"Yes, I Care!" - Workshop de Healthy and Comfort Food

"A pergunta que faço a mim mesma é:  "Como é que é possível resumir uma experiência tão completa como esta que foi o Workshop de Healthy and Comfort Food que dei no evento "Yes, I Care!"? 

 Foi mesmo uma experiência única onde pude partilhar os meus conhecimentos relativamente a ter uma alimentação mais saudável, o que para mim é como que o reconhecimento de um trabalho de pesquisa, de experiências com os alimentos, de algumas combinações improváveis... que eu já venho a fazer há algum tempo como forma de explorar novas formas de nos sentirmos bem com o que comemos e também em conexão com o universo (que sendo onde vivemos, temos a obrigação de preservar.

Conheci novas pessoas, novas culturas e senti-me feliz por ver que as pessoas também o estavam. Sim, porque a comida tem este lado mágico de nos colocar felizes!
Quero muito agradecer à Rota Jovem o ter tido esta oportunidade de passar a palavra e assim também as pessoas que assistiram ao Workshop vão certamente poder passar estas aprendizagens aos seus amigos e família,...

Bem haja por tudo a toda a Rota jovem!"

             

Workcamp Cascais 2015 na RTP1

O Workcamp Cascais 2015 está quase a terminar e as diferenças já são visíveis aos olhos de quem passa pelo Bairro da Torre. Encontrar-nos é bastante fácil: sigam as gargalhadas e a música que ecoa pelas paredes, a miscelânea de vozes internacionais e o ruído dos rolos de pintura a rasgarem as paredes de amarelo e laranja! 

Continuamos a ter a participação de voluntários espontâneos que ao passarem pelo bairro decidem entrar e arregaçar as mangas, mas também dos nossos voluntários SVE que se juntaram em alguns dos dias para dar uma mãozinha. 

Vivem-se dias intensos, bastante interculturais e com vários momentos de partilha da cultura portuguesa. Afinal, este grupo veio a Portugal para apoiar a requalificação da antiga escola primária do Bairro da Torre, mas também para conhecerem o que de melhor temos para oferecer. Há que não esquecer que o grupo deste ano veio de todo o lado(!): desde a China ao México, passando pelo Brasil e Cabo Verde, assim como vários países europeus. 

E a grande novidade é que não somos só "famosos" no Bairro da Torre, como em Portugal inteiro!

Esta semana, e para juntar um elemento agridoce à partida deste grupo que vai deixar saudades, passou na RTP 1 (Programa de Informação Portugal em Direto) uma reportagem, com imagens de voluntários e dos trabalhos efetuados, assim como uma recolha de testemunhos que prova o porquê do projeto ter continuidade ao longo dos últimos anos, e a importante marca que deixa junto de voluntári.@s e de populações locais com as quais eles/as interagem.

Senão tiveste a oportunidade de acompanhar de perto o projeto ou assistir em direto à reportagem, deixamos-te o link ;)

http://www.rtp.pt/play/p1754/e201920/portugal-em-diretoRTP ao minuto 4.51 (Parte 1) e 2.15 (Parte 2)! 

O assédio sexual, um mal sistémico

O assédio no local de trabalho é, segundo a definição da Comissão para a Igualdade no Trabalho e no Emprego (CITE), "um comportamento indesejado praticado com algum grau de reiteração e tendo como objetivo ou o efeito de afetar a dignidade da pessoa ou criar um ambiente intimidativo, hostil, degradante, humilhante ou desestabilizador", e pode ter caráter moral ou sexual. Com um mundo do trabalho que reflete o forte assentamento na sociedade da desigualdade de género e que tem nas sempre inquietantes diferenças salariais entre homens e mulheres a sua máxima expressão, não é estranho que o assédio sexual continue a ser um grande problema nas relações laborais ainda hoje. E embora seja uma questão investigada desde há já trinta anos em vários países ocidentais, o assédio continua também a ser uma questão maioritariamente desconhecida que segue a criar controvérsia e que se estende também a outros âmbitos da vida das pessoas. Assim, como reconhece Cláudia Múrias, psicóloga social e coordenadora do projecto "Assédio Sexual. Quebrar Invisibilidades. Construir uma Cultura de Prevenção e Intervenção" na UMAR, se bem que o assédio sexual "não exista apenas no âmbito do trabalho, na medida em que todas as pessoas estão inseridas num sistema em que precisam de trabalhar e têm direito a um ambiente de trabalho ótimo, é ai que o assédio é mais facilmente criminalizável". 

Os diversos estudos sobre esta questão assinalam que a assunção do patriarcado como estrutura social em que estamos inseridos é o marco que permite pôr nome a algo que antes simplesmente não o tinha e faz possível questioná-lo enquanto fenómeno grupal a nível tanto laboral como sistémico. Porque esta é precisamente uma dimensão do problema de que muitas vezes nos esquecemos mas que está na base da sua gravidade na medida em que acarreta a debilidade da posição social dos indivíduos no grupo afetado. "É uma discriminação de sexo. O padrão social que discrimina e é aceite por ambos os sexos não é questionado, não é considerado como estranho, e por isso não há dúvida de que é algo estrutural", reflete Múrias, que garante que "o determinante não é o diferente sexo da vítima, mas a perpetuação de estereótipos de género. Há uma dimensão sistémica enquanto se  reforçam os papéis masculinos e femininos". Isto encontra a sua explicação nos códigos de conduta e nos comportamentos normativos e proibitivos para os sexos em função dos quais a sociedade está organizada e que condicionam as relações interpessoais.

