Espaço Vida Mais para o Espaço Vida Novo (More Life Space for the New Life Space)

One of the key goals for the Friends of Portugal nonprofit organization is to assist the Portuguese in specific projects that are positive and uplifting, and those that seek to address pressing needs for the Portuguese. Due to the global financial crisis of the past five years, Portugal has been especially hit hard and many middle class Portuguese have lost their jobs and struggle to make ends meet.

In the fall of 2011, I helped with bringing a group of my MBA students to Portugal, and several of them worked on a class project for a business plan for a used clothing and household items store in Massama, a large town in the Lisbon suburbs. They envisioned a project that could serve as an extension of the very successful clothing bazaars that are held in the town of Loures on a regular basis, distributing at low cost to needy people clothing donated by various churches in Germany to Portugal. These bazaars have been going on for some years, but to reach additional people an another town and people group was sought out to launch a new venture, with the assistance of Friends of Portugal but needed as well the critical local leadership and guidance of the Portuguese who would operate the site..

After examination of many different sites and consideration of various approaches and concepts for the project, the local leadership proposed to Friends of Portugal to use a building adjoining the existing  Espaço Vida  Novo congregation in Massama, which formerly housed a butcher ("talho") shop. The Massama congregation began to rent this area a few years ago, and it has been used for various meetings, storage and additional church needs. Over the past months, an entire team effort was undertaken, leading to the creation of Espaço Vida Mais  ("New Space") to serve as the vintage clothing site.

Near the front entrance with a sign announcing the opening for September 15, 2013

 Espaço Vida Mais is truly a team project, and required a large group of volunteers coming from North Fresno MB Church recently to assist in a major renovation of the adjoining church facility, which allowed the church to make better use of its existing space. Leaders within the Massama congregation stepped forth to work long hours to conceive, organize and design a site appropriate to the community needs. A project manager for  Espaço Vida Mais emerged, R, who along with her husband E have been inspirational, creative, disciplined and well-organized, providing the creative "spark" needed to launch a new venture. Critical financial support for new cabinets, clothing racks, furniture, dressing room and other items was provided by Friends of Portugal. A local shipping company provides free space for the trucks and trailers from Germany to unload and store the clothes awaiting distribution. It has been an authentic team effort!

Massama and Friends of Portugal leadership preparing for the grand opening

These are exactly the kinds of projects that Friends of Portugal wants to assist with. They are a practical manifestation of creating partnerships using the strengths and resources of various individuals and organizations, from the United States, Germany and Portugal, none of which could likely accomplish Espaço Vida Mais on their own. And the Friends of Portugal leadership is grateful for any support it receives to help in projects like this one.

Be watching for a blog update once the store opens in September! God bless you Espaço Vida Mais e Espaço Vida Novo! Parabens!

When History Proves Kings to be Fools

One of the most interesting recurring discussions I have with Europeans (as well as other members of the British Commonwealth), is the view we Yank’s hold of the royalty. Now, regardless of what Good Morning America may tell you, other than a few spots in the eastern U.S., I think the vast majority of us are at best, ambivalent regarding royal families. Some of the recent “shenanigans” with the Dutch and Belgium royal families has a tendency to take the luster off the spectacle of a new baby for Kate and William.

It was not all that long ago that we mere commoners had no real opinion on such matters, for the “divine right of kings” had a long and fairly painful history before finally abandoned. A very severe example of this can be found in Portugal at the incredible Palacio Nacional de Mafra, located about 20 miles northwest of Lisbon.

I have visited the Mafra Palace many times, and it is indeed a spectacle to behold. Built in the 1700’s to fulfill a vow made by the Portuguese king if his wife gave birth (she happened to be an Austrian, but the interrelationships of the royals is entirely another tale), it stands nearly 800 feet long along the front, has 1,200 rooms and nearly 5,000 windows and doors! At one point nearly 45,000 workers toiled on the project, not including the soldiers needed to police the project and keep order, the cooks, butchers and thousands of others. It was an unparalleled project for Portugal, as King John V ordered that the finest craftsman and laborers from throughout Europe come to Mafra to create his palace. When finally completed over thirteen years later, the royal family then found it too gloomy for their tastes, and preferred to stay at one of their many other palaces throughout the land.

However, what is most fascinating to me about Mafra is that it does indeed appear to be a project that nearly destroyed a nation, and the true price of it is still being felt 300 years later. While in 2013 we think of Portugal as a “peripheral” member of the European Union, one of the weakest and least economically productive, during the reign of John V, this tiny country reaped vast sums from its colonies, most notably from Brazil. Literal shiploads of gold came from new mines in Brazil, and the trunks that carried it are still on display in some of the museums around Lisbon. There was a great wealth shift from Portugal to other countries as the bills for Mafra became due, including Germany, France, Italy and others. Among other historical events, the horrific earthquake of 1755 struck Lisbon and caused ruin and destruction, and the independence movement of Brazil erupted in the early 1800’s, sealed Portugal’s fate.

