar: intercambios.spin@gmail.com, 914519264, 217145520.
1 week in Lisbon! 1 week of EVS! How could somebody keep it short when they have to deal with those two issues? Well, I will try, although I warn you that I am not known as the least speaking person on the globe ;)
Since the first day I felt quite welcome in a city I already knew since before! Meeting in the airport my future “boss” made me feel like a VIP since Raquel was waiting for me holding a label so as to recognize each other on the arrival’s hall! After she accompanied me to my new home I was about to deal with what was my only worry about that new chapter of my life: the interior room! Surprisingly enough I liked it and I consider that if there wasn’t the window issue it would have been the best room ever. Some days later I realized that interior rooms are something common in Lisbon, so I slowly began getting used to the idea, without this meaning that I like the idea! ;)
Once the “working week” began another joyful story came along! Meeting again with old friends! I got so happy meeting again with Sara and Rasa, whose names I think they are so close not by a coincidence but because they fit each other sooo much since they are both passionate, joyful and… anyway I will not go on using more adjectives cause the list would be extremely long! Sara has just returned from Nepal1, missing the yaks over there but appreciating the fact she will have electricity 24/7 here, and she is about to be our tutor! Hmmm… that means no fun with her and that’s why Marta has undertaken the entertainment part as our mentor! Rasa on the other hand is our sweet colleague, workaholic sometimes, and although colleagues are equal to each other she could turn to be more equal than us ;D Time will show…!
And now I will have to refer a bit to the new comers in my life!! First of all Marietta! She is going to be my really-equal colleague and I thank her in advance for that! I think we will have a good time together and I appreciate the fact that she is quite pleasant! Marta is our great, hyperactive, mentor who, according to Rasa, has somehow fallen from the sky!2 She showed us really many things around Carnide and asked us about our interests so as to facilitate our life here and make us be part of the city! Actually it’s incredible how much info she has provided us! So many that we will need to stay for a life3 here to follow all these! Last but not the least, Nenad! He is so pleasant guy and we are neighbors not only in Lisbon but in terms of our countries as well! Although he is done with his EVS in Spin he passed by to show us a bit about DIC4 and till we were done my brain was about to explode by all those media we will have to get used to use! :D
The first week in the office was a preparatory one and hence easy going. My expectations about the following 9 months matched pretty much the expectations of the others so I think we will have a nice, productive and joyful time!
As it concerns the city what may I tell? I just LOVE Lisbon. I feel blessed being here and I am so grateful to Spin for accepting me! However I want to mention just some facts, positive and negative, which I have spotted in the city during this first week:
- No windows at home, no windows at the office, taking the metro to go to the job! I think that in the end the luck of light and fresh air will make me move from Spin to the next-door association related to the mentally disordered people!! :p
- I didn’t really like the fact that I had to really insist in using my ID card for bureaucratic processes like for obtaining a tax number. The same happened in the bank but in that case I decided to draw back out of respect to the personality of the employee. The argument that there is no expiry date on my ID isn’t serious because, since within EU all National IDs are equally valid, everybody will have to accept these the way they are… I was lucky enough having a passport with me although you don’t need having passport within European Union. A rhetoric question is “What if I didn’t have passport”???!
- I feel sad by the fact that, as I have been informed, there is no real recycling in the city since even if you manage to find a recycle bin people throw garbage in there, whereas even if the bins are not dirty there is no recycle in the factories. Unfortunately the same story is happening in some cases in Greece as well. I just hope that information isn’t accurate. Anyway, either if it is true or not, I still cannot recycle since there are no recycle bins nearby my place. And I feel really uncomfortable about this…
- You can see that the people live difficult times here. And I don’t mean this just by the fact that the prices seem to me more expensive compared to my last visit in the city. The most important is that I all the time see homeless people in the streets. Probably they are less than those in the streets of Athens but this doesn’t make me feel better. Although Lisbon is my shiny city those people show me a reality that exists not only here but also back home. And although in Greece the people are protesting and struggling for their lives I know that this doesn’t happen so much in Portugal. I know that probably it’s because of the long dictatorship but knowing the reason doesn’t mean anything if you don’t try to change the result. Since I am coming from a period where I was actively trying to deal against the problem in Greece I would love to see something like that happening in Lisbon and in Portugal as well…
- Although Intendente is supposed to be dangerous I was walking in there last night (and I mean really in the night!) and I was feeling extremely safe! Of course I have done the same in the past in Rua Maria Pia although the difference is that at that time I didn’t know that this is an infamous area. Anyway I feel quite safe in Lisbon and that’s the important!!
