All the conditions are met to give practical expression to the new Diaspora Council, announces Vasco Cordeiro
The President of the Government announced that the election of the 19 members to join the new Azorean Diaspora Council will be concluded in April next year, representing all Azorean communities around the world.
“Here, in Bermuda, and only eight months after the announcement of the creation of this Diaspora Council, I can announce that today the new electronic platform for the registration of the Azoreans around the world has come into operation,” said Vasco Cordeiro.
The President of the Government spoke Sunday at the solemn session celebrating the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese emigrants in Bermuda. The event took place under the President's official visit, at the invitation of Premier Edward David Burt, to this British overseas territory that has been one of the Azorean emigration destinations since the mid-19th century.
With the availability of this electronic platform, accessible at https://acorianosnomundo.azores.gov.pt/, all the conditions are met to take the "next step of giving practical expression to the Azorean Diaspora Council, through the election of the 19 members by Diaspora Azoreans, a process due to be concluded in April," said the President of the Government.
Before the 150 members of the Azorean community in Bermuda, Vasco Cordeiro also added that the creation of the Diaspora Council, proposed by the Government and approved unanimously by the Legislative Assembly, has as its “first goal to convene and involve the Azorean People around the world in the development project we aspire to in the Region.”
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro emphasised that, also in Bermuda, we see the “genuine commitment of Azorean emigrants to be active citizens and builders of the host territories and countries, without giving up on their identity and their ties to our islands.”
"This double action - integration and preservation - is well reflected in the organisations, institutions, companies and individuals that contribute to the social and cultural enrichment of Bermuda. They are at the heart of the celebrations of this 170th anniversary," said Vasco Cordeiro.
According to the President of the Government, the reality of the Azores is only complete with the Diaspora and its desire to celebrate its identity of origin in various latitudes.
“It is in this aspect that speaking of the Azores is to make a mandatory reference to Azorean emigration and the communities residing in Bermuda, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Uruguay and in any other area where there Azoreans and descendants live,” said Vasco Cordeiro. On the one hand, community associations give voice to the aspirations of the Azoreans and their descendants towards host societies and regional institutions and, on the other hand, they are open to their geographical reality by broadening the range of activities areas that are in line with the Region's goals.
This is Vasco Cordeiro's first official visit to Bermuda, where it is estimated that around 20 to 25 percent of the population is of Portuguese descent. Among them, 90 percent is of Azorean origin.
During Sunday morning, Vasco Cordeiro visited the "Azores and Bermuda" permanent exhibition, open to the public at Bermuda National Museum, which portrays the importance and influence of the community for the development of this territory over time.
After meeting with Azoreans working in Bermuda at Café Açoreano, an establishment run by a family from São Miguel Island, the President of the Government attended mass in honour of the Portuguese community at St. Theresa's Cathedral, having also participated in the procession that passed through several streets of Hamilton.
Monday, a national holiday established this year to mark the arrival of the Portuguese in Bermuda, will begin with the unveiling ceremony of a plaque paying tribute to immigration in this territory, which will be attended by Premier Edward David Burt. In the afternoon, Vasco Cordeiro will open the headquarters of the House of the Azores of Bermuda and meet with the Azorean community.
In addition, there will be a scheduled visit to the Vasco da Gama Club, founded in 1935, which is responsible for the Portuguese School, an institution dedicated to the development and preservation of the Portuguese language. This project is supported by the regional Government.
On the last day of the official visit, the President of the Government will meet with the Premier of Bermuda and will also visit the Portuguese Rock located in Spittal Pond Natural Reserve.