Imagine...

To end this blog I chose to post a song called "Imagine" (by John Lennon). I think it's a great music and we should pay atention to its lyrics. If this could happen, the world would be a better place: no racism, no prejudice, no xenophobia. We could have equal rights. There wouldn't be war and we could share the world in peace...

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say,
I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day
You'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say,
I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day
You'll join us
And the world will be as one

Diana Chagas

World Day for Cultural Diversity

This video presents an initiative of UNESCO called "World Day for Cultural Diversity". It was a concert where people from different countries show a little of their culture, trough music.

Inês Estrelinha

Racism and Xenophobia

Racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups.

Xenophobia is intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Racism types:
Racial discrimination: Racial discrimination is treating people differently through a process of social division into categories not necessarily related to race.
Institutional: is racial discrimination by governments, corporations, educational institutions or other large organizations with the power to influence the lives of many individuals.
Economic: Historical economic or social disparity is alleged to be a form of discrimination which is caused by past racism and historical reasons, affecting the present generation through deficits in the formal education and kinds of preparation in the parents' generation, and, through primarily unconscious racist attitudes and actions on members of the general population.

Marco Franco

Super Size Me

Super Size Me is a 2004 documentary film written, produced, directed and starring by Morgan Spurlock.

Spurlock's film follows a 30-day time period during which he limits himself to only eat McDonald’s food. The film documents this lifestyle's drastic effects on Spurlock's physical and psychological. Spurlock dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day. Spurlock consumed an average 5,000 cal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs) per day. As a result Morgan Spurlock gained 11, 1 kg a 13% body mass increase, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and liver damage. It took Spurlock fourteen months to lose the weight he gained.

Marco Franco

Immigrants' Witness

My mother, my grandfather and my grandmother were immigrants in France during eighteen years. So, I asked them about what let them to immigrate and about how they feel during those years.


"We decided to immigrate because we wanted to give our children a better life. In the beggining, we did't like to live in France because We didn't understand their lifestyle, their habits and customs. But then, when we adapted to all of it, we started to like France and people who live there. However, we missed "Our Portugal" and our family. So we decided to return. Besides all of it, our years in France were some of the best years that we had in our entire life."

My grandmother and grandfather' witness

"I went to France when I was twelve years old because my parents decided to immigrate in order to have a better life and to give me and my brother a better future. I was so young that I didn't understand why it was happening. But I didn't have any choice: I had to immigrate with them. My adaptation was hard because I was very much linked to my city and to my family that stayed in Portugal. I had to adapted to a new language, new habits, new climate conditions, a new lifestyle and other things. But, after all of it, I was totally integrated in french society. I studied there, worked and made friends for the rest of my life. When I met my husband, I returned to Portugal. My mother and father had returned four years ago and so, I had all of my life here, in Portugal. Besides evrything that happen in the beggining, I really loves all of these years that I were in France. They gave me more experience of life and made me a much more cultivated person."

My mother' Witness

Inês Estrelinha

All The Invisible Children

“All the invisible children” is a 2005 documentary about poor, abandoned and exploited children. It’s a collection of seven short films which focus different situations. They are directed by the most famous directors from each represented country. The money they get is given to UNICEF.

The seven short films are:
- Tanza - by Mehdi Charef;
- Blue Gypsy - by Emir Kusturica;
- Jesus Children of America - by Spike Lee;
- Joao and Bilu - by Kátia Lund;
- Jonathan - by Ridley Scott and Jordan Scott;
- Ciro - by Stefano Veneruso;
- Song Song and Little Cat - by John Woo.

I think this DVD is very interesting. It isn’t a happy film, but it shows us problems that exist in the whole world. It helps us to understand the difficulties of so many children, of so many innocents.

The film I prefer is “Jesus Children of America”. It’s about a girl whose parents are addicted to drugs. Through other people she discovers that they have aids and, of course, she has it too.

In my opinion you should see this DVD, specially those who think that have insoluble problems...

Diana Chagas

Confessions of a Shopaholic

In this movie trailer, the leading figure is a journalist who lives with a friend. She is a shopaholic. She works in order to pay her debts. However, her salary is never enough.

It shows us some consequences of consumerism.

Inês Estrelinha