In news– The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Government of Goa organized the International Lusophone Festival in Goa from 3-6 December 2022.
About the festival-
- Goa has had historical linkages with the Lusophone world, which has been nurtured through the presence of Portuguese cultural institutions like the Orient Foundation and the Camoes Institute, which promote Portuguese language and culture in India.
- This has deepened our economic, cultural co-operation and people-to-people ties with the Community of Portuguese Language (CPLP) member countries.
- The festival included performances by visiting cultural troupes from the CPLP countries (approximately 70 artists) at several venues in Goa namely ESG complex, Azad Maidan, Sanskruti bhavan, Institute Menezes Braganza among others.
- As part of the festival, workshops on Lusophone music for artists and volunteers, various workshops cum exhibition of photocopies of historical records, unique Goan architecture, Goan handicrafts and Goan furniture were organised.
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)-
- The CPLP also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth (Comunidade Lusofona), is a multilateral forum, founded on 17 July 1996 at the 1st CPLP Heads of State & Government Summit in Lisbon.
- The founding members were Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome e Principe; while Timor Leste and Equatorial Guinea joined later.
- Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking countries) economies are among the fastest-growing in the world.
- These 9 Lusophone countries comprise approximately 300 million people in 4 different continents (Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe).
- Portuguese is one of the official languages of the continental organisations: African Union, Organization of American States, European Union and of multiple regional organisations, as well as official language of UNESCO General Conference.
- More than 265-million speakers worldwide; most widely spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere; regarded as the language of the first globalisation in the modern era.
- India joined CPLP as an associate observer in July 2021.
- As part of India’s engagement with CPLP, the Ministry of External Affairs celebrated the World Portuguese Language Day in Delhi on 5 May 2022, soon after joining CPLP.
- India’s trade with the Lusophone world has grown six-fold in the last decade.
Source: AIR