A este problema une-se, apara além disso, a falta de autonomia e independência das mulheres que se vê aumentada pela atual precarização das condições de trabalho e o recuo nos direitos laborais que as afetam em maior medida que aos homens. A UMAR está consciente de que para muitas mulheres o assédio sexual faz parte das condições de trabalho, como a violência doméstica fazia parte do casamento. "Elas acham que não há opção, que têm de lidar com esta violência e aceitá-la, interiorizá-la e negá-la mas têm de se aperceber que não é assim. A mulher portuguesa é muito pouco empoderada e a pobreza progressiva que nos assola não permite dar voz às pessoas, e é muito difícil mudar as coisas". É por isso que é importante trabalhar para o empoderamento das mulheres e para incrementar a sua presença no espaço público e conseguir assim uma mudança de paradigma.

Contudo, é importante ter em conta que à medida que os homens saem do patamar estabelecido e há uma maior democratização e identificação com outros padrões, eles também passam a ser vítimas de assédio, "mas é um assédio que parte de outros homens e que na maioria dos casos é contra homens homossexuais, porque há uma associação ao género e não ao erotismo". É mais uma vez uma discriminação de sexo baseada no reforço dos estereótipos. Sendo assim, é preciso colocar limites para que a igualdade seja de direitos e não de violência, seja qual for o âmbito em que o assédio se produz e seja qual for o sexo da vítima. "Em muitos casos de violência no namoro, as raparigas sentem-se empoderadas e batem nos seus namorados. Não há noção dos limites e toda a gente passa a poder bater em toda a gente. É isso que temos de mudar". A educação parece ser a chave para combater um problema que embora esteja profundamente introduzido na sociedade, ainda se pode resolver. Neste sentido, Cláudia Múrias e a UMAR olham o futuro não apenas com realismo mas também com certo otimismo. "As mulheres estão educadas para não serem protagonistas, para protegerem-se do mundo e para serem olhadas e avaliadas pela sua beleza a todo o tempo. Se conseguirmos mudar isso, teremos grande parte do caminho andado". E este é, sem dúvida, um caminho que bem merece ser percorrido.

@ arrotante do momento!:

Dizem os que a conhecem que a Elena é obcecada e inquieta, mas também entusiasta e perfeccionista. Ela, que também se conhece um bocadinho, diz que é, sobretudo, curiosa. É por isso que gosta de espreitar, de escrever, de experimentar. É por isso que adora cinema, leitura, viagens. E, se calhar, é também por isso que é voluntária, porque há poucas maneiras melhores para descobrir e pôr-se a prova do que isso.

Dançar, dançar, dançar e... construir

Verão é em Portugal sinónimo de festivais. São dias em que o sol acompanha com a sua luz a música e as danças, são dias de partilha e de diversão. E, às vezes, são também dias em que a tradição e a vanguarda vão de mão dada. Dias em que os espaços se enchem de público que passa a ser artista e onde o tradicional se torna contemporâneo. Isto é o que acontece em cada ano no Andanças, em que a dança, a sustentabilidade e o voluntariado se unem para dar impulso à reafirmação pessoal através da cultura própria e à revitalização de zonas rurais do país. E isto é o que aconteceu também este ano. 

Durante sete dias no início deste Agosto que já está a chegar ao fim, o Alto Alentejo encheu-se de pessoas de todas as idades e procedências dispostas a divertirem-se e sobretudo, a dançar, dançar e dançar. Grupos tradicionais de Portugal e do estrangeiro foram os encarregados de guiar os amantes da dança na descoberta de diferentes formas de abanar o capacete cá dentro e lá fora num espaço livre de todo o artifício que nos transporta à nossa mais pura essência e nos coloca em contato direto com a natureza. De facto, como reconhece Ana Martins, coordenadora da Pé de Xumbo (associação organizadora do festival), para além do objetivo de "pegar na tradição portuguesa e devolvê-la às pessoas enquanto território de vivências e de crescimento identitário" com que o projeto nasceu em 1997, o espaço de Castelo de Vide em que o Andanças dançou nesta edição pelo segundo ano consecutivo "estava a pedir construções sustentáveis".  

E Ricardo Fernandes ofereceu-as. Com uma experiência prévia baseada em cursos, em pequenas colaborações como voluntário e numa estadia numa quinta de permacultura em Sintra, Ricardo apresentou um projeto em que Ana acreditou desde o primeiro momento. “O objetivo era as pessoas sentirem que isto lhes pertence e que faz parte da vida deles, criar laços, e nisso é que estivemos a trabalhar, numa estrutura permanente para alojar aos artistas que participam no Andanças e que acompanhará o festival também nas próximas edições”. Para Ricardo foi, ademais, a oportunidade de criar algo de raiz e até ao fim. “Há dois anos vi que era preciso arranjar alternativas para aquilo acho que está errado hoje em dia. A nível de construções, por exemplo, tenho a impressão de que nas cidades vivemos como em prateleiras de supermercado, as pessoas passam a ser produtos”. É assim que decidiu aprender a trabalhar com materiais naturais, para “conhecer e saber adaptar-me aos materiais que tenho à volta”, e é assim que a casa em Castelo de Vide começou a tomar forma. “A ideia é uma coisa, mas depois tu tens de te adaptar ao espaço, ao material que existe e aos recursos naturais disponíveis”.  E o material existente eram pneus, assim que de algo a priori inservível e altamente contaminante surgiu a estrutura para os muros de uma casa que nasceu de forma experimental mas com vontade de permanência e que agora destila vida e alegria em sintonia com o ambiente do festival.