History can prove kings, and politicians, to be utter fools. While I greatly admire the Mafra Palace, and believe it is a treasure of Portugal and indeed the world, I wonder what could have occurred in the fate of Portugal if instead of a royal class being feted and catered to, entrepreneurship, mercantilism, free enterprise, manufacturing and political and religious freedom would have been nurtured. Did Mafra prevent Portugal from being a “small giant,” a country big enough to have leadership in business but small enough to be discreet, nimble and astute? We will never know, but many historians believe that these forays into the fulfillment of the ruling class’s desires, be they initiatives, programs, legacies, or palaces, can commit later generations to obligations they simply cannot fulfill, and the entire course of history is changed. This is not just a lesson from the history of Portugal, but one all of us in the 21^st century, regardless of where we call home, need to keep in mind.

Of Palaces, Paintings, Portugal and Price of Admission

For many years I have enjoyed visiting museums, monuments, and other major landmarks that this wonderful world has to offer. From the spectacular Louvre in Paris, the Getty in Los Angeles, or the Imperial War Museum in London, and even the Mennonite Settlement Museum in Hillsboro, Kansas, I have always enjoyed seeking out what the local culture has to offer in the way of palaces, museums, galleries and related points of interest. (Sidebar—a few weeks ago I took a cab from one train station to another in Paris and the summer crowds at the Louvre were absolutely stunning. Total gridlock!)

Portugal is no exception and boasts many fine exhibitions throughout the country. One of my favorites is Quinta da Regaleira near Sintra, an amazing estate with a palace, grottoes, tunnels, ponds, gardens and terraces. The Palácio Nacional de Queluz is a charming palace with whimsical gardens, a great collection of silver, and a sense that the royal family of Portugal is simply away on holiday. The Gulbenkian Museum is world renowned for its amazing collection of Rembrandts, Rubens and other masters, and boasts a symphony and cultural activities. And amazingly, many of these exhibitions in Portugal are free or very low cost. I recall a few years ago wandering acres of amazing Roman excavations of Conimbriga, of a scale, size and condition rivaling any other site in Europe, and being charged a single Euro! Many other examples abound of free or heavily discounted admissions throughout Portugal. But I have long wondered at the wisdom of what I perceive to be an overly generous pricing system in Portugal for its cultural and historical treasures.

Recently, I visited for the first time Palácio Nacional da Pena above the charming town of Sintra, and wandered the stunning hillside terraces, gardens and pathways that led to one of the most amazing palaces I have ever seen. A whimsical, eclectic and romantic mixture of styles the Pena Palace is a feast for the senses. And as we walked up to the set of small kiosks at the Palace entrance, an amazing thing happened—they charged admission! And for the first time in all of my journeys to Portugal, I paid an admission fee that, while still quite low at 13 euros, was in line with what one pays at other museums in Europe. Clearly, for a palace and grounds of this size, the Pena Palace needs to charge at least this amount to manage its preservation, restoration and heritage. And it was actually a very good thing to see a crew of artisans at Pena carefully working in the main hall to return it to its past glory.

Now, don’t get me wrong, because I like free things. In fact, I love free things and I even have a lecture in my entrepreneurship courses titled “Why spend a dollar when a dime will do?” And I also have a pretty good sense of market forces, competition and proper pricing for goods and services. But I have long felt that Portugal has undervalued its treasures, products, collections, culture and history. As a Californian, I frequently say that in my home state when something hits one hundred years old, we promptly close it and turn it into a museum and charge admission. One of my favorites is Hearst Castle, where I have visited around 20 or more times, and admission is $25 for a fairly limited and highly restricted tour. The Pena Palace gives absolutely nothing away to Hearst Castle!

Not so here—the sense of antiquity, history and culture simply oozes from the pores of Portugal, and yet it is too often not properly recognized by its citizens, let alone the touring masses that are flooding Venice, Rome, London, Athens and other European sites. Even at the current peak tourist season, it is still a fairly simple thing to move around the country. But Portugal needs to understand and value its treasures even more, and do a far better job at marketing them. Being here in August, it is clear that the U.K., Germans and some other northern European nations have figured out the incredible bargain that is warm and sunny Portugal. It is to other markets and populations that Portugal needs to reach out to, for there is much to see, do and experience, and all at rock bottom prices, in this amazing land.

