FlashMob "Dancing with the difference"

Celebrating differences at ESFF (multiart session)

Letter in a Bottle

Life turns out to be so confusing…

You come across dreams, achievements, lost battles and forgotten thoughts. But never had I, in a million years, dreamt I’d lose each and every pillar of my life.

It was  Tuesday morning. A normal working day. Said “hello” to everyone there and sat at the desk. Then, the phone rang. She wasn’t even brave enough to face me and discuss her motivations and reasons with me. She didn’t need to. She was the absolute, snob, “gold digger” boss. She fired me!

Two weeks  went  by. Things got really complicated, with my son having a liver condition and spending all my savings taking care of him.

I was the only  provider! ‘How the hell was my family going to survive without me’, I thought.

I cried. I wept. I faded.

An entire week in bed drove me into depression. The moment I needed my family the most…they left me! She ran away with the kid, sold the house while I was in bed, found a wealthy husband and was gone. I loved her so much… I’m so angry.

I try to think that anger is just a state of mind, so I often forget about it and start  imagining  birds being carried in the breeze and flowers growing in a field.

Thoughts went by, some staying, some going away.

Life under a bridge isn’t so bad. The worst thing is life without  love. The lack of consideration, opportunities and love - that is the ultimate killer.

Words are nothing more than a poor imitation of feelings, so I keep them to myself. I’d rather remember my happiness than talk about it. I often end up sad talking about good moments gone by. That’s my life. If you can call it that.

Wandering in the streets in the evening, so that no one can see me. Dreaming about my wife and son. Turning back to anger and bad memories.

But I’ve done it for too long. Months went by, as tears dried and memories died.

I’m going to put this letter in a bottle and let the river take it down to broader waters as my body will sink in the river bed, but never my thoughts.

I just hope they are happy now. No more cold nights, no more anger, no more sullen looks. Just me and the wind, and my memories…

by João Diogo, 10th Year, Class 19

Choose me!

Have you ever had the feeling that you are invisible to your classmates, especially when you are playing in the schoolyard? If your answer is no, then welcome to my world...

In the playground or even in the physical education classes it's always the same thing... I'm always the last to be chosen for any game you play! I know well that I am not that good at sports but all I wanted was to actually be important for my friends, especially when we make teams!
I'm not even chosen, I`m just their last resort and the team that ends up with me don't hide that they're displeased!
The only thing I want is to have fun, but it's not easy, when your schoolmates ignore and humiliate you, always laughing at you, screaming and calling you names (mine, for example, is the «lame»), and they do nothing to help you or make you feel better about your mistakes.
When everything is finished and everybody goes away, I'm left all alone and I just want to cry... I'm not having any fun!
'Oh, no! Not the lame' - that is what hurts me the most...
Why can't they be nice to me? Why can't they choose me for their teams? Why can't they just have fun playing with me?
If you know the answer, please, tell me!... I just want to belong!... 



Written by Bernardo, 11th Year, Class 21 

Racism is the belief of the superiority of a race over another. Throughout human history there has always been racism or at least traces of it.

What’s the point of being racist? Weren’t all human beings born the same way? And what defines a person? The colour of their skin?

Everyone is born equal and with the same rights.

Racism just causes wars and chaos, either social, economic or political, which can bring about disastrous consequences.

From the beginning of man’s existence to today’s society, shouldn’t we have evolved? Shouldn’t we be more open-minded and respect each other?

Do we need to have a catastrophe to understand that there is no hierarchy between races?

Maybe if that happened, people would be more united, as no one can live alone.

Why so much hate, power, superiority, and greed, if life could end in a split of a second? There is no benefit in making anyone feel inferior.

A person can never be defined by the colour of their skin. As long as human beings are not aware that differences are meaningless, our society will never evolve. 

“Racism rests on ignorance and cowardice.”

by Barbara Vieira, 10th Year, Class 16

Shy , Sad and Lonely

I sit here by the corner
You pass me by
You don’t see me
I wish you would look at me
I wonder why you don’t
I wish I had someone to talk to
Please, stop being so hard on me
I dream of that day
If only you knew how I feel
You wouldn’t treat me like this
I try to smile
But you don’t even see me
I cry so hard
But you don’t even hear me
I want something to change
Just give me a chance.


Written by: Gabriela, Sofia, João, Cristina and Patricia (11tth Year, Class 21)

Discrimination

Be smart!

