The Regional Government has already granted this year more than 45 thousand Euros to support projects developed in the areas of emigration and immigration as well as school exchanges with Azorean communities.
Under the support scheme of the Regional Directorate for the Communities, these amounts were granted to about forty projects from Brazil, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Bermuda, the Azores and Mainland Portugal.
Ordinance no. 68/2008 of August 11, aimed at allocating support for activities developed in the areas related to emigration and returnees was the most sought after, with 32 applications.
These projects focus on various themes and actions, such as social and cultural exchanges between associations and groups from the Azores and their diaspora, support for the organisation of conferences, colloquia, exhibitions and festivals promoting Azorean culture in the communities. Moreover, they include studies and research in areas such as genealogy, book launches, social integration of emigrants, and events that disseminate and preserve manifestations that have a distinctively Azorean identity, namely the Holy Spirti Festivities of New England in the USA.
In turn, ordinance no. 14/2007 of March 15 determines the criteria for support to be granted to activities developed in the area of immigration. They are aimed at promoting integration, fostering interculturality, encouraging respect for diversity, stimulating artistic creation and enriching the cultural heritage of the archipelago.
Four applications were submitted under this ordinance, covering projects dedicated to the publication of books, musical performances, storytelling and traditional tales from various cultural backgrounds.
Moreover, a project from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell has been approved under ordinance no. 25/2000 of April 6, which provides support for school exchanges between educational establishments in the Region and the communities. It includes a visit to the archipelago, more precisely to the islands of São Miguel, São Jorge, Pico and Faial, by a group of 12 students attending the photography course in the Art and Design Department of that university.
This project intends to document, through text and image, stories about the last great Azorean emigration flow to the New England region, USA, which began in the late 1950s.
The Regional Government has promoted a proximity-based policy in its approach to Azorean communities and the institutions representing them and those with ties to the Region, fostering closer relations between them. Simultaneously, it has supported the conduction of studies and development of projects that safeguard and disseminate the Azorean heritage and cultural legacy outside the archipelago. It also emphasises the importance of the full integration of foreign citizens living in the Azores and encourages respect for diversity and interculturality, supporting initiatives developed in these areas.
