CaféBabel Lisboa

Cultures on my Street

Carina — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:42:00 +02:00

''As Europe grows together in its diversity, the European Commission challenges YOU to capture your vision of intercultural dialogue and share it with the world in the competition "Cultures on my street". All European residents, regardless of age or origins, are invited to participate. It's as easy as grabbing your camera and stepping outside the front door.''

www.street-cultures.eu

European Development Days - Will Climate Change Development?

Carina — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:41:00 +01:00

Report from Lisbon by Diane Halley

Climate change was certainly an apt theme for this year's European Development Days in Lisbon, if only for the very reason that we left Brussels on a Tuesday evening of five degrees, and arrived to a balmy Lisbon where temperatures rose to their mid-twenties during consecutive days of abundant sunshine. Something is up with our weather in Europe, let alone globally. Every Portuguese person I met remarked that the weather was extraordinary for the month of November. However, whereas our seasons appear to be merging in Europe, we are not suffering from climate change to the same extent as those in Africa and on other developing continents.

The second edition of the European Development Days was hosted by the European Commission and the Portuguese Presidency in the capital. This large scale event brings together many high-level speakers from the development policy world, as well as decision-makers, stakeholders and civil society representatives on development issues.

Having said that, the invitees were not as impressive as last year's contenders where many Heads of State were in attendance, from Africa in particular. The only acting President to grace this year's summit with his presence was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldives, who was one of the keynote speakers of the opening ceremony along with the Prime Minister of Portugal, José Socrates and José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission. During his address, President Gayroom focused on the human dimension of climate change - that environmental protection is a fundamental human right.

Poorest - least responsible but most affected

There was undoubtedly a consensus at this event that climate change is neither fiction nor media hype, but a reality to contend with. Another core point underlined continually throughout this three day event was that climate change is affecting the poorest people, despite the fact that these people - living in the most vulnerable of countries - are least responsible for the environmental phenomenon under discussion. It was concluded that climate change can no longer be viewed rigidly in environmental terms, but must instead be mainstreamed as a cross-cutting concept through varying policy areas including development. It is not a problem of the future, but of the present. The most disastrous environmental events of the recent past have all taken place in the last year or two and such events are becoming all the more frequent. Thirty million people have been affected by flooding in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In parts of Africa and Asia, deserts are engulfing habitable land at a rate of seven kilometres a year. Climate change is attacking the natural resource base of poor communities including their land and water reserves and people are subsequently being forced to migrate for survival. Such migration flows can have destabilising consequences and can threaten the overall internal security of a particular country, region or border area.

But do Europeans care about those less well-off in developing countries?

Here lies the crux of the issue. It is a given that more funding must be mobilised within the EU for those most affected by climate change in developing nations. On the final day of the Lisbon summit, Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian aid, called for major new cash resources to be made available for the poorest countries to tackle climate change in the form of a global fund/loan. It is important that concrete suggestions are put forward at such events - otherwise, it would appear that we all attended an expensive talk-shop devoid of any attempt at trouble-shooting.

However, I question whether there will really be sufficient political will to make more money available for those less well-off. Europe is itself attempting to put preventative measures in place to mitigate against and to adapt to climate change. For example, the French government has invested € 500 million in programmes so that what happened a few years back - where many elderly people died due to a heat-wave in France - will not happen again. Similarly, the Dutch government is investing even more money in raising their sea walls so that they can hold back the prospect of severe flooding. It would appear that the European tax-payer is happy that his/her money is being spent to protect them and their children/grand-children from any future adverse effects of climate change. But is the European tax-payer willing for some of that money to be diverted away from assuring their protection to helping those more impoverished in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example?

During his eloquent speech, Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General said that if we remain indifferent to the suffering of others, we deprive ourselves of our own humanity." Europe has remained somewhat indifferent because not enough money has so far been put into the pot in aid of the poorest countries. We have a specific responsibility to make these financial resources available for the simple reason that we, in the North, are the greatest polluters. WE are droughting and desertifying Africa. WE are causing massive flooding in Bangladesh. WE are causing crops to fail in many countries. So WE need to take the requisite financial responsibility together with spending large amounts of money protecting ourselves, because climate change is a global phenomenon.

