Luanda – The celebration of the centenary of Agostinho Neto, José Saramago, José Craveirinha and Lima Barreto marked Thursday in Paris, France, the celebration of the Portuguese Language Day.
The event held at UNESCO headquarters brought together intellectuals, scientists, artists and members of the Académie Française.
During the event, the Agostinho Neto Foundation awarded the “Ordem Sagrada Esperança” (Sagrada Esperança/Sacred Hope Order), in a posthumous manner, to 23 intellectuals, scientists, artists and members of the Académie Française, for signing petitions for release of the Angolan nationalist, poet and intellectual, Antonio Agostinho Neto, who later became the country’s first president.
Angola’s minister of Culture, Tourism and Environment, Filipe Zau, pointed out that a bigger production and spreading of the Portuguese Language in Angola is dependent on proper recognition of other languages and cultures.
The minister appealed that the next celebrations of the Portuguese Language may focus on stories directed to the production of bilingualism and biculturalism in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).
The Portuguese Language Day gave rise to the Portuguese Language Week that will run until May 11 under the slogan “Culture, language, economy, science and innovation for development.
Portuguese is the official language of nine countries, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor, in addition to the Special Administrative Region of Macau (China).
Source: Angola Press News Agency