Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Government of Goa is organizing the International Lusophone Festival in Goa from 3-6 December 2022. The festival seeks to further India’s connect with the Lusophone world.
Goa has had historically 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 CPLP member countries.
The International Lusophone Festival will be inaugurated on 3 December 2022 by Dr Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan. Smt Meekakshi Lekhi, Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs and Hon’ble Minister of State for Culture would be the Guest of Honour.
The festival will include 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 are being organised. In addition, the Lusophone Food and Spirits Festival will also showcase the culinary links between India and the Lusophone world.
Round Table discussions themed on “India’s Outreach to the Global South – Exploring Convergence with CPLP” and “India-Lusophone Historical and Cultural Linkages: Retrospect and Prospects” will explore not only India’s existing and historical Lusophone connect, but also deliberate on the way forward for future engagement.
The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) 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.
These 9 Lusophone countries comprise approximately 300 million people in 4 different continents (Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe). 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. This festival is also part of our efforts to further this engagement.
