The Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, is promoting the second edition of the Migration Forum on December 5 and 6 at the Auditorium VIII on the Ponta Delgada Campus of the University of the Azores, São Miguel Island.
This initiative, open to the general public, aims to create a space for reflection and debate on migration in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
The Forum brings together academics and migration specialists as well as representatives of regional associations working on the integration of migrants in the Region.
The programme also includes the sharing of testimonials. It will present the perspectives of immigrants, returned emigrants and immigrants of Azorean descent integrated on all islands of the Azores.
The 2nd Migration Forum begins Thursday, December 5, at 10 a.m. with an opening session featuring speeches by the Vice-Rector of the University of the Azores, Artur Gil, and the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade.
This will be followed by the inaugural conference by Pedro Gois, Scientific Director of the Observatory for Migration, Associate Professor with Aggregation at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra and Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies.
The plenary sessions begin with a first panel entitled “Policies to promote the integration of migrants in the Azores.” This panel will include Luís Goes Pinheiro, general coordinator of the Mission Structure for the Recovery of Pending Cases of AIMA – Agency for Migration Integration and Asylum, José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities, Leoter Viegas, president of AIPA – Association of Immigrants in the Azores, Ana Silva, director of CRESAÇOR’s Migrant Support Office, and Nélia Silva, vice-president of the Association of Azorean Emigrants. It will be moderated by Telma Silva, a member of the Regional Directorate for Communities.
In the first afternoon session, at 2:30 p.m., the second panel will take place under the theme “Immigrants in the Azores.” It will feature testimonials from immigrants such as Camille Farge (physiotherapist, from France to Flores); Claudine Lourenço (journalist, from Brazil to Terceira); Diego Stone (athlete, from Brazil to Corvo); Paulo Mendes (entrepreneur, from Cape Verde to São Miguel); Valente Cuambe (astrophysicist, from Mozambique to Santa Maria) and Viviane Carrico (trainer, from Brazil to Faial). The event will be moderated by Leoter Viegas, president of AIPA – Association of Immigrants in the Azores.
The work continues with the third panel entitled “Emigrants returning to the Azores.” It will feature João da Silva (entrepreneur, from Canada to São Miguel); Luís Silva (association leader, from Canada to São Miguel); Nélia Alves-Guimarães (manager, from the USA to São Miguel); Pedro Pimentel (entrepreneur, from Angola to São Miguel); Roberto Lino (entrepreneur, from the USA to Pico) and Rosa Simas (teacher, from the USA to São Miguel). The panel will be moderated by Rui Faria, director of the Azorean Emigration Museum.
The first day of work culminates in a cultural event, with a screening of the monologue “Vidas: Entre o Verde e a Saudade” by Brazilian actress Ângela Fernandes, who has immigrated to São Miguel.
On the second day of the Migration Forum, December 6, the programme starts at 10 a.m. with the last panel on “Immigrants of Azorean descent in the Azores, featuring the participation of Daniel Gonçalves (teacher, from Brazil to Terceira); David Mendonça (teacher, from the USA to São Jorge); Jason Gouveia (priest, from Canada to São Miguel); Mário Silva (mayor, from Canada to Pico); Ricky Joe Batista (mayor, from Canada to Terceira); and a representative from the island of Graciosa to be appointed. The event will be moderated by Ana Silva, a member of CRESAÇOR association.
At 11:30 a.m., the final conference will be delivered by Catarina Reis Oliveira, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon and former Director of the Observatory for Migration (2005-2024).
The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, will chair the Forum’s closing session at 12:15 p.m.
The first Migration Forum was held on October 26 and 27, 2023, on the islands of Faial and Pico.