Politicians must attempt to engage their citizens to bring them to the realisation that they have a collective responsibility as well as an individual duty to mitigate against environmental degradation all over the world and not just in our own backyards. In September, the European Commission proposed a Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) which aims to encourage adaptation measures, reduce emissions from deforestation, take advantage of the global carbon market and help developing countries be better prepared for natural disasters. Here's hoping that something comes of this latest attempt to attract further funding.

Role of the Private Sector

The role the private sector can play in the fight to combat climate change was underscored several times during the main plenary sessions. Public and private partnerships, along with political leadership, are needed, said Achim Steiner, the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director. Within the economy lies the key to confront this phenomenon. There is a real opportunity for the financial world to invest wisely and to contribute to preventative global action in this field.

Gender Imbalance

On an aside (and from someone who is always very gender-representative-conscious at such events), I was disappointed to note that the majority of panellists and speakers throughout the three day event were male. In a humanitarian policy sector like development, I had expected for there to be more female representation. Unfortunately, similar to the corporate world, women do not appear to occupy many positions in the higher echelons of the development society either.

Speaking to the Converted

There is sometimes a slight sense of futility at these events as everyone appears to be singing from the same hymn-book already, negating the purpose of convening at all. Such an impressive gathering of development experts is already converted to the reality that there needs to be greater altruism from the North to those more deprived in the South. Nevertheless, I still remain positive about the sentiment behind this event in that it acts as a very useful opportunity for all the faces of development to come together to exchange ideas and to coalesce on policy.

Bali Brokering

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will take place from the 3-14 of December and will be hosted by the government of Indonesia in Bali. It was emphasised that we, citizens, must encourage our politicians to go to Bali as global representatives with a global (and not a national) perspective. The importance of this conference must not be underestimated - it may be one of the last chances to boost political will to make significant advances towards a comprehensive and effective post-Kyoto climate change regime. Politicians must be prepared to engage in personal political risk-taking on this subject and must be given the space to lead, according to Mr. Steiner.

Economic giants like China, India, the US and Russia (who pollute to even greater extents) do not yet appear ready and willing to enter into genuine climate change action. Such players are key and need to be brought on board in Bali or Europe's efforts at minimising environmental degradation will be cancelled out by the polluting acts of others.

Keeping Promises

"The only promises that have any value are those that are kept," said Mr. Annan. When faced with a common enemy like climate change, humans must unite. Europe must do more to help its less well-off global citizens. "Climate change is not an issue of rich versus poor, of north versus south - it is a global issue."

"Climate change means recognising a duty of solidarity towards developing countries which are most vulnerable," concluded Mr. Barroso.

EU Finance ministers gather in Oporto

Carina — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:03:00 +02:00

The finance ministers of the 27 are gathered this weekend in Oporto, on an informal summit to discuss issues of EU economy such as the financial markets' instability and the increase of interest rates.
This meeting fits the scope of the Portuguese EU Presidency.

Author: Bruno Rego
Translation: Maria Alcaparra

José Sócrates visits Poland

Carina — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:02:00 +02:00

José Sócrates has traveled yesterday to Poland in order to try to cease brothers Kaczynsky's objections to the approval of the future Reforming Treaty. Poland is still the UE state-member with the largest doubts regarding the Treaty's approval and it is said that, at the moment, this can mean a potential block to the signing of the Treaty in the October summit.

Author: Bruno Rego
Translation: Maria Alcaparra

UE-Ucrania Summit aims to bring ucranians closer to Europe

Carina — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:00:00 +02:00

The Summit between the European Union and Ucrania has started yesterday, with the goal of making the relationships between Europe and this ex-URSS country stronger. On the list of subjects to be discuss between Luís Amado, Javier Solana, José Barroso and the Ucranian president, Viktor Iuschenko, is the issue of visa concessions to Ucranian citizens that wish to work in the European Union, and the reinforcement of democracy in the Ucranian political institutions, as well as the reinforcement of the country's nuclear security.
Ucranian prime-minister, Viktor Ianukovitch, has assured that Ucrania's goal is to get closer to its European partners on the issues of economical and energy cooperation.