Is a Vacation a Vacation? Summer in Portugal

We are now in Portugal for the month of August, which is a bit unusual as most of my trips have been during months other than the prime vacation season. I had heard for many years that in Portugal, like the majority of the European Union, effectively took the month of August off and went for holiday, usually to the southern area of the Algarve or other coastal regions. And I have found that, despite the economic difficulties, the tradition remains generally in place in Portugal.

It has been long reported that such is not the case in Canada and the U.S. Most countries throughout the world, as diverse as England and Venezuela, have labor laws requiring paid vacation for employees. Such is not the case in the U.S, where no such laws exist. Now before one accuses the U.S. of sheer barbarism when it comes to leisure, the reality is that business practices and customs in the U.S. often set a standard of 10-14 days of paid vacation per year for   a full-time employee, plus holidays. This means that for many U.S. employees, there is a total of about 15-20 total paid days off per year.

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But in Europe, things are much different, and the majority of countries, including Portugal, have a total of 30-40 paid holidays per year, required by law. While the economic crisis has removed some of the traditional holidays from the Portuguese schedule, by U.S. and Canadian standards, Portugal is still far more generous than North America. Indeed, I have met many Europeans who have 45-60 paid holidays per year, affording them the time (and money) to do major international travel.

In Portugal, I am observing some small and nascent signs of economic life and vitality once again, like sprouts of grass after a long winter. There are cranes over some buildings, homes under construction, automobile dealers open for business. But there are also many empty buildings and stores, and one sees many structures in disrepair. However, some economic data is emerging that after a long period of contraction; the economy is stabilizing and growing, even if just a small amount. This is very welcome news.

But what should one think about the vacation generosity of Europe? I think we can view this in several ways. First, I have always been a firm believer in the economic, spiritual, personal, and financial value of having employees who have sufficient time for rest. Coming from the agricultural industry, which can be notoriously stingy in granting paid vacations, I strove to have a company policy that was generous on vacations and holidays, and I believe that our company success was positively influenced in how we treated our employees in this regard.

However, if I were a young Portuguese, or even a not so young Portuguese, and needed to establish my enterprise, career, or profession, I would take the month of August, as well as other slow times, and use it to further my goals and interests. If the competition has gone on vacation, then be counter-intuitive and provide great service or products during this time. View it as an opportunity or option and not something mandatory, unless you have achieved your personal and professional goals and take this time away from a position of strength and prosperity.

In the final analysis, it may well be that both cultural approaches are correct. I think that the U.S. should have a longer paid vacation system than we currently have, and possibly even a minimum required by law of 7-10 days for full-time employees and 5-7 for part time employees. But I don’t think that the country should shut down in August, with a bulk of the workforce heading out for holidays. We already do much of this during Christmas and New Years, but when the Portuguese, French and even the Germans disappear for holiday in the summer, they give emerging and established competitors a great foothold to succeed. Take time off, but not all at once!

Jesus is Portuguese!!! Or is He Hispanic???

Since returning from Portugal, I have been watching and enjoying the History Channel series “The Bible” which appears to be setting records in viewership in the U.S. While in Portugal, I discovered both through the media and through several local friends that Jesus was Portuguese. Amazing!

Well, let me clarify just a bit. In the series by famed Hollywood producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, Shark Tank, The Voice, etc.) and his actress wife Roma Downey, they made the decision to cast  as Jesus Christ the handsome Diogo Morgado, born in Lisbon, a 32 year old emerging star who has built his career starring in a number of popular television series in Portugal. Morgado then expanded into some roles in Brazil and Spain before landing the large and complex role of Jesus Christ in the series reaching tens of millions of viewers. As Jesus, he has been receiving generally very positive reviews, and as was clear to me during my time in Portugal, his countrymen and women seem quite pleased with his new global stardom, bringing a moment of brief respite from an otherwise gloomy economic future.

But is Morgado really Portuguese? Well, one would think so, since he was born in Portugal, was raised in Portugal, lives in Portugal, and speaks Portuguese. (I would suppose that he probably also enjoys the wonderful wine and food in his homeland as well!). However, if Morgado would choose to move to the US and take the steps to become a citizen, would he still be Portuguese? Well according to the US Census Bureau, maybe not. He would become a Hispanic.

