The event Azorean Roots – Canada 50 Years Later was addressed to young Azorean descendants, with ages between 21 and 35, who had not visited the archipelago of the Azores in the last 5 years. The celebration of the 50 years of Portuguese emigration to Canada had the purpose of showing the younger ones the present Azorean socio-cultural reality.

Themes in discussion:

-Language and Culture: Union Factors

-The importance of the youngsters’ political involvement in the new countries

-Historical Perspective of the Azores

-Human and Physical Geography of the Azores

-The Characteristics of the Azorean Way of Speaking

-Presentation of the Regional Department for the Communities

-The importance of the youngsters’ participation and involvement in their own communities

-Regional Autonomous Institutions

-Azorean Economy and Society

-New Generations, New and Old Challenges: Portuguese and Portuguese-descendant youngsters in Canada

-Testimony of a returned emigrant

-Identity Projects for the future

Presentations:

-“Expressão e Educação Dramática: Guia Pedagógico para o 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico” and “Comunicação para o Ensino da Língua Portuguesa” by Luís Aguilar. 

-“On a Leaf of Blue”, a bilingual anthology of Azorean poetry, translated and organized by Diniz Borges.

Cultural Evening:

-Students from the Regional Conservatory (Music School) of Angra do Heroísmo

-Luso Can Tuna from Toronto and Tuna Neptuna from the Nursing College of the University of the Azores

-Concert “Dia S. Vapor” by Luis Bettencourt

-Concert by Luis Bettencourt

-Folklore Group from Doze Ribeiras and Cantadores de Improviso (Improvisation Singers) from Terceira Island

-Concert by Susana Coelho