2015

“Vitória, Vitória Vitória!” Those were the words that were being shouted by the masses of ecstatic people in front of the Portuguese Republic Assembly (São Bento Palace, Lisbon), after the new left wing coalition – the majority in the parliament, after the recent elections – rejected the old right wing government. When we arrived at 15.00 there was already a good amount of people, estimating at 1500 to 2000, with the beautiful sun shining on everyone’s happy faces. While we were all waiting election, live music was shifting the crowd’s mood. The demonstrators were singing songs, waving their banners and placards and shouting slogans, such as: “The people united will never be defeated”, “The 25th of April forever, fascism for never more” and “We only want the left wing in power”. Somehow those feelings were very contagious, without really knowing what exactly was going on, we cheered on with the […]

“Vitória”

15th December, at 21h30 @ Lisboa Vadia (Rua de S. Mamede 33A, Lisbon) The goal of this Cine Café is to activate discussion, consciousness, knowledge and spread information about the topic of this month is ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement), that comes with TTIP.   The Documentary: “TTIP Might is Right” (2015) event   Synopsis The proposed free trade agreement between the US and Europe (TTIP) causes concern about the European right to self-determination. The most controversial part of TTIP is ISDS: investor-state dispute settlement. ISDS will make it possible for companies to sue governments that damage their investments. But is this arbitrage system where a few investment lawyers decide over billions of taxpayers money a protection of our business interests, or a threat to our democracy?   What is TTIP? TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), like other trade agreements, is being negotiated largely in secret. It aims to “harmonise” […]

FREE CINEMA: TTIP Might is Right | Transatlantic Cine Café

In 2014, Pakhuis de Zwijger (cultural organization in the city of Amsterdam) came up with the idea of Metropolitan Field Trips. Cities are constantly in change, new initiatives arise and try to answer to several question on how to become city-owners and how to participate in their evolution. During the Field Trips, on the biggest european cities, the participants learn about diverse approaches on base initiative and about the relation between bottom-up city makers, planning agents, local government and other institutions. Field Trips have, therefore, as a goal a better understanding of the whole process of transition and they are an opportunity to exchange knowledge between partners in Europe. The program started at 4 p.m on the 8th, with the meeting point for the welcoming at Holzmarkt. Holzmarkt is located in an old abandoned area at the Spree waterfront. It was destined to be sold as part of the project […]

The Citizenship Academy in a transitional Berlin

For all citizens | Free entrance 17th November, at 21h30 Lisboa Vadia (Rua de S. Mamede 33A, Lisbon) FB event The goal of this Cine Café is to activate discussion, consciousness, knowledge and spread information about the topic of this month’s water privatisation that comes with TTIP. TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), like other trade agreements, is being negotiated largely in secret. It aims to “harmonise” EU and U.S. standards across an array of industries. It challenges laws that protect the environment, rein in corporate interests, protect food safety, promote renewable energy and curb risky practices like fracking. TTIP can limit the capacity of public authorities to decide on how to provide public services like water. What’s worse, TTIP will lock in changes by granting rights to companies that undermine local laws, and will force us to either spend precious public money fighting big business or change our laws […]

Free cinema: documentary FLOW | Transatlantic Cine-Café

For the second year we were at Citizenship European Days, organized by the organizations’ platform European Civic Forum (ECF), in which Citizenship Academy is part of the direction. On the 10th anniversary of the ECF platform, the event took place at the same place where the platform was born, the Council of Europe, responsable institution for ensuring the respect of Human Rights, formed by all the countries of the continent (including those who are not members of the European Union).   Video of the opening session: For two days, partnership strategies where debated and developed to make european ONG’s work more efficient in the main themes that affect European Union. We were able to hear, in first hand, the testimony of three syrian refugees, explaining us what they expected from Europe and our action as an organized civil society, both to welcome them to stay as to focus the pression […]