Differences in Religion

Lonely

 

Do You Matter?

Do you ever feel like you are not worth anything?
 

The Kid on the playground

The kid on the playground (11º4)

Think differently!

People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

Understanding , accepting, and embracing differences means building bridges, opening up to a dialogue with others.

Read an opinion article on Cultural and Religious Differences.

Words can hurt and words can heal

By Jéssica Silva, 11th Year, Class 22

Be impeccable with your words

Hands-on

Final Preparations for the Art Exhibit

Check out this blog's photo gallery.

Different People

The sky is full of clouds

And my world is full of people

You got the different kinds with diferent ways

It would take a lifetime to explain

No one's the same

Dancing with the difference at ESFF

Meet Henrique Amoedo, Art   Director of inclusive dance group 'Dançando com a Diferença'.  

At ESFF at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Embracing Differences at ESFF

Love and Gratitude

Love water crystal    

Love and Gratitude water crystal

Dr. Masuro Emoto's Hidden Messages from Water has fascinated people from all around the world for some time now. His studies and on the behaviour of water and the experiments made show that water responds to words, thoughts, sounds, music and so on.

Find out more about Emoto's Water Crystals.

Treat others as you want to be treated

The 'fittest' may be 'the kindest', after all. Modern scientists argue a new case: The survival of the kindest.

Kindness, compassion and gratitude will make you a happier person.

The more you give, the more respect you get.

Diversity

We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that 

all the threads of the tapestry 

are equal in value no matter what the color.

Maya Angelou

Minorities in Portugal: Gypsies

Gypsies have long been among the most mysterious, exotic peoples on earth. 
Romanticised as free spirits, hounded for being different, the people who call themselves Roma fight for their place in a hostile world.

They have been described as a race of nomads, who have no real home, but their native country is Romania, where they always were a vulnerable minority. Their ancestors came from India.

Whenever they arrived in Europe, curiosity was soon followed by hostility and xenophobia. They were subject to expulsion, abduction of their children, and forced labour. During World War II the Nazis murdered hundreds of thousands of gypsies.

Nowadays they are still one of the favourite targets of extreme nationalist movements in Europe; they are harassed by the police and looked down by the population in general. 

Recently, in France, a group of gypsies were expelled to Romania, their native land, allegedly as part of the fight against delinquency - a barbarious discriminatory act, which should have never been allowed.

In Portugal, the gypsies, called 'Ciganos', also survive at society's margins. They are the ethnic group that the Portuguese most reject and discriminate, being also the object of discriminatory practices from the State. For this minority group, access to employment, housing, and social services is hard to get. Most gypsy communities live below poverty line.

There is a gypsy community in Madeira. 

Do you have a gypsy neighbour? A gypsy friend?

Watch this video about Nomadic Gypsies in Portugal.
Take a look at this photo of Gypsy Children.


Photos credits: Gypsy Queen Beggar, by Yequem46, TrekEarth; Gypsy Musicians, Romania, and Gypsy Farmer and Scythe, Romania, by Tomasz Tomaszewski, National Geographic; France , August 2010, by Associated Press, Kyiv Post.com; Gypsy Women, Gypsy Woman (Bairro da Sapateira, Portugal), by Rui Dias Monteiro, A.23 Online

Injustice

Acts of injustice done

    between the setting and the rising sun

In history lie like bones,

    each one.

W.H Auden, The Ascent of F6

                                        Little Girl

            Photograph taken at an orphanage in Rwanda

                             by Beatmasta, TrekEarth

Difference

Homelessness

Stop Hobophobia! Homelessness can strike anyone

Greece, 2012, by Dimitra Papadimitropoulou

Nakedness is not just for a piece of cloth. 

Nakedness is for human dignity. For respect.

Homelessness is not only for a home made of bricks. Homelessness is being rejected, unwanted, uncared for, having forgotten what is human love, what is human touch.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Tackling discrimination in Europe!

There are 500 million people from 27 countries living in the European Union. We have the right to live, work, travel and shop anywhere in Europe. We make over a billion cross-border trips every year and 12 million of us live in another EU country. But sometimes we face barriers to our rights and our freedom to move across Europe. The European Union is working to make sure everyone benefits from the same rights in everyday situations. As a European citizen, your rights are protected at home, abroad and online.



The time is now!

The time is now to embrace our differences

To be aware
To be compassionate
To open our hearts
To Love

Lonely

By Yael Naim, a singer and songwriter 

born to Jewish and Tunisian parents.