Mas Ricardo não tem estado sozinho na tarefa de tornar numa realidade tridimensional o que até há pouco tempo era apenas um desenho num caderno. Com ele trabalharam quinze pessoas de forma rotativa e voluntária, desde o mês de Junho e até o início do festival. “Com grupos de 4-5 pessoas o trabalho é ótimo”, reconhece, porque “trabalhar em grupo é muito reconfortante. As pessoas sentem-se à vontade e o trabalho flui mesmo”. Sócio ativo da Rota Jovem desde há dois anos, Ricardo está agora implicado na fundação de Ginjões de Baixo, uma associação juvenil sem fins lucrativos que visa promover a bioconstrução, os conceitos de permacultura e um estilo de vida saudável e conectado com a natureza. Construir casas, produzir alimentos de forma local e biológica, usar os produtos que estão à nossa volta e, sobretudo aprender e transmitir toda a experiência que supõe a cooperação com a natureza são os pilares que movem a um grupo de jovens que acreditam em outra maneira de fazer as coisas e no potencial de Portugal como cenário para a mudança de paradigma. “A oportunidade para cooperar com o pessoal de Ginjões surgiu através de uma atividade de fim-de-semana da Rota Jovem. Eles estavam a tentar construir a sua própria comunidade no Baixo Alentejo e agora queremos abrir ao público e fazer atividades e workshops para difundir a mensagem e fazer ver que é possível materializar o pensamento verde com base na sustentabilidade”.

E este é, claro, também o espírito do Andanças. À sustentabilidade unem-se o voluntariado e o interesse pela comunidade e o relacionamento. “O Andanças é acima de tudo um festival de voluntários a todos os seus níveis, e é um evento que apoia também o lado local. Acreditamos na troca e partilha na medida justa, na criação de riqueza das populações e no consumo local”, assinala Ana. Tudo isto sem esquecer a mediação artística e todo o trabalho contínuo de investigação e recuperação da tradição que agora se plasma, para além de no próprio festival, na recentemente criada web A Dança Portuguesa a Gostar dela Própria. São assim precursores do movimento para tornar o tradicional contemporâneo que está mesmo na base do Andanças. "Nós iniciamos na Europa a forma de estar, misturar e fundir as coisas. O objetivo é a internacionalização, porque há muitos músicos que não conseguem encontrar mercado". Este é o espírito com que a Pé de Xumbo não deixa de trabalhar para preparar já a próxima edição do festival, conscientes de que “falta ainda fazer muita coisa” mas satisfeitos pelo longo caminho percorrido para o reconhecimento da dança como instrumento de mediação e valorização da identidade que, pelos vistos, tão bem tem calado em Portugal. Para já, o festival tem deixado a sua pegada permanente em Castelo de Vide em forma de uma casa que ficará para sempre como testemunha de andanças e reuniões com a música tradicional como pano de fundo.

@ arrotante do momento!:

Dizem os que a conhecem que a Elena é obcecada e inquieta, mas também entusiasta e perfeccionista. Ela, que também se conhece um bocadinho, diz que é, sobretudo, curiosa. É por isso que gosta de espreitar, de escrever, de experimentar. É por isso que adora cinema, leitura, viagens. E, se calhar, é também por isso que é voluntária, porque há poucas maneiras melhores para descobrir e pôr-se a prova do que isso.

Agnese: "History is something very fragil and it is not easy to know the real truth"

Now that we live a tumultuous period of instability in Europe because of the problems in Ukraine, Agnese offers us her point of view as a citizen from a country once part of the USSR and shares the tension that exists nowadays in Latvia towards modern day Russia. The process of independence and the big changes in Latvians life from 1991 until now, told in first person here. Just keep reading.

- What are your memories about the transition process after Latvian Independence from the USSR? What did your parents tell you about that period?

I don't have a lot of memories because I was too small, but in my first childhood memories, when I was about 12 years old, Russian friends are present. My mom told me a lot of stories, about misunderstandings with the different currencies or the differences in History books when she was in the school. But the most meaningful is the heavy propaganda that Russia was, and still is, making all the time. Russian times are in a pink memory because everything was done, they were saying us what we had to do in order to not have any Western influence. It was difficult to travel outside USSR territory, but very easy to move inside it. My grandmother never talks about that period because some of their friends were deported to Siberia in the 40's. They didn't want informed people there, so the richest you were, the most possibilities for you to be deported. But it always depends on whom you are asking to, there are people who easily follow the imposed rules, who educate their kids according to the official version of the facts, and this ends up to prevail. I think that History is something very fragile and it is not easy to know the real truth.

 - Do you think that the process is actually finished nowadays? How do you feel as a Latvian with the big presence of Russians [almost 30% of the population] in your country?
Actually, the way our process of independence happened was weird, it was like a theater played by the Government, we are always under someone's wing. Now we have been part of the EU and the UN for almost ten years, so talking about independence is a bit ridiculous. I feel independent of Russia just because now we are part of something else. After 23 years of independence there are fears in Latvia about becoming part of Russia again because of the lack of information about many things, fears about Putin wanting to take the three Baltic states back to Russia again. There have been some problems connected with that, Russian ships and planes entering our territory, and also their huge presence in the country is scaring, they are controlling important things like phone lines and media in some parts of the country. And also what is happening in Ukraine, it is unbelievable, like a shark trying to attack silently. Step by step they are making us closer to a different nationality.

- What is the role of Russia in Latvia? And in the construction of your identity?
Latvian spirit is a big up lately, because of the young people who is trying to spread information and knowledge. We are free people but there are still Russian schools which are still advertising Russia as "our mother". If the teachers are transmitting that and Russian people have a lot of benefits in the country, it is difficult to change things, it is also a matter of education. Their influence from Moscow is huge, in the political life, in the media, everywhere.

- How did you live the entrance of Latvia in the EU in 2004? And the adoption of the euro in 2014? 
I was against the EU because I was afraid to be in the same situation as with Russia. And as we are such a small country, maybe if we weren't part of Europe we would be part of Russia again. Now we can live more freely, with a speech of freedom, and we feel more protected. Being part of the Union brings new choices for the youngsters, everything is happening faster and easier, we can move, travel and work abroad without problems. But I don't believe in the Euro, because we are paying double price for everything. I also think that currency is something that makes our identity as a country stronger and now that we are part of something big we lost it.

