Stories about Portuguese from November, 2011
Brazil: Census “Reveals” Majority of Population is Black or Mixed Race
For the first time in Brazilian history, the national census has shown that the majority of the population is black or mixed race. Released on the eve of Black Awareness Day, the figures of 2010's Census give rise to concerns about the situation of the Brazil's black population.
East Timor: Building One Country Out of Many Languages
When East Timor became an independent country in 2002, both the Tetum and Portuguese languages were chosen as official for the newborn country. Nevertheless, the number of national languages is up to 16 and dozens of other dialects are used on a daily basis by Timorese citizens.
Video: Plural+ 2011 Awards Young Filmmakers
Youth from around the globe were awarded in New York for their thought-provoking short films showing their proposals for making society more peaceful and multicultural by addressing the topics of diversity, migration and social inclusion.
Mozambique: Poetry on trees
The Mozambican literary collective Movimento Kuphaluxa has shared on Facebook and on its blog a series of poems exhibited on the city of Maputo's historic acacia trees. Some well-known writers...
Portugal: A Peek into a Day of General Strike
Throughout the day of general strike in Portugal, November 24, Twitter user @Shyznogud has curated online media content for the page “a peek into the strike” on Scoop.it. Journalist Paulo...
Mozambique: More striking security guards
After the fateful G4S strike earlier this year, more security guards are on strike in Maputo. @Verdade newspaper photographer Miguel Mangueze tweeted a photo of a sign from the protest,...
Brazil: Maximum Fine After Silence on Chevron's Oil Spill
On 7 November, an oil platform operated by Chevron-Texaco and located 350km off coast from Rio de Janeiro, began spilling crude oil. Two weeks after, the spill is believed to be under control and Chevron has been fined the maximum amount allowed by Brazilian environmental authorities. But not all is clear concerning the intricacies and coverage of the environmental disaster.
Brazil: Students’ Eviction Strengthens Movement Against Militarization of University
In the morning of November 8, the Brazilian Military Police evicted the University of Sao Paulo's Dean building, which had been occupied by around 70 students in the end of October.
Brazil: Real State Speculation Threatens Sacred Ground
Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary,...
Sao Tome and Principe: Community Radio Takes Advantage of Social Media
Somos Todos Primos (We are all cousins) [pt] is the name of an online community radio whose first letters are a clue to the country it refers to: São Tomé...
Brazil: Toxic Documentary on the Amazon
Brazilian journalist Felipe Milanez (@felipedjeguaka) published [pt, en] a documentary about the Amazon in the series Toxic – “the various ways in which we detonate our planet” – of the...
Cape Verde: Delicious Blogging on Local Gastronomy
Would you like to try the Cape Verdean famous dish, cachupa? Odair Varela explains the process of preparation in a photopost [pt]. For more on gastronomy from Cape Verde, visit...
Brazil: Online Campaign to Protect Xingu Against Belo Monte
A new movement called Gota D'Água (Drop of Water) [pt] has launched an online campaign to discuss Brazil's energy planning through the analysis of the Belo Monte dam project. The...
Brazil: Student Assaulted While Protesting in Brasília
Rosangela Basso, from the blog Maria da Penha Neles, posted a series of pictures and a video of a sociology student from the University of Brasília (UnB) being assaulted by...
Brazil: Suspicious Fires in Slums of São Paulo
Brazilian teacher and urban planner Raquel Rolnik writes [pt] about a wave of suspicious fires in slums of the city of São Paulo. Allegedly, a few days after the last...
Brazil: Journalist Shot Dead During Police Action
Journalist Cristina Rodrigues asks [pt] “who's to blame?” after the tragic death of a Brazilian journalist from the TV Bandeirantes, who was shot by drug dealers during a police action...
Brazil: Federal Senate Approves New Forestry Code
Blogger Conceição Oliveira, on her blog Maria Frô, informs [pt] that the new Brazilian Forestry Code was approved by the Federal Senate on November 8, and is now up for...
Gabon: Bongo Indulges With Football Match Against Brazil
The Brazilian national football team came to Libreville, Gabon for a friendlly football match against the Gabonese national team on November 10. The social challenges the team witnessed are in stark contrast with the spending habits of the current Gabonese President Ali Bongo.
Brazil: Is State-Funded Evangelical ‘Gospel Park’ Unconstitutional?
The announcement of the construction of the first ever Brazilian 'Gospel Park' in the state of Acre, caused controversy this October. Public funds will be used for the park that would only benefit members of the Pentecostal evangelical religion, something forbidden by the Federal Constitution.
Guinea-Bissau: Community Radio Launches a New Blog
The community radio Voz de Queléle (Voice of Quelélé) [pt], from the Quelélé neighborhood in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, launched a new blog in October 2011. The radio was created in 1994...
Brazil: #OccupyBeloMonte Evicted from Dam Construction Site
On October 27, indigenous groups from the Xingu river area in Brazil occupied the construction site of the controversial Belo Monte dam. #OccupyBeloMonte, however, only lasted until the following day. Raphael Tsavkko Garcia reports.
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