Ah, Look at all the Lonely People

Bits and Pieces from Students' Poems:

Abandoned Child

I am all alone

In this sad street

Every night I cry

But nobody helps me

Why can't you hear me? 

Can't you see me?

I try to touch you

But you walk away...

Who will teach me

How to love

Where to live

What to eat

Why to choose?

By Annalise, Dário, Dulce (Class 22)

I am a lonely child

I want a family

I wish I had a home

Please listen to me

Every night I cry

Trying to understand why

If only I could smile

And be happy for a while

By Jéssica, Alexandre, Pedro Vares (Class 21)

Child of Divorced Parents

Tell me why
Tell me why
All through the night I cry
I don't want to feel this way
I dream of a new day


Tell me why
Tell me why
The pain is so deep
I cry myself to sleep


By Jéssica, Mariana, Débora, Daniela (Class 22)

Lonely Old Lady


Do you remember 
when you helped me in the kitchen
When you told me your secrets
When you cried on my lap?


I miss that time
I miss your smile
My soul is empty
Stay for a while


By Hugo, Sara and Sílvia (Class 22)


I cry when I see you go
I'll be here on my own
I'll be here all alone
In this sad, empty room
Will you be back soon?


I touch your photos
And hear your voices
I feel your presence
You've made your choices


By Bernardo, Pedro Freitas, Paula, Tatiana (Class 21)

Boy in a wheelchair


Stuck in this wheelchair
I see other kids playing
And dream of being like them
I want to stop crying




I wish I could walk
I wish I could run
Feet touching the ground
I'd feel free and have fun


By Fiona, Lénia and Liliana (Class 22)

Mad World

All around me are familiar faces

worn out places, worn out faces

Love is All You Need

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody - I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

Mother Teresa

Poor Kids

Find out what it is like to grow up below poverty line.

To watch a True Vision film on Poor Kids click here.

The Power of Words

Words can hurt and words can heal. 

Which will you choose to use?

I Am a Human Being

Nothing human can be alien to me.

80's is Hot!

Maya Angelou speaks about ageing

Maya Angelou: Author. Poet. Pulitzer Prize Winner. Singer. Dancer. Actress.  Survivor. Activist. Maya is the quintessential strong, brave, intelligent woman. At 83 years of age, she is still as beautiful and as powerful today as ever. 

And wiser and wiser.

Young Maya Angelou as Miss Calypso.


(Maya sang and danced the Calypso.)

On Ageing

A poem by Maya Angelou, one of the great voices of contemporary literature.

Grandmothers

Grandma's hands

used to hand me piece of candy

Grandma's hands picked me up each time I fell

Grandma's hands 

Boy, really came in handy

She'd say, "Matty, don't you whip that boy

What do you want to spank him for?

He didn't drop no apple core

But I don't have Grandma anymore

"A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little bit more securely into an unfamiliar world." 

Charles and Ann Morse

When I'm 64

Will you still feed me

Will you still need me

When I'm sixty-four?

The Elderly: Do they matter?

Abused by their family or by caretakers in retirement homes. 

Abandoned, forgotten, elderly people die alone and unnoticed. 

In Australia. In the UK. In Portugal. 

In the so-called civilised world.

In the UK

• Over 180,000 old people are physically abused in their own homes every year
• An old person falls victim to crime every 24 seconds
• Every week 10 more care homes are closed
• Over 48,000 old people are homeless in the UK
• Last yearover 12,000 care home beds were lost

source: Truevisiontv.com

In these modern times, old age can be a rather scary place.       But it doesn't have to be this way.

2012 is the European Year 

for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

How can we contribute?

Find out what the AGE Platform Europe is all about.  

The World we Created

Is this the world we created? 

Queen

You're beautiful

No Matter What They Say

You are not alone!

When you think you've had too much

Don't let yourself go

Hold on

Take comfort in your friends

You are not alone!

Together we stand, divided we fall

 Open Your Hearts!...

Still I Rise

Meet some famous African-American authors who fought against discrimination and segregation, and get acquainted with some of their poetry celebrating the beauty, dignity and heritage of black America.

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

. Visit Maya Angelou's official website here.

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. I, too, sing America by Langston Hughes I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to the kitchen When company comes, but I laugh, And eat well,  And grow strong Tomorrow I'll be at the table  When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed - I, too, am America Find out more about Langston Hughes.