Author: Bruno Rego
Translation: Maria Alcaparra

Campaign for a European referendum

Carina — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:27:00 +02:00

In a joint initiative from the Union of European Federalists and the Young European Federalists, a campaign was launched targeting the gathering of one million signatures to demand a referendum to the European Constitution.

The number of signatures is symbolic, since this is the number required by the Constitution concerning citizen-promoted initiatives and that hasn’t obviously any legal effect. Once the aimed million signatures is achieved, they will be presented to the European Commission and the Parliament, as well as the head of states and governments with the objective of pressing towards the referendum, which would happen simultaneously throughout the Union and in the European elections of 2009.

With the support of, among others, Giscard d’Estaing (which presided the Convention), the campaign has now a Portuguese version of its site - https://www.europeanreferendum.eu/pt/. The national promoter is the Social Liberal Movement (www.liberal-social.org). In yesterday’s public release, it stresses that it’s position will "reinforce a European campaign about this matter, launched by 19 organizations and political parties and that already counts with more than 15 thousand signatures". About the campaign’s relevance and the proposal it makes, the release says that "the new European treaty is an important step forward in Europe’s democratic union as well as It should … be natural that the European people as a whole should have the opportunity to vote for it. … transforming the referendum in a European level debate, the national politics questions’ influence would be overcome. "

Questioned about the campaign’s relevance, the president of the Social Liberal Movement, Miguel Duarte, affirmed that if it succeed in its purposes, it would contribute towards a higher democratic commitment in the European project. "The truth is that the European Union can not be built with the backs turned to the Europeans".

Author: Igor Caldeira

Ministers of Environment gathered in Lisbon to discuss water shortness in Europe

Carina — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:01:00 +02:00

The European Union's Ministers of Environment gather today in Lisbon for an informal conference promoted by the Portuguese Presidency to discuss issues such as drought and water shortness. Among several environmental and energy problems that Europe is facing, water shortness is one of the most serious, reaching 11% of European population and 17% of European territory. In addition to the ministers of the twenty seven, ministers from other candidate countries to the EU will also be present - Macedonia, Croatia and Turkey - as well as ministers from Switzerland and Norway. The aim of this informal conference is to try to promote an agreement on these issues until the end of October, time when the Environment Council takes place.

Author: Bruno Rego
Translation: Maria Alcaparra

European Socialist Party opposes to Polish "moral clause"

Carina — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:05:00 +02:00

Anna Colombo has positively responded to an internet campaign directed to the presidency of the Commission, the European parliamentary groups and the Portuguese prime-minister and protesting against the moral exception imposed by Poland, which will allow its government to stop its citizens of appealing to European justice whenever the “family values” might be at stake.

In her response, the General Secretary of the European Socialist Party affirms that “In this respect we fully share [the protestors] concerns about the derogation granted to Poland in the field of fundamental rights. We do believe indeed that this derogation may lead to double standards in Europe, and this in a policy area at the very heart of our ethical values. Therefore I can ensure […] that our Group will carefully follow the work of the IGC, especially with regard to this matter.” We will have to wait and see which can be the consequences of such a position from the ESP concerning the negotiations towards a new European treaty. We must also remember that the Portuguese government, holding EU’s presidency, is a socialist one.

Author: Igor Caldeira

Streets of Lisbon

Carina — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:09:00 +02:00

By Mónica Guerreiro

Castle

Carina — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:22:00 +02:00

By Maria Alcaparra

Tagus

Carina — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:59:00 +02:00

By Mónica Guerreiro

Lisbon Love Story

Carina — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:05:00 +02:00

The river involves your shore, hugging you each morning, leaving your streets with the comforting presence of the sun rays that illuminate the faces of the passers-by who pass through you in hurried step. Almost never without time to stop. Almost never without time to lose themselves in the infinite stories that your lanes and paths conceal beneath times’ devir tissue.

