On behalf of all us in Portugal and North America who have begun the Friends of Portugal organization, thank you for taking the time to see the website, our projects, people and now our blog. We are united in one common purpose--helping this wonderful, historical and important country and people during a very difficult time of economic, social and political transition.
If you have not visited the Friends of Portugal website, please go to http://www.friendsofportugal.net/
In these blog posts, we hope to provide our readers a view of Portugal from both sides of the Atlantic. Some of us are native Portuguese, some are non-Portuguese individuals who have lived many years in Portugal, and some are Portuguese Americans whose parents or grandparents emigrated. Still others will be the occasional visitor or even simply someone who is interested in Portugal. Regardless of our backgrounds, ages and traditions, we all share an interest, curiousity, hope and desire for this country that is so often overlooked by the rest of the world.
Few who visit Portugal come away without being deeply touched. For those who know little about Portugal, I would suggest you see the short promotional film I placed at the bottom of this post, which while a video to promote tourism, still captures some of the essence of this small but complicated country...a curious blend of exuberant and winsome, of bustling cities and still countrysides, of ancient and contemporary. It is equal parts captivating and maddening!
Portugal has had a long and important relationship with North America, and Portuguese Americans and Canadians are some of the finest, most industrious, capable, faithful, passionate and positive people in the world. In the Fresno area of California where I was born and raised, the Portuguese are often known to be highly prosperous and successful entrepreneurs and businesspersons, most particularly in agriculture but also in finance, professional services and other fields.
Yet this very relationship does in fact explain part of what is going on in Portugal in 2012...for hundreds of years the Portuguese explored North America, Africa, South America and many other regions throughout the world. Many returned to Portugal but many remained and shaped these new lands, which meant that with time that most precious capital of any country--it's people--found new ventures, traditions and lives. With decades and ultimately centuries passing, and the forces of politics, war and history, the Portugal of 2012 can seem ill-prepared and lacking the creative, dynamic and independent energy that the 21st century can demand.
Conversations across the Atlantic led some of us to decide to work towards a new model of support, encouragement, engagement and interchange with Portugal. While the organizers and leaders of Friends of Portugal share the Christian faith, we will move between and even beyond religious, social and cultural barriers for the benefit of Portugal. There are exciting opportunities to work and collaborate in Portugal together, and the Friends of Portugal website explains all of this in greater detail. Additional information can be found in my wife's blog of our journey to Portugal and France in the winter of 2011 at http://jornadaderla.blogspot.com/
We hope that our inagural event in Fresno on June 2, 2012 will provide a good opportunity for you to come and visit, enjoy some coffee, conversation and good food, and talk about how we can assist the Portuguese in creative, entrepreneurial, and contemporary ways.
We hope that our inagural event in Fresno on June 2, 2012 will provide a good opportunity for you to come and visit, enjoy some coffee, conversation and good food, and talk about how we can assist the Portuguese in creative, entrepreneurial, and contemporary ways.
Bem vindo and saude!
Randy M. Ataide
After the financial crisis hit Europe Portugal started to come in the news connected with Greece and Ireland. Looking to what is written above is indeed the "other side of the coin", Portugal might be a very small country that is now 869 years old, and with some unique things...for example, Portugal have the oldest borders established in the world, since 1249, also interesting is that Portugal and England have the oldest formal alliance between two countries in the world, signed in 1386.
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