Among that first week’s most joyful experiences have been:
- Meeting with Sarinha and Rasinha after so long!
- Rasa’s meeting with Marta in Spin’s office and both of them dancing Zumba :D By the way I consider Zumba a hilarious name!!
- Sara’s croissant com queijo e manteiga, the incredible amount of associations existing in the “Bairro de Horta Nova” and the cordial welcoming I received by the people in the association next door to Spin! How can I forget the warm hug one of those people gave me once he heard that I am “Griego”? And he wasn’t the only one of them behaving like that after listening I am Greek. I can remember 3 stories but I think that the previous is enough!
- The great, funny and joyful gentleman serving us during the opening of our bank accounts in Banco Espirito Santo (On my previous visits in Lisbon I was making fun of that bank but I think that now universe decided to make fun of me by forcing me to cooperate with it :D )
- The walk around Carnide with Marta showing us both the place as well as the facilities provided by the municipality! I was actually shocked by seeing how active that municipality is!
- The croissants we had with Marta and Marietta
- The cherries we were given in Vodafone
- Discovering that more people than those you were expecting are living in Lisbon!
- The fact that I am gonna watch Football’s European Championship in Portugal! It reminds me the glorious days of 2004!! :D
- The guy in the supermarket asking me to let him pass in front of me because he had just 1 item and him saying to me “Obrigadinha” on my acceptance! It wasn’t just the word I liked but also the sweetness in which this guy said it - The politeness of a public bus driver on the route from Alges to Belem last Wednesday night, not just to me but to every single passenger getting in or out the bus.
- The Portuguese army staff showing me on Thursday how a helicopter and a personnel-carrying vehicle work during an exhibition of Portuguese armed forces in the Parque Eduardo VII for the celebration of the day of Portugal! I hate guns and armies but the surprising was that those guys were speaking fluent English whereas the people working in the Greek army cannot even speak proper Greek :D
As the days are passing by I am trying to get used to the idea that a dream has come true! That I have returned to my beloved Lisbon for living here! And reality has outmatched the dream since I have the opportunity of being surrounded by wonderful people and doing something I like. I know that time flies and that the 9 months will pass very soon but I am willing to cease the days and get as much as possible out of this experience. A viagem já começou…
I arrived to Lisbon on a sunny Friday afternoon. Raquel came to pick
me up at the airport and for that I'm really grateful to her. Especially
that she had to hurry to the airport right after work, so thank you
Raquel!
The first thing I noticed about Lisbon were those beautiful purple trees
called jacarandas. I wanted to see flowering jacaranda trees for a very
long time and I didn't know that Lisbon's streets were filled with
them, so it was a really great surprise. It is a silly notion, but it
felt like Lisbon was welcoming me. :)
Lisbon is a beautiful historical city and it is very easy to fall in
love with it. Sometimes I find myself wandering the streets completely
enchanted by the loveliness and the atmosphere of the city. At these
times I find it hard to believe that I will have 9 months to enjoy all
that Lisbon has to offer. Its charming old houses, its green parks, its
interesting culture, its great atmosphere and its hospitable people all
make Lisbon an incredibly captivating and extraordinary place.
