The General Assembly of the World Council of Houses of the Azores (CMCA) will take place in Ponta Delgada between August 30 and September 3.

The event, organised by the Government, through the Regional Director for Communities in partnership with the House of the Azores Santa Catarina Island, will be held at the VIP Executive Hotel.

The 15th General Assembly of the World Council of Houses of the Azores will be attended by 33 participants, including the 25 representatives of the Houses of the Azores that belong to the Council. The remaining participants are representatives of several organisations, including the Association of Azorean Emigrants, and will take part in the event as observers.

For the first time in the history of this Council, the meeting will be also attended by youngsters from the communities where each House of the Azores is located in order to promote the participation of younger generations in the future of associations in emigrant communities.

The programme of the General Assembly includes the debate "Present and Future of the CMCA" (September 1, 2:30 PM) and the delivery ceremony of the Merit Medals and the "Quality Azorean Product" distinction (September 1, 7 PM). There will also be a space participants may exchange their ideas and views (August 31).

The closing ceremony of the General Assembly is scheduled for September 1 at 4:15 PM and will be chaired by the President of the Government.

As in previous editions, the CMCA will be a space for exchanging ideas on the dynamics and challenges that communities face. On the other hand, it also will gather participants and provide them with the opportunity of being closer to Azorean reality.  

Founded in Horta in 1997, the CMCA was created with purpose of gathering the Azorean communities and making the Azores, the Azorean people and their culture known to the populations of their respective areas of influence.

Currently, 13 Houses of the Azores make up the CMCA: the Houses of the Azores of the North, Lisbon and Algarve (Portugal); Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina Island and the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Uruguay; Quebec, Ontario and Winnipeg (Canada); New England and Hilmar (United States of America).