The event Azorean Roots – Canada 50 Years Later was addressed to young Azorean descendants, with ages between 21 and 35, who had not visited the archipelago of the Azores in the last 5 years. The celebration of the 50 years of Portuguese emigration to Canada had the purpose of showing the younger ones the present Azorean socio-cultural reality.
Themes in discussion:
-Language and Culture: Union Factors
-The importance of the youngsters’ political involvement in the new countries
-Historical Perspective of the Azores
-Human and Physical Geography of the Azores
-The Characteristics of the Azorean Way of Speaking
-Presentation of the Regional Department for the Communities
-The importance of the youngsters’ participation and involvement in their own communities
-Regional Autonomous Institutions
-Azorean Economy and Society
-New Generations, New and Old Challenges: Portuguese and Portuguese-descendant youngsters in Canada
-Testimony of a returned emigrant
-Identity Projects for the future
Presentations:
-“Expressão e Educação Dramática: Guia Pedagógico para o 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico” and “Comunicação para o Ensino da Língua Portuguesa” by Luís Aguilar.
-“On a Leaf of Blue”, a bilingual anthology of Azorean poetry, translated and organized by Diniz Borges.
Cultural Evening:
-Students from the Regional Conservatory (Music School) of Angra do Heroísmo
-Luso Can Tuna from Toronto and Tuna Neptuna from the Nursing College of the University of the Azores
-Concert “Dia S. Vapor” by Luis Bettencourt
-Concert by Luis Bettencourt
-Folklore Group from Doze Ribeiras and Cantadores de Improviso (Improvisation Singers) from Terceira Island
-Concert by Susana Coelho