- Which is the role of Latvia in Europe today? How the country identifies itself with the European values and identity [human identity respect, freedom, democracy, equality, human rights respect, respect for the minorities]?
There are a lot of immigrants who are finding Latvia as a place where to improve their lives. We were supposed to become members before 2004, but there were not guarantees of stability before. Now we respect European values and rights, it is very easy for us to follow their regulations and rules. I also think that it is important to value Human Being itself and not according to a country, a language or an amount of money. Everyone should have the same rights to receive than the others, European Union should work on achieve equality.

- How things have changed in your country during all these years?
Now people are more open, they are talking more freely because they are not afraid to say what they really think. We have support from the EU to start new businesses and our national confidence is growing. We feel covered because we know that we are not alone. Moreover, there are a lot of money invested to improve the quality of our society. In the 14 years between the independence and the entrance in the EU things were always changing but very slowly, so it is like it didn't exist a before. The bad thing now is that what affects others affects also us, we need to learn to manage it. 

- What book, film and band would you recommend us?
A book: The Lock Artist, by Steve Hamilton.
A film: Hannah, by Joe Wright.
A band: Austra.

Ali: "Maybe in ten years European Union is not going to exist anymore"

Sometimes making an EVS means a huge intercultural immersion which changes completely our vision of the world. Ali has changed his reality in Turkey for a very different lifestyle in Portugal. We talked with him about how Turkey and Europe are linked and what they can give to each other.

- What is your vision of Europe? Has anything changed after your EVS experience?

Before the project I had already travelled a lot around Europe, so I knew a bit about it. But travelling is not the same as living in a place for a long time, because you know that there is a moment to go back home. When you live like a local you get used to the country and the culture, especially if it is different from yours. So my general idea about Europe didn't change a lot during my EVS. I think that Europe is much more advanced in terms of development, so it is very good for me to be here.

- What are the similarities and the differences between Turkish and European identity?
Well, I think it is quite hard to speak about an European identity, because there are many differences between the North and the South of Europe. From my point of view, there are more similarities than differences between Turkey and Portugal, starting from the climate, but not only, of course. The way people think and enjoy life, the way of living is very similar. Even some meals are almost the same! But here the standard of living is higher, the media are freer and human rights are much more respected, and this is very important. Living in Portugal you don't need to care about many things, you can feel the freedom, while in Turkey the political situation is more unstable, the government has a big power in a lot of fields and many things are hidden from the citizens. If you are not part of any minority you can have a normal life in Turkey, but if you are not, you can feel that lack of freedom.

- Regarding the way how the Western media are showing Islam, what is your point of view about that?
After the terrorist attacks in 2001 in New York, the way of looking to the islamic countries has really changed and I think people started to feel Islamophobia. Of course, the media affected a lot to people to be much more afraid. Arabic countries have a lot of problems related with terrorism or even war, so people tend to think that they are more dangerous, but not all the countries are like that. What makes people think like that are the Islamic fundamentalists, because they don't respect the difference. Even if they are Muslims, not all Muslims are radical, but European media are more focus on the fundamentalists, they exaggerate their presence.

- Do you think it is necessary to create links between Turkey and Europe? 
We already have a lot of links, in fact we applied to become members of the European Union many years ago. At this moment, we have a lot of cooperation in a lot of fields, like justice and youth programmes, for instance, otherwise I couldn't come here with an EVS project. So I think it is important to create and maintain these links, and to make them stronger, because we have based the improvements in our country for the last eight years in the Western standards, so for us it is very important to make this Western ideology and standard of life possible in Turkey.

- What is your position about Turkey joining European Union?
I wish Turkey becomes a member of the Union in the future in order to improve our quality of life, but I am a bit skeptic. There are many countries in Europe thinking that we are not real Europeans, because of our different religion and culture, so it would be important to have more Turkish people around Europe to try to change the stereotypes. There are also many guidelines to become a member and we still have a lot of work to do, so it is difficult. I also don't know if it going to exist an European Union in ten years.

- What do you think are the weakest points of the EU?
I like European standards and the flexibility to go everywhere without borders, but I also see countries that are not happy after joining the Union and I don't want the same disappointment in Turkey. And, of course, I don't like some of the European rules deciding about national production. In some cases, like with the agriculture in Portugal, it can be bad for some of the members, making their economies weaker if they can't protect their own production. Regarding the euro, I think that not all the countries should have the same currency if their standards of living are different. There are huge differences between Northern and Southern countries, and in Turkey we can see that in the media. Maybe that's why Turkish people are starting to think that it is not worth to join the EU, because the economic situation is hard and we are better than some of the current members. Anyway, from my point of view it shouldn't be everything about the money and we also should take into account the benefits in the social and political fields.

- And concerning your cultural taste, what book, film and song would you like us to get to know?
A book: Zorba, by Nikos Kazantzakis.
A film: Los lunes al sol, by Fernando León de Aranoa.
A song: Djurdjevdan, by Bijelo Dugme.

          

 

Emma: "Education is the essential tool to integrate minorities"

As a social worker, Emma had already worked with minorities in her country, Hungary. Now, thanks to her EVS project, she is having the chance to get to know better the situation of the Roma community in Portugal and to increase her knowledge and competences to understand their reality. 

- When and how did your interest in working with minorities start? Why working with the Roma community?