I also enjoy spending time at the office. Sara and Rasa make us feel
very welcome and they take a good care of their volunteers, helping us
with any issues we have, from opening a bank account to resolving
problems with the telephone company. The projects of Spin are all very
interesting. We are still in the training period, but I believe I'm
going to enjoy working for Spin a lot.
We also got an admirable mentor, Marta, who showed us around in the neighborhood and helps us to integrate to the city.
All in all, I am really happy to be here and cannot wait to find out what new experiences await me in this wonderful city.
“Can I ask you something?” - ”Posso fazer uma pergunta?” é um projecto internacional e inter-geracional que tem como principal temática a Democracia e Participação activa na sociedade.
Este projecto envolve parceiros de Itália e de Portugal que têm como pano de fundo comum o dia 25 de Abril como o dia de liberdade.
Tanto jovens como idosos Italianos e Portugueses são convidados a partilhar o que entendem por “democracia” e por “participação” e de que forma estes conceitos e práticas fazem parte do seu dia-a-dia e da sociedade em geral, tal como a presença da ‘sombra’ da ditadura que ambos os países viveram. O produto final será o resultado dessas partilhas e actividades materializado num vídeo com todas as entrevistas efectuadas.
São três os principais objectivos desta actividade internacional:
• Promoção e o estímulo da participação activa dos jovens na vida democrática, envolvendo os idosos como uma fonte de conhecimento/sabedoria viável para as novas gerações;
• Alargamento de possibilidades de sociabilização e de convívio inter-geracional tendo a democracia como principal tema;
• Oferta da oportunidade aos jovens de comparar/confrontar a sua situação com a de jovens provenientes de outros países europeus no que concerne a estas temáticas.
Este projecto irá desenvolver-se em várias fases:
1. Registo em vídeo de entrevistas a jovens e idosos portugueses seleccionados para conhecer a sua percepção de Democracia e de Participação tal como a forma como a praticam;
2. Acolhimento de alguns jovens participantes italianos em Portugal para uma troca de ideias e resultados das entrevistas;
3. Encontro entre os jovens dos dois países em Itália para uma reflexão conjunta sobre a democracia e como esta é encarada em ambos os países.
Não percas a oportunidade de participar neste projecto e contribuir para a democracia em Portugal e no Mundo! Posso fazer uma pergunta?!
Para mais informações e inscrições, contactar: intercambios.spin@gmail.com, 914519264, 217145520.
In the midsts of spring this year, 20 young Europeans came to the most western city within their borders in an attempt to acquire new and share old knowledge of the life of nature in today's world, its destruction and preservation.
Doing so, they perhaps discovered more of themselves and others as well. I dare to say so because the ecological crises is obviously provoked by humans and not by nature itself, so the problems of ecology has mainly anthropological character. Therefore, I believe, solutions for these issues should be searched for within personalities and their crisis in relation to themselves and nature as a constitutional part of their being.
If we take a peek at the etymology of ecology, it reveals it self not only as a study of living things and environment, but also as a relationship between the two. Or similar, Okologie derived from the Greek oikos, has a meaning of a house, habitation. So here, as the name of this youth exchange ECO young suggests, the idea of such a gathering was that participant's views on the environment they inhabit grow younger, are renewed, refreshed, regenerated and even reconstructed, so that, with a certain change that hopefully will occur in their relation to it, the world, the nature itself could become young and new. Eco young, at least for me, is the return of the regenerating power that nature lost because of the human dominant rule over it, and so the return to being eternally young and forever new. Perhaps this romantic view on the preservation of nature was more actual in 17 and 18 century when ideas of environmental protection were given a start, more of an aesthetic preservation than anything else. So, we agree that these ideas are not new at all. The difference is that today, and this exchange helped us reconsider and remember, people are aware of their own self-destructive power which is the result of the instrumentalisation of science in service of human life stile and the realization of the modernism's program of ruling over nature. Aesthetics is no longer the case.
