The World Azores Houses Council commemorates the 25 years since its foundation on Sunday with a session promoted by the Regional Directorate for the Communities on the island of Faial.
The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, presides over the celebrations that occur at Pousada Forte da Horta at 03:00pm.
This hybrid session takes place with the presence or virtual participation of the presidents of the 15 Azores Houses that are located in Portugal, Brazil, the United States of America, Canada, Uruguay and Bermuda, and will be transmitted online through the official Facebook page of the Regional Directorate for the Communities.
The President of the Government will be accompanied by the first holder of the Regional Directorate for the Communities, Alzira Silva, and by the current holder, José Andrade, and by the new president of the World Azores Houses Council, Sérgio Luiz Ferreira, from Santa Catarina, Brazil, as well as by the former president of Algarve Azores House, Ruben Santos, representing the founders.
The presidents of the Azores Houses of Lisbon, Delfina Porto, of the North, Miguel Azevedo, of New England, Francisco Viveiros, of Rio Grande do Sul, Viviane Peixoto Hunter, of Bermuda, Andrea Moniz-DeSouza, and of Madeira, Carlos Madruga da Costa, will also attendt.
The Rio de Janeiro, California, Quebec, São Paulo, Ontario, Winnipeg, Uruguay and Maranhão Azores Houses participate virtually in this session conducted by the journalist Vasco Pernes, as well as the most recent State of Espírito Santo Azores House, inaugurated in July 2022 in Brazil.
The World Azores Houses Council was founded on November 13, 1997, at a meeting held at the former Pousada de Santa Cruz, in the city of Horta, with the participation of the Azores Houses of Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, California, Quebec, North, São Paulo, Toronto, New England, Algarve, and Coimbra.
This body, symbolically representative of the azoreanity in the world, aims to develop activities that contribute to the affirmation of the Azores and its diaspora, and to the increase of social, cultural and economic relations between the archipelago and the regions where the Azores Houses are located. .
With a rotating presidency assumed among its members and currently held by Santa Catarina Azores House, this Council meets annually in a general meeting in person to, among other powers, discuss the activity and the challenges of the Azores Houses, decide on the attribution of merit badges, or consider new member admission proposals.