I studied Social Work for three years in Hungary and I had different interests. At the beginning I was specially focused on how to deal with mental diseases as a social worker. But at the end of my degree I went to the countryside for one week to make a small research internship working with the Roma community, and it completely caught me. I was really shocked by their reality, by the circumstances they live in and their lack of opportunities to have a better life. They were living without electricity or running water, and they were paying a rent for houses whose conditions were unacceptable. I couldn't have imagined before people living under such bad conditions, so I started to think why that could happen and what I could do as a social worker to fix it. My work in an association concerned about Human Rights helped me to have a deeper understanding about their reality. In 2009 I specialized in Social Development Work in the Netherlands with a thesis about Roma integration strategies in the EU. Then I started my master's degree in Hungary about Ethnic and Minorities Studies, focused in Roma people and Jewish in Central and Eastern Europe.

- What are the similarities and the differences between the Roma community in Hungary and in Portugal? How is your experience going working with them here?

In Hungary, people living in the poorest villages are called gypsies even if they are not, there is not a border between poor people and gypsy people. We have three different communities, romungro, beàs and olàh, and they are not as traditional as in Portugal. They want to be part of the society and fight against the prejudices. Here the communities are really traditional, the patriarchy is very strict and the caste system is still present. So if you are not a gypsy you shouldn't care about them, because they consider that it is not your business. Even if Portuguese society is more open-minded in terms of accepting cultural differences, with the Roma community is a bit different. In Hungary we have mixed couples between gypsies and non-gypsies, they accept to lose their roots in a certain way in order to be integrated in the society. In Portugal this is not so common, they are more closed in their own culture. My work in ALEM allows me to document and get to know how they are living and how they are dealing with their children's diet, which is our main goal with them. We are trying to support them by providing food and offering them help to use it properly. At the beginning it was really hard to reach their trust, but after three months of hard work we started to know each other and now it is much easier, it became natural. They understood that we are not there to judge them, but to approach them.

- What are the current topics of interest concerning the Roma community?

Education and unemployment are their main problems. And for me, in Portuguese Roma community gender issue is also a big matter. Women's role is being a mother and they don't have an acceptable education level to have the chance to get a job. As there are cultural differences between both countries, the solutions for their problems are also different. In Hungary is easier to achieve the goal to get more education because they are more available to accept the rules and their culture has a high respect for the education, whereas in Portugal they want to keep more their traditional habits, which includes to be reluctant to the integration. The girls must leave school at the age of 15 to get married and this is very comfortable for men, because they always have someone to take care of them and their children, so it is normal that they don't want to change it.

- What do you think are the steps to make their integration in the society possible and to stop the discrimination against them?

Education and respect to other cultures are the most important ones, I can't imagine any other way. There is a wonderful example of that with an experience that an Hungarian kindergarten teacher did. In Hungary gypsy parents are afraid to send their kids to the school because of the discrimination they suffer, so they prefer to keep them at home to protect them. Non-gypsy parents don't want school groups with a lot of gypsy kids because they think it is a disadvantage for their children in terms education quality. So the teacher realized it and she tried to arrange meetings and events for the parents to get to know each others. It functioned, because they started to work together and the cultural differences stopped being a problem for them. I think that for a successful integration it is indispensable to get the balance between the respect for the differences and the respect for the general rules.

- How do you evaluate EU politics in this issue and with minorities in general? What should be improved?

I can't compare with other minorities because the EU has different strategies according to the different minorities, but in any case they have to respect every member country's autonomy to make decisions about how to integrate minorities, always respecting European values. Regarding the Roma community, it is difficult to have a general rule because every country has a different problem. In Western Europe, for instance, it is a matter of immigration, while in Eastern Europe is a traditional minority, so it is not possible to create a general report where everything is settled. Nevertheless, it is important to establish some basic principles in order to try to get a balance in terms of equality.

- Concerning your cultural preferences, what book, film and song would you recommend us?
A book: Žert, by Milan Kundera.
A film: La piel que habito, by Pedro Almodóvar.
A song: Szabadon, by Palya Bea.

       

Pilar: "The struggle of feminism is an universal struggle"

If there is a person engaged with the feminist cause, that's without any doubts Pilar. Active volunteer in everything related with women's rights struggle, she wanted to put some light in a topic sometimes vague and always controversial. So if you want to know a bit more about feminism, you just need to keep reading.

- When and how did your interest in feminism start?

I think that I've always been interested in feminism. When I was a child my models were women, not men, and when I decided to focus my education in the social field my interest became even bigger. One of the areas we work in as social workers is gender equality, so I am interested in deepening my knowledge about what I can do as an educator in that field, what kind of projects are being developed and what type of measures exist. In 2012 I came to Lisbon to work in UMAR, which is an important women association, and I completely realized and reaffirmed that my engagement with feminism was total.

- How was your experience in UMAR?
 I came the first time thanks to a European project called DIJE, which consisted in an internship to check how equality measures were implemented in a real association. The association was UMAR, and I loved it because they are very important in the national level. The work they do is really large, from education in schools to human traffic, gender violence or equality among seniors. And my workmates were amazing, they always supported me a lot, so in 2013 I came again to make my Leonardo da Vinci with them. I took part in the project ISI, and my tasks were related with documentation and registration of bibliographic and filmographic resources and pedagogic materials, organization of events for abused women's children and assistance to seminars, courses and debates related with the issues UMAR was working on. I learnt a lot from my co-workers, from their energy and their peaceful revolutionary spirit. I learnt that the struggle can and must be done, so now I am still a volunteer with them and I try to be a link between UMAR and ALEM, where I am doing my EVS project, transferring my previous learnings to my lessons with the girls in the school where I work now.