Different debates during this green week provoked many discussions and reflections, and the individual contribution of participants sharing their own views were highly productive for it showed the group how various are the standing points depending of the cultural, historical, political and economic backgrounds that influence how others perceive and treat their environment. To make things clearer, several field activities were performed where persons involved in this exchange had opportunity to "RE" a lot, that is to REmake, REmix, REdistribute and in this way to REfresh their consciousness of our surroundings, whether this be urban or not. I think these young people recalled that environmentalism is not exclusively far in the hills, mountains and seas, but also in our houses, streets and cities. Ecology is also defined as “The study of consequence.” (Frank Herbert), so humans being the only beings to consciously act they provoke changes that produce consequences that we are used to ignore as abstract and far from us, and therefore not worthy to deal with any time soon.
This postponing of our responsibility towards nature led us to a point where making damage is inevitable. Not only that it prevents environment in its natural cycle of regeneration, but it somehow, ironically, became a part of this cycle. Human impact is now needed, otherwise nature becomes overprotective and its destructive powers are manifested in ways we are about to witness.
Many of the workshops of this youth exchange made clear that the abstract "raising awareness" is not always the answer in making changes. I would rather say that it is more helpful not doing than doing if we wish to aid nature to get back on its track. It is choosing the smaller evil and researching for alternatives of how to reduce damage that we are making anyways. Honestly speaking this is the best we could do in my opinion. Fooling ourselves with over excessive involvement and environmental activism (which is becoming more of a trendy fashion than realistic engagement) is simply not doing the trick if we wish to take things seriously. It is good for entertaining the masses and feeding the society of banalised spectacles. We should accept our weakness and inability in making things better, and understand that sometimes nature's message is "please stay away".
I truly hope that ECO young helped us see that the human emancipation with the help of growing sciences perhaps sometimes went in wrong ways: instead of liberating and developing it led to a form of enslavement.
In my subjective opinion, and from my humble knowledge in this field I dare to conclude that our mistake is in nurturing our instinct of power over things and this is where we go against ourselves. I believe that it is not in the human nature to own things, but instead, we should attempt to enter in a dialog with them, if we wish to understand them better of course.
“Dance along: culture shock teraphy” é o intercâmbio juvenil internacional que junta todos estes elementos num só local e tempo! Jovens da Roménia, Eslováquia, França e Portugal vão reunir-se em França na semana de 25 Junho a 2 de Julho e tentar perceber como se interligam dança, cultura e terapia.
Pode a dança ser um espelho da cultura de um povo? Pode mostrar-nos semelhanças e diferenças entre os Povos? Pode ser uma terapia? Pode ser uma forma de harmonização? Vem passar uma semana em Redon (França) com mais 25 jovens e descobre a resposta a todas estas questões e muitas outras que irão surgir!
O intercâmbio internacional juvenil inclui alojamento e alimentação cobertos a 100% e viagem ida e volta coberta a 70%. O alojamento será em tendas de campismo e todos os participantes terão a oportunidade de cozinhar e organizar todas as actividades em conjunto. O programa inclui jogos de apresentação, quebra-gelos, momentos de dança e canto, criação de um video-clip, jantares/noites interculturais, várias actividades relacionadas com o diálogo intercultural e sobretudo a partilha das respectivas culturas e o derrubar de estereótipos.
Lisbon takes a lifetime to be explored and understood, with all its faces and masks that might appear to be from heavenly beautiful to monstrous. 24 persons from 5 countries gathered here just for a short 6 days tasting of a different, less known Lisboa. On this dawning bus awaiting to the airport I'm not saying farewell to the last one that remained. This one, I believe, walked the city streets a bit more than others could, so we allowed ourselves to imagine blossoming Lisbon as our home. The rest, nothing less, wished sincerely to return soon.
What was it in this gathering that marked their personal histories? Was it the spell of the city itself? Was it the successful (read fortunate) combination of persons? Were the issues and discussions that we touched during the exchange?