According to the most recent US Census, about 1.4 million citizens claim Portuguese ancestry, not only from continental Portugal but many from the Azorean and Madeiran Islands as well. A few weeks ago, the Huffington Post and other media outlets reported that the US Census Bureau was moving towards classifying the Portuguese in the US as Hispanics in the 2020 census, something that many Portuguese (and likely Spaniards as well), would loudly voice their objections to. The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the US (PALCUS), quickly organized an online survey and determined that more than 80% of the Portuguese Americans surveyed objected to this classification. Following this information, the US Census Bureau recently responded to these reports and denied that this reclassification was to occur, according to Michael C. Cook, Director of Public Affairs for the Census Bureau. (see http://portuguese-american-journal.com/disclaimer-us-census-bureau-will-not-classify-portuguese-as-hispanic-update/ )

Whatever the exact intentions are of the Census Bureau, as a proud Portuguese American I would strongly object to and actually reject any such classification. Being born and raised in California with broad exposure to the Hispanic culture, language, food, traditions and people, at no time in my life have I ever felt Hispanic. And in my own form of quiet protest, for years now I have filled out survey forms by refusing the classifications as Caucasian or White, and instead I check the box for “Other” and write in “Lusitanian” if it gives me the option. While I hold deep affection and appreciation for the great tradition and culture of the Hispanics, but it is not Portuguese. And for anyone who has spent any time at all in Portugal or Spain, the differences at many levels is even more pronounced.

So for now, Sr. Morgado and his Portuguese identity appear safe from the forms and interference of yet another government agency, and I suppose I will as well. Hands off the Portuguese! Viva Portugal!

How is 2013 Shaping Up for Portugal?

Over the past few months, the US stock market has been rising rapidly, touching new all time highs. The domestic housing market appears to have stabilized in most markets, and home prices in some markets have actually risen dramatically through 2012 and the first part of 2013. Even with a fractured political system, the North American economy is sending many signals of recovery and growth. How so for Portugal?

                                        

Just returning from two weeks in the Lisbon area, I have spent a fair amount of my time trying to observe, ask questions, read and listen to a variety of sources to gauge what is happening in Portugal. While I desire to provide a report similar to that recorded above, unfortunately much of Europe, including Portugal, appears to be getting worse…much worse. People are foregoing health care services and medications, and families are consolidating with more and more people under one roof. I have heard reports of the malls being full of people during this current winter, not for the purposes of shopping but for the purposes of staying warm, as they have cut off the heat in their apartments.

The recent headlines have trumpeted the rebellion of the people of Cyprus, the tiny Mediterranean Island of approximately one million people. Instead of accepting an egregious penalty on all personal bank accounts, the Cypriots have instead taken to the streets in demonstrations. While Cyprus may be the proverbial “canary in the coal mine” implying that the smaller nations of the European Union have withstood about all they can of economic austerity, one sees far less raucousness in Portugal than in Cyprus, Spain, Italy and elsewhere.

However, it would be a grievous mistake to assume that the relative quiet from the Portuguese is a sign of positive economic developments. This current trip underscored the human toll that Portugal and other small nations are paying in this economic downturn. At times it was hard to realize that so many that you speak with are unemployed, and for many that are employed they are often underemployed, working two or three part time jobs in an attempt to escape financial despair. For retirees, significant reductions (10-40%) have been made in their pensions’ for all taxes and costs have gone up dramatically, and holidays have been reduced.

Now, as an entrepreneur and as professor in a School of Business, I must say that some of these cutbacks are indeed needed to make Portugal competitive with a globalized world. It is simply not possible for much of an entire country to go on holiday for 4, 6 or even 8 weeks per year. Government benefits for not only Portugal but much of the developed world (including the US), have escalated to unsustainable levels. But the solution does not lie in reductions, cutbacks and austerity—a new path to growth must be found.

Last fall, I met with a group of young Portuguese (pictured above) to discuss what this future could look like, and attempted to instruct, encourage and provide a different way of thinking to solve these problems. Currently, this group of exciting young people from Loures, Massama and Amadora are working on some ideas for a summer seminar on entrepreneurship, management and related business issues. Their excitement is contagious and needs to spread among all of the strands of Portuguese political, economic, socio-economic and other stratas of society.

And just this week I had the opportunity to visit a prominent business school in Lisbon, with approximately 8,000 students in various degree and executive programs. The students and curriculum is rigorous, vibrant and international. Diana Malyszek Oliveira, an alum of the ISCTE Business School in Lisbon completed their program and she has now worked for ISCTE for the past ten years in the International Programs department building collaborations and partnerships throughout the world. (Pictured below) These are all good signs! And the more that the energy of youth channeled through churches, schools, seminars and other platforms can foster and stimulate small and mid size enterprise development and entrepreneurship, the better.

But Portugal still labors under an inefficient and archaic new business permitting and licensing system, and the sooner significant reforms are made there the better. Abd they also need to realize that this must come from the ground up and not from the stale political ideas, parties and leaders. A new Portugal can emerge from this crisis, but it will take a new way of thinking about employment security than it has for many years in not only Portugal but in the entire European Union. The seeds of the greatness of the famous “Discovers” of Portugal who long ago ruled the waves and traveled the uncharted world remain—but they need something other than the directives of the European Central Bank to have them burst forth into a new and more prosperous Portugal for the future.