- What is feminism for you? Why do you thing it is necessary?
For me, feminism is a movement defending the equality between genders, the real equality of opportunities and rights between women and men. There are many types of feminism and many ways to be a feminist, but it is above all a common struggle shared by men and women, it is not something exclusively feminine. Feminism fights against some principles of the patriarchal system which not only discriminate women, but also some men who don't fit the social standards. Patriarchal system is so deeply set in our society that trying to change it is really a hard work. Women were traditionally the most damaged ones by the system and that's why they were the ones starting the struggle, but they are fighting for benefits for the society as an all. And that's why I think that feminism is important and necessary, because without feminism equality cannot exist. As equality doesn't exist itself because of the established patterns, feminism is necessary to fight to achieve that goal.

- What are the biggest prejudices that society has about feminism?
There are a lot of people who are feminist without knowing it and many other people who declare themselves as feminist without being it at all. People saying that women should be in a superior place to men only arouse distrust in society, and that affects the whole movement. The fact of expressing ideas and claiming for rights as nobody had never done before is uncomfortable for the system, so that's why some people tell that feminists are crazy, hysteric and extremist.

- Do you think is easy being a woman? What are for you the biggest dangers for women nowadays?
Personally, because of the family and the society where I grew up, I have never had problems as a woman. But in a general level there are a lot of differences according to the countries. In many societies women are the main target of terrorism just because of the fact that they are women. Then if, besides being a woman they come from a different culture or religion, or have any disability or are single moms, things can be even worse for them. Related with all of that, there are many dangers that women must face, such as forced marriages, human trafficking, female circumcision, gender violence or lack of education. Many girls lose their right to be educated just to benefit their brothers. If the parents need to choose, the girls are always supposed to stay at home, taking care of the house, the father and eventually the husband. This results in feminization of poverty and their economic dependency on men.

 - Regarding these dangers, what are the challenges for feminism to avoid them?

Feminism can be useful to eliminate this huge inequality of opportunities, but the biggest challenge is to be united. I think that all the currents, even if they have different visions, should be together in the struggle, because otherwise is very difficult to achieve a big movement with results. But it is also important to make progress in obtaining a bigger effect, a bigger significance. And for that it is necessary to separate feminism from hembrism, which is the equivalent of machism and something completely negative. I would like the statement "I am a feminist" no longer to be considered something bad.

- What kind of measures should institutions like the EU take in matters of equality?

The most important one is the empowerment of women, with more resources for their education. This is what we know as positive discrimination, and it should be developed in order to get specific opportunities to women and giving them ways to choose, because otherwise all the opportunities would be for men. Providing more and better education is essential, because it is the basis of all the rest. It is also fundamental to implement gender equality programs with effective measures, and it should be introduced as something transversal. We need to think about equality patterns through the experience, not only in a theoretical way. There should be enough financial support to projects and initiatives which facilitate the new genaration's increasing sensitivity about these issues. Social subjects are completely forgotten in the schools, the program is focused in the scientific learnings and not in the life in a society. It would be perfect to include that kind of contents in the texts and in the pedagogy methods.

- Who are the women who inspired you the most?
All the women from my family, because they opened my mind to the world and encouraged me to go after my dreams. Especially my mom, who taught me to be strong. I also admire Mariana Pineda, who was a revolucionary woman who faced the system, Lila Downs, because of the strength that she transmits when she sings and her engagement with the feminist cause, and also Sojourner Truth. But I my heroine is without any doubt Malala. She is amazing, she is corageous and she is strong enough to keep fighting despite of her age and what happened to her. For me, she is the best of the activists.

- And talking now about culture, what book, film and song would are a must see for you?
A book: Todo bajo el cielo, by Matilde Asensi.
A film: Bye, bye Brasil, by Carlos Diegues.
A song: Para Vigo me voy, de Compay Segundo.

                            

Giovanni: "It is very important to guide people to understand and develop their own talents"

When we need to talk about education, pedagogy and even religion, Giovanni is a safe bet. After seven months of intense work in ALEM, he already has some practical experience that he wanted to share with us. And now we want to share it with you. Here it is what he has to say.

- Tell us about your experience with the scouts in Italy, when and how did your bond with the group start?

It was in 1995, when I was eight years old. At that time my parents knew that the scout group in my town was present and strong. There were many family friends volunteering there as chiefs and some of my friends as well, so my parents subscribed me saying that I was going to learn a lot. And they were right. With the scouts I matured to be a person useful to the others, dedicating my time to give a service to the community. During the 17 years I was part of the scouts, I participated in a wide variety of activities going from group games to handcrafts workshops and meetings with representatives from many civil offices, and I also became a chief myself, planning and organizing short and long-term activities for the kids. Although I quit in 2012 and I am no longer officially part of the team, I still continue collaborating with them, supporting the chiefs, suggesting them activities and even cooking for the children during the summer camps!

- What have you learnt in your experience with them [the scouts]?

Well, first of all, the spirit of service, which actually is what brought me here to do EVS. But also teamwork and mediation skills, ability to do many things even with very essential instruments, high tolerance for kids and, above all, love for education. I think that it is very important to guide people to understand their own talents and put them on advantage to everybody. And I am putting everything into practice here in Portugal!

- What are the challenges, difficulties and satisfactions of working with young people?
My experience is mainly with children, and I must say that their process of learning is fast and substantial, with pretty good results. The problem with them is that normally the groups are quite big, and as they are not self-sufficient you need to keep an eye on them all the time. With teenagers the problem is that even if the attention they need is less constant, it is stronger and more difficult because they have more complicated and enigmatic problems, so it is not easy to understand them and help them to find solutions. But you have the chance to see them growing up, dealing with those problems and conquering them, so it is comforting. And with the kids you gain lots of hugs, which is a very big recompense.