I will here, briefly and subjectively try to understand this week that passed. Friends from the exchange are invited to contribute with their own views to this short testimony.
Once people were introduced to their new Lisbonian environment, they felt comfortable to introduce among themselves and the things they are about to do in the next days, together. Through games, dances, silly walks, songs, drinks and food, persons got to taste a bit more of other's persons and cultures. They achieved to function well as a temporary community that celebrates diversity and knowledge by learning from the context they found themselves in and from each other. Interesting about the birth of this 6 day tribe was that they all silently agreed on several occasions to circle around the rules so to surpass obstacles. You can call it cheating yes, but for me it proved a sign that it is not about rules or tactics to get people to do something together, but an agreement, a mini democratic revolution.
Some were already more immersed into Africa's past and present some less, but to all it was of great amusement and interest the most useful introductions presented by our very own africonologists Cátia Lopes and Andreyna Caires. The whole story culminated with the role playing game through which they were brought even closer to African-Portuguese historical and actual relations.
We felt that without moving more and even sweat a bit over some African rhythms persons might miss out some points, so maestro António Tavares stepped on the scene demonstrating traditional moves which everyone gladly followed.
But just adjusting their bodies to the rhythms wasn't enough, so our participants had the chance to also create with their hands, sounds and sculptures. They were guided by experienced masters, mestre Kabum and Malenga.
Friends were left for themselves the night, to process well all the input they received the day. No notes were taken for these activities.
On this day that passed people could better understand the myths and realities of African communities in Lisbon, to prepare their minds and spirits to take the experience from theory to practice, and finally to cross "the bridge" and to encounter the folks of the bairros, their homes.
Afterwards, many issues concerning the answers they collected were discussed, demystified and deconstructed. Having this as a comparison point, they than briefly presented the presence of African culture and history in their own countries. The day finished with the screening of a new documentary "Nos Terra" by Anna Tica, Nuno Pedro, Toni Polo in the Centro Cultural de Carnide, which reflects on the lives and lifestyles of a generation of daughters and sons of African emigrants in Lisboa. Each experienced this day in a particular way, but what I believe was a common impression to all was the saudade that for one interviewed person meant joy, and the cry of the slaves that meant singing and song, as we heard from one of the people of the documentary.
So far, the African face of Lisboa was perceived by our friends in a rather, indirect way, how observers and persons familiar with the situations saw it, or how it was seen by itself and its subjects, which became in fact, the objects and objectives of this exchange. On the fifth day, people went out to observe, absorb, mingle and learn by themselves, so that the tales they are about to tell, are authentic tales of African Lisbon as seen by their own eyes, filtered through the diversities of backgrounds each carries within.
After all those images, sounds, odors, discussions and emotions, participants searched for a way how to canalize and materialize their impressions. What other way than creating something is better to confirm and mark the existence of all these experiences? We agreed to create postcards. Why?
Postcards are capable of summarizing a view and telling a very short story that is more inviting than explanatory. The image or message standing on it might have some aesthetic value, but the true aesthetics is in the act of giving and receiving it. This provokes pleasure and seduces the receiver to the story. When sent from Lisboa It also conceals a symbol of saudade for the place it originates from more than for the place or person it is designated for.
To celebrate the success of this gathering a Festa Africana took place in the Centro Intercultura Cidade, where traditional African food and drinks were tasted. Followed a very relaxed and pleasing concert by outstanding musicians Yaw També, José Brazão and António Tavares.
When one sees the programme of this (or any) youth exchange on paper and numbers the days, it is difficult to imagine where and when all that happened fits. What persons took with themselves from Lisbon in terms of knowledge, friendships, emotions, is out of any possible time frame, conserved as a memory of an experience that brought a change. To each one a different one. And this of course, expands even further in time and space, for now they now one person more, one more reality, one more space. And it will all call them back, just like the postcards they made.
