The Regional Director for Communities highlighted in Ponta Delgada the fundamental contribution of young Azoreans to the "good relations between peoples and cultures residing in the archipelago," through the promotion of interculturalism in the Azores and outside the insular space.
 
"The works produced by Azorean students about the immigration phenomenon and our Diaspora are factors of utmost importance for the registration of how the Azores manage migration, the prospects of integration and preservation of identity, either in the case of immigrants or emigrants, "said Paulo Teves. The government official spoke Monday during a meeting with the winning students of this year's edition of "Azores: Sea of Cultures" contest.
 
Álvaro Borges, Diogo Amaral and Tiago Couto, students of Lagoa Secondary School on São Miguel Island, were the winners of the third edition of this contest. Promoted by the Regional Directorate for Communities, this initiative aimed to promote an in-depth knowledge of migration in the Azores in terms of emigration and immigration. It was also intended to raise the awareness of young people for the importance of adopting good inclusive practices, both at school and in society.
 
For the Regional Director, this action falls within a series of initiatives under intercultural education that the Regional Government has developed in recent years. It promotes "a better understanding of the challenges of migrants and their undeniable contribution to the socio-economic and cultural development of host societies."
 
"In this sound and fruitful coexistence between communities, I hope you will send the fraternal hug of our islands and, after your return, share with friends and family the dynamics of our Diaspora and the love it nourishes for its island roots," called Paulo Teves, who addressed the winners of the contest. They will begin their trip to Brazil next Friday, as a reward for their work.  
 
The winning students, accompanied by the teacher responsible for the project, Ana Isabel Moniz, have scheduled visits to the Houses of the Azores of São Paulo and Santa Catarina, partners of this project.
 
In these two Brazilian states, they will also visit several places where the Azorean presence has been visible since the 18th century: Santo António de Lisboa, where they will participate in preparation activities for the Holy Spirit Festivities, the Sambaqui Neighbourhood, where they will visit the headquarters of the Neighbourhood Association, Conceição Lake, Praia Mole Viewpoint; the Canal of Barra da Lagoa, and the Azorean Studies Centre of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, among other places of reference.
 
The winning work, titled "Azores: dynamics of departures and returns of people," was presented in journalistic report format. It addressed the different issues related to the migration process, the evolution of this process in the Region in the context of globalisation and its interaction with host societies.
 
The contest was directed to 10th and 11th form students enrolled at regional schools as well as to the students attending the first two years of level 4 vocational training courses.