- What are the differences working with youngsters in Portugal and in Italy? And between the education system in both countries?
There is not a big difference, and I think that it is above all a social difference. I've noticed that in Portugal there is less social inequality than in Italy, where we have to deal with families without financial problems and others with huge difficulties, even if they work hard. In Portugal there are more people at the same level, the situations are more balanced. Regarding the education system, in both countries it is seriously underfunded, they aren't receiving enough money at all. In Italy we have stronger teachers but an old structure that should be reformed. In Portugal the structure is better while it is more dynamic, but it is inefficient because many schools are not provided with enough professors. There are holes in the kids' timetables just because there are not professors to cover them. For me, the solution in both cases it would be to increase the funds destined to the education and a continuous quality control to the teachers and the schools.

- What is your view about the education for affection and its importance in the education systems?
For me, it is the education about how to live a love life in the healthiest possible way, oriented to give the students the best knowledge relating to the essential elements of the life with a partner. They can learn about how to treat a partner, how to face their sexual life, which are the differences between both genders are and how to avoid stereotypes, fighting against the wrong simplification that society presents and reinforces. I think it is very important because it is a way to guarantee to all teenagers the possibility to deal with the subject, specially because you cannot trust all parents to be good enough or willing to give that kind of education. So, from my point of view, it should be present in the education systems, which remains still reluctant to teach anything related with sex. In that sense, they should be updated to include this kind of education in their planning.

- As a young and engaged person linked with religion, what is your vision of it in our days, in our context?
There still is an old way to understand religion as something related to prohibitions, which makes it to be considered as incompatible with many of the current issues people are worried about, when in fact it should be an instrument to improve. Not only to improve things but also to grow individually, being honest and spiritual. What Jesus taught us should be useful to progress personally and to engage others to develop a community where honesty, fraternity and mutual help are the essential values. There are a lot of people disillusioned by the oldest generations' closed way of understanding religion, but I think that the Church is now working in changing that status. They are trying to change the idea people have about them as a head of power and wish to become a guide to the people as citizens of the society who can get a spiritual evolution investing in themselves from their singularity. A spiritual development that don't depend anymore on the rules and the forbiddings of the Church but on the own moral code of each person.

- Which do you think is the link between the humanist legacy religion left in Europe and education in the different countries?
Religion in European culture is a matter of tradition, and because of that some education systems that haven't been renovated yet are still bearing weak or strong elements of religion. In Italy, for example, we have a lesson about religion once a week which is meant to educate kids about Catholic religion. But the actual content of the lesson is left to the teacher, who in many cases teaches about different religions and tolerance, but is up to their sensibility. In the case of implementation of the education for affection, for instance, it is not religion itself that puts obstacles, but the old way to see religion and specially Christianity held by powerful people and a large chunk of the aging population in Europe and that makes changes difficult. The humanistic legacy of religion in Europe is still strong and this should evolve in many ways.

- And about your cultural taste, which book, film and music would you recommend us?

A book: Historia de una gaviota y del gato que le enseñó a volar, by Luis Sepúlveda. 

A film: The Blues Brothers, by John Landis.

A sound: La Donna Cannone, by Francesco De Gregori.

A videogame: Super Mario, by Nintendo. 

Apenas a idade é que muda

Nas quartas à tarde, quem chega à Escola Secundária Marquês de Pombal do Bairro da Ajuda com as pastas debaixo do braço não são apenas as meninas do ensino regular ou os rapazes que estão a tirar cursos profissionais. São também os velhotes e as velhotas que frequentam as aulas e as atividades organizadas no seio da Universidade Sénior. Todos eles, adolescentes e idosos, partilham espaços e têm em comum a energia própria de quem se sente jovem e a vontade de serem estimulados na aquisição de novos conhecimentos. No caso da Universidade Sénior, não poderia ser de outra maneira num programa baseado e sustentado no trabalho de voluntários que acreditam numa forma diferente de fazer as coisas. Cristina Viçoso, professora de português nesta escola e uma dessas pessoas voluntárias a trabalhar no projecto, foi a impulsora da integração há já sete anos da Universidade Sénior nas instalações escolares. "Eu acredito numa escola pública aberta à comunidade", afirma, "e em ações como esta há benefícios para os velhotes, para os jovens e para a escola". A relação intergeracional é o principal destes benefícios, na medida em que "os jovens devem aprender a lidar com os velhos e os velhos devem assumir uma actitude positiva para tirar o máximo partido dos jovens". O contacto entre eles no âmbito da escola, onde participam do objectivo comum da aprendizagem, é importante para tentar deitar fora os preconceitos e encontrar os pontos que os conectam.

Porém, para favorecer a ligação e o entendimento intergeracional é fulcral o trabalho facilitador de voluntários como a Pilar, que embora desenvolva as suas tarefas principalmente com os estudantes do curso profissional de Assistência e Apoio à Família e à Comunidade, colabora também com a Universidade Sénior oferecendo palestras sobre assuntos que propiciam o debate e o intercâmbio de ideias. Na última, sobre vegetarianismo, as raparigas do curso profissional participaram também de forma ativa com a preparação de petiscos (vegetarianos, claro) que serviram aos idosos como forma de introdução à conferência. Esta iniciativa conseguiu reunir numa mesma sala de aula quatro gerações diferentes, entre participantes da Universidade Sénior, estudantes e voluntárias. Para Cristina, o trabalho da Pilar "é fundamental, porque consegue mesmo chegar às miúdas, e o seu projecto tem contribuído imenso para a educação e a formação delas", mostrando-lhes o que há para além da escola e dos livros. E esta é uma opinião que Mariana, uma dessas miúdas, partilha. "Estou a aprender com ela, é importante que esteja aqui porque nos ensina a fazer muitas coisas, como o blogue no qual escrevemos todas as semanas". A Pilar, pela sua parte, acha muito enriquecedora a sua participação nesta iniciativa intergeracional que o seu Serviço Voluntário Europeu na Associação Literatura, Literacia e Mediação (ALEM) lhe oferece, e considera o projecto "uma ferramenta primordial para um envelhecimento ativo sustentado na participação social" que ela própria gostaria ter opção de utilizar no futuro.