We are grateful to our friends, the wonderful people from the Centro Intercultura Cidade, Centro Cultural deCarnide and Rossio Patio Hostel, without whom, non of this would have been as it was! Thank you Raquel Carvalho, Sara Segurado, Hugo Curado and Cátia Lopes for Аssociação Spin that brought us together. Thank you Rasa Verseckaite for creating and realizing this idea from the beginning to the very end. We are also grateful to António Tavares, mestre Kabum and Malenga for their amazing workshops. Thanks to Yaw També, José Brazão and António Tavares for the beautiful concert they gave to us. Thanks to the Portuguese group of participants for all the support they gave. Thanks to all the participants that they were as they were.
Lisboa leva uma vida inteira para ser explorada e compreendida tendo em conta todas as suas faces e máscaras, desde belas celestiais a monstruosas. 24 pessoas de 5 países reuniram-se por cá para um curto período de 6 dias de “degustação” de uma Lisboa diferente, uma Lisboa menos conhecida.
Nesta espera matutina do autocarro para o aeroporto, não digo adeus ao último que ficou. Este acredito que andou pelas ruas da cidade, um pouco mais dos que os outros, permitindo-nos imaginar Lisboa como a nossa casa. De resto, pouco mais, desejando apenas regressar em breve. O que marcou neste encontro as histórias pessoais do grupo? O encanto da própria cidade? A bem sucedida (leia-se sorte) combinação das pessoas? As questões e os debates realizados durante o intercâmbio?
Brevemente e subjetivamente vou tentar reflectir sobre esta semana que se passou. Convido igualmente todos os participantes do Intercâmbio a contribuir com suas opiniões para este curto testemunho.
O grupo foi “introduzido” no novo ambiente lisboeta, sentindo-se confortáveis uns com os outros e com as actividades que estavam prestes a realizar juntos, nos próximos dias. Através de jogos, danças, loucos passeios, bebidas e comidas, os jovens “provaram” um pouco mais destas pessoas e destas culturas.
Eles conseguiram funcionar bem como uma “comunidade temporária” que louvou a diversidade e o conhecimento adquirido através da aprendizagem encontrada neles mesmos e nos outros.
Um aspeto interessante no nascimento desta “tribo de 6 dias” foi o fato de todos concordarem silenciosamente em várias ocasiões, aquando de momentos de reflexão. Pode ser considerada “batotice”, mas para mim prova que não são as regras que fazem com que as pessoas atuem de certa forma, mas sim o conseguir-se chegar a um acordo, uma espécie de mini revolução democrática.
Alguns jovens mais imersos no passado e presente africano outros menos, mas para todos foi interessante e divertida a apresentação realizada pelas nossas africanólogas Cátia Lopes e Andreyna Caires. Esta culminou num role playing, que levou o grupo para o seio das relações afro-portuguesas ao nível histórico e ao nível actual.
Sentimos que sem ritmos africanos e até sem transpirar um bocadinho, o grupo poderia perder alguns aspectos primordiais nesta vivência. Assim o maestro António Tavares entrou em cena, demonstrando ritmos tradicionais que todos seguiram alegremente.
No entanto, apenas combinar corpos dançantes com ritmos, não seria suficiente para os nossos participantes. Desta forma tiveram também a oportunidade de criar manualmente, os sons e as esculturas, guiados por dois experientes mestres, Kabum e Malenga.
Foram deixadas as noites livres para os nossos amigos, de modo a processarem todas as ricas informações recebidas durante o dia. Não há registos de notas para essa actividade…
Num dos dias o grupo pode entender melhor os mitos e as realidades das comunidades africanas em Lisboa. Puderam preparar suas mentes e espíritos de modo a viver a experiência da teoria à prática e, finalmente conseguirem atravessar "a ponte", encontrando do outro lado as pessoas dos bairros, as suas casas, as suas vidas.
E lá foram eles numa viagem pelo nosso Carnide, onde se fizerem entrevistas e tiveram-se conversas aleatórias com emigrantes desconhecidos, reunindo preciosas reflexões que ficaram gravadas nas suas memórias, blocos de notas e câmaras.