Refugees, austerity and the answer of social movements| European Civic Days 2015

The Citizenship Academy was in Hungary, from 16 to 17 november, in a reunion between hungarian and international organizations from civil society, and it got to know more about the recent atacks and threats done by the nacionalist right-wing government of Budapest. We are creating ties and common strategies to fight against this atack (which includes unfounded accusations to NGO’s, police searches without a warrant at their headquarters, constant defamation in the press and trying to block international funds to get to the associations working for the defense of democracy, refugee rights, LGBT people, Roma and other minorities) and to learn how to avoid similar acts in our countries. A lot of these acquirements will be transmitted in workshops that will be held in severous highschools in Portugal, and they aim to empower youngsters to fight for their civic rights.   This meeting and workshops are part of the project Citizen-Rights of international partnership. Veronika […]

We were in Hungary (learning to) defending Democracy

In a context of economic crisis and social emergency present in more and more regions of the European Union, it is important to think about solutions that, more than helping people in trouble to overcome their financial problems, solutions that help to create innovative forms of social organization , alternatives to the ones that capitalist system provide us. At the Congress of Solidarity Economics, the SOLIKON 2015, which took place in Berlin from 10 to 13 september, it was intended to share and discuss different approaches, visions and pratics about new ways of economic activity, based on solidarity and sustainability. The Citizenship Academy was there! Click here to read the rest of the article.

SOLIKON, creating alternatives from Lisbon to Berlin

After organizing in Lisbon the activists meeting CREAT-REACT COMMUNITY, the Citizenship Academy is present in Warsaw for the meeting dedicated to the Culture theme. Together we are sharing sustainable alternatives to austerity and with respect for the european citizenship, as well as for the human rights. Solutions that, through culture and civic empowerment, take into account people, animals and nature, instead of regarding only markets and big financial interests. More informations here. Supporting action to old workers of the big and historic factory of Ursus tractors, that saw their workplace dismantled progressively and that today ask for the creation of a museum.  

Create-React Culture in Warsaw. We were there!

ENTRADA GRÁTIS – 20/10/15 21:30 Vem beber um café ou aparece antes para jantar e, no final do filme, debater connosco a tua segurança e privacidade. Local: Rua de São Mamede ao Caldas nº 33 A Lisboa Organização: parceria entre a Academia Cidadã e Lisboa Vadia ‘Em Janeiro de 2013, a documentarista Laura Poitras recebe um “email” encriptado de alguém que se denomina de “Citizenfour”. Nessa mensagem, são-lhe oferecidas informações inéditas sobre práticas de escutas ilegais da Agência de Segurança Nacional (NSA) e outros serviços secretos norte-americanos. Poitras trabalhava há anos num filme sobre a monitorização de escutas efectuadas no pós-11 de Setembro e utilizadas ilegalmente pelos serviços de segurança dos EUA. Em Junho do mesmo ano, ela e o repórter Glenn Greenwald decidem viajar até Hong Kong (China), para o primeiro de muitos encontros com o autor daquela mensagem, que mais tarde se apresenta pelo nome de Edward Snowden. […]

Exibição do documentário “CITIZENFOUR” | Cine-Café Transatlântico

  Grassroots movements, cooperatives, ecovillages, NGOs, collectives and individuals are showing worldwide, with their own lives, that it is possible, practical and efficient to avoid capitalist crisis circles. By cooperating. In urban areas as in the countryside, it is possible to live, produce our own energy and food respecting the planet, the animals and people.   After the first edition’s success, Citizenship Academy organises once again the experience-sharing debate “Living in another World” between community based, social and ecological projects. Together with first edition’s guests there will be people from town based communities that share with the rural ones the same goals, ways of doing and thinking.   This event is part of CREATE-REACT from the CITIZEN-RIGHTS partnership project. Learn more about the whole event about Community in Lisbon here .   Free entrance 11th July, Saturday, 21h, in Casa da Cultura de Sacavém, Lisboa, Portugal   Guests (confirmed): Centro […]

Living in another World 2 – International Meeting – 11th July 2015