Mariana e Aníbal Alves, de 73 e 74 anos, já estão a usufruir dessa opção. Ela desde há seis anos e ele há apenas dois, "mas só porque trabalhei até mais tarde". Decidiram vir porque "estávamos aposentados, e achamos bom para a convivência e para adquirir mais conhecimento". E lembram que na altura em que eles tinham a idade dos jovens com os que agora partilham espaço era impensável que os idosos tivessem esta oportunidade de participação social. "A nossa infância era diferente, sobretudo economicamente, e não havia possibilidade dos mais velhos poderem participar, o convívio era mais familiar do que social". Além disso, gostam de partilhar espaço com os estudantes mais novos e consideram que com a sua presença no projecto estão também a ajudar os voluntários, num processo de intercâmbio onde todos ganham, "eles experiência e nós passeios, visitas, discussões". E Mariana, agora a menina Mariana, quer também ser no futuro, como agora o é a sua xará, uma "velhota muito fixe", porque "se os idosos querem aprender e podem, eu acho bem. Eles estão cá para aprenderem o que os novos aprendem, apenas a idade é que muda".

É assim que os 57 anos que separam as duas Marianas não parecem ser tantos. Elas têm graças à Universidade Sénior algo que as une, que as aproxima apesar da idade mas também por causa dela. Algo que, mesmo ainda que elas não se apercebam, as achega e as integra também em uma sociedade que precisa, cada vez mais, de ligações entre as pessoas.

@ arrotante do momento!:

Dizem os que a conhecem que a Elena é obcecada e inquieta, mas também entusiasta e perfeccionista. Ela, que também se conhece um bocadinho, diz que é, sobretudo, curiosa. É por isso que gosta de espreitar, de escrever, de experimentar. É por isso que adora cinema, leitura, viagens. E, se calhar, é também por isso que é voluntária, porque há poucas maneiras melhores para descobrir e pôr-se a prova do que isso.

Magali: "Curiosity, empathy and active listening, all we need to move on all together"

 A Elena decidiu colocar mãos à obra e dar-vos a conhecer melhor todos os colaboradores internacionais que a Rota Jovem acolheu nos últimos meses, através de um grupo de reportagens que vais querer ter debaixo de olho. Desde estagiários a voluntários SVE, vais poder conhecer um pouco sobre os seus interesses e opiniões sobre a Europa! Fica atent@ e acompanha-os!


After two months of hard work designing a training course about Human Rights, Magali has already left Rota Jovem. We could not let go the opportunity to talk to her about all the knowledge she has collected, so here it is what she told us about this hot and important topic. And read until the end, because we have a small surprise!

- What is Ethics in International Relations for you?

Ethics in International Relations for me is the connection between realist and idealist theories. It is something which is above us; it is common sense that should guide the future of International Relations. It is the effort that some people make in order to choose either the lesser evil or the best way of doing things. It is important because today in many countries we have all our first needs fulfilled and therefore we have the time and the opportunity to invent a way of living without neither violence nor injustice. It is even more important because many states or unions of states are increasingly calling for more ethics in the International Relations, even if they do not respect it a lot.

- How and when did your interest about Ethics in International Relations start?

When I was younger I was more idealist, but I’ve been forcing myself to be more realist. I studied International Relations and I wrote my thesis about transfer of weapons by some members of the European Union. When a teacher explained me the selling of weapons to unstable areas of the world just for business I realized that his perception of the world was rather limited. I was there to learn how to create solutions and not to repeat history without thinking. So in my thesis I tried to show that the European Union cannot go on spreading across the world a pacific and positive discourse about itself if the EU is the first weapon exporter in the world. For me it is a big contradiction. 

- What are the main current issues that Ethics in International Relations is dealing with?

New forms of slavery, immigration, bioethics, cloning or organ traffic, for example. Here the United Nations are both a useful and useless tool, to the extent that they are the only place where most of countries of the world can meet, debate and reach some agreements but, at the same time, the Security Council is not a model that produces a consensus. It seems like even if there is a strong effect in the diplomatic exchanges the UN does not have often as much impact as it could and should have.

- Which is the link between Ethics and Human Rights?

Both notions tend to be universal. They had to become collectively institutionalized but they start with an individual will and awereness. We should absolutely tend to these two notions, even if they are something pretty hard to define. It is about pacifying the relationships between people and provide them guidance. 

- What is for you the biggest danger for Human Rights in Europe?

The lack of communication between people, whether people from different countries or in the same country. And I think that television is also a big danger, because it makes people passive limited critics of the world and it is a time eater. It makes you form your opinion based on someone else's opinion without using your brain, and the worst is that many people do not know what to do when TV is off. 

- How can the European Union and the European citizens contribute to a fairer world?

All the youth exchanges that the European Union is promoting are really good to get to understand the relativity of people's needs, incentives and hopes. It is not a passive learning, but completely the opposite, and it has a multiplying domino effect. As I have had the chance to participate in this kind of programmes, I feel very lucky and my vision of the world got larger. We need curiosity, empathy and active listening in order to move on all together.

- During your research about Human Rights, did you find something surprising? And something that made you change your mind?

It happened to me that one day I believed in Human Rights and the other I did not. One day it made sense and the other I thought that nobody was talking about the same thing. The hardest part is to play with these antagonistic results of the research. I did not find anything that has radically changed my mind, but I have completely shaped my knowledge.

- And like not everything is about working, which book, film and music would you recommend us?

A book: The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov.

A film: The Dance of Reality, by Alejandro Jodorowsky.

A sound: the ones that Alan Lomax collected around North America.