Após isso, foram discutidas, debatidas, desmistificadas e desconstruídas as respostas recolhidas e tendo tal como ponto de comparação, fizeram uma breve apresentação da presença da cultura africana nos seus próprios países. O dia terminou com a exibição de um documentário "Nôs Terra" no Centro Cultural de Carnide, que reflete sobre estilos de vida de uma geração de filhos e filhas de emigrantes africanos em Lisboa. Cada um dos nossos amigos viveu este dia de forma particular, mas acredito que houve uma sensação comum a todos ao ver este documentário: o sentimento de saudade que para um dos entrevistados significava felicidade e o clamor dos escravos traduzido em músicas cantadas.
Até agora, a face Africana de Lisboa tinha sido compreendida pelos nossos amigos de uma forma algo indirecta, como observadores e pessoas familiarizadas com as situações as encaram, ou como eram vistas por si mesma e seus sujeitos, o que se tornou de facto, no objecto e objectivos deste intercâmbio.
No quinto dia o grupo saiu para observar, absorver, integrar-se e aprender por si próprios, para que as histórias que mais tarde irão contar, sejam histórias reais sobre a Lisboa africana vista pelos seus olhos, filtrada pelos vivências que já trazem consigo.
Depois de todas estas imagens, sons, odores, discussões e emoções, os participantes procuraram a melhor forma materializar e divulgar as suas impressões. Que melhor forma, senão criar algo que confirma e prova a existência de todas estas experiências? Concordámos que poderia ser criar postais. Porquê?
Os postais “conseguem” resumir algo observado e contar uma história muito curta, que é mais convidativa do que explicativa. A imagem ou a mensagem do postal pode ter algum valor estético, mas a estética verdadeira é o ato de dar e recebê-lo. Isso é prazeroso e alicia o receptor para a história.
Quando enviado de Lisboa, também encobre o símbolo da saudade do lugar que o origina, mais do que para o lugar ou para a pessoa para quem é dirigido.
Para comemorar o sucesso deste encontro teve lugar no Centro InterculturaCidade uma Festa Africana, onde a gastronomia tradicional africana foi saboreada. Seguiu-se um descontraído e agradável concerto pelas mãos, voz e ritmos dos excepcionais músicos Yaw Tambe, José Brazão e António Tavares.
Quando se vê o programa deste (ou qualquer outro) intercâmbio de jovens no papel e com os dias propostos para a sua realização, é difícil imaginar onde e quando tudo o que aconteceu se encaixa. O que as pessoas do grupo levaram consigo a partir de Lisboa ao nível de conhecimento, amizades, emoções, está fora de qualquer estrutura de tempo possível, conservado na memória de uma experiência que trouxe uma mudança. Para cada um, uma experiência diferente. E isso, claro expande-se ainda mais no tempo e no espaço, pois agora este grupo conhece mais uma pessoa, mais uma realidade, mais um local. E tudo isso irá trazê-los de volta a essa realidade, assim como os postais que fizeram.
Agradecemos aos nossos amigos, às pessoas maravilhosas do Centro InterculturaCidade, do Centro Cultural de Carnide e do Patio Hostel Rossio, sem os quais, nada disto teria sido como foi! Obrigado Raquel Carvalho, Sara Segurado, Hugo Curado e Cátia Lopes pela Аssociação Spin que nos uniu. Obrigado Rasa Verseckaite por criares e realizares esta ideia desde o início até o fim. Agradecemos também ao António Tavares, ao mestre Kabum e ao mestre Malenga pelas suas surpreendentes oficinas. Agradecemos também ao Yaw Tambe, ao José Brazão e ao António Tavares pelo bonito concerto que nos proporcionaram e ao grupo português de participantes por todo o apoio que nos deram.
Obrigado a todos os participantes por serem quem são.