At the Castle, windows open widely with a view to your hills. Seven labyrinthine paths, where voices hand over the place to echoes and the silences make each and every word mute in the lips of who peeps on you, unveiling the mystery you hide in each one of your corners.

And the brightness that magnetizes in the look of those who pass is a witness to the dizziness caused by your fragile beauty of old wise and respectable lady, once a starting point to the discovery of new beyond-seas worlds, in search of gold and spices.

Nowadays, admirers are the ones that come in search of you, demanding the radiance of other golds and other spices. Your sun is the gold that shines calmly in the late afternoon, in the tranquillity of that interlude between the day and the night. The odours that you exhibit in the surprised expression of those of discover you are your spices.

In the coffee shops and esplanades, a plethora of voices rises and discusses this, that and any other theme. Conversations grab each other and spread in a scent of felt ambiguities. Arguments are lost and won in mild dialogues. One asks the waiter for a “bica”. A “pastel de nata” also helps sweetening the tone of chosen words. Several sentences are left unfinished. Are left half-finished leading to other conversations. The open newspaper on top of the table and serenely skimmed, with no haste in reading it attentively.

From the “Graça”, at the terrace, they speak of you in several languages enhancing the shape of colours painted in the pediment of your houses, red incandescent fire written upon your roofs.

At “Santa Catarina”, beyond “Chiado”, they are delighted with the canoes that navigate in the “Tejo”, wondering where its’ mellifluous and lagging tides lead.

Second hand booksellers at the “Rua do Alecrim” discretely dyeing their soul with rare books’ pages, yellowed by time travels. The hotels of the long “Avenida”, where spies conjured intrigues that made Germans loose the war, are still there, in the archipelagos of memory, as well as the love that was intensely lived, often for one night, because the next day might never take place.

In the “Terreiro”, the pigeons of the Paço nibble the floor searching for corn that those who live in you, old lady, kindly offer them. If you were a woman instead of a town, eternal would be the nights in which you would become the centre of all attentions with the infinity of stories that you lodge and that, by chastity, only by chastity and fidelity to those that in you have lived, you silently hold.

But day after day, night after night, those who do not sleep dream you in the colloquial intimacy of bars and restaurants’ sumptuosity.

And, as they see the sunrise reflected in the waters of your companion river, they cry out that, definitely, you are desperately a love affair.

Author: Bruno Rego

Translated by Maria Alcaparra

Books

Carina — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:29:00 +02:00

There is no action without reflection: books will continue, even with the swiftness and quickness with which the world seems to spin, performing an essential role. In this section, we intend to regularly promote published works that are, in some way, relevant to our project. Politics, philosophy, literature, history – original work, translations or reprints that address the European theme will find their place here.

Cafés Itinerary - the 'Idea of Europe'

Carina — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:16:00 +02:00

“Europe is made of coffeeshops, of cafes. These include Pessoa’s favourite cafeteria, in Lisbon, to the Odessa cafes frequented by Isaac Babel’s gangsters. Include Copenhagen cafes, where Kierkgaard stoped by on his focused walks, to the Palermo counters […]. May one draw the map of cafeterias and one will get one of the “Idea of Europe” essential markers.”

George Steiner, The Idea of Europe

Steiner’s sentence inspires CafeBabel: a space where hundreds of people speaking different languages converge, finding around a café – even if virtual – the share of values that build our continent. With this project, we intend to make the cafes that marked Portugal’s social, cultural and political life known. As the first Portuguese expression team to develop in the centre of this transeuropean project, we want to enhance our contribute with a collection of the stages where, for over two centuries, a large part of our History took place. We hope this itinerary, recovering memories from out past, inspires us – and those who read us – in this conversation between many millions of Europeans.