Portugal Tried To Erase This Great Evil | Black Culture

 

From the 15th to the 19th century, six million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. But so far Portugal has rarely commented on its past and little is taught about its role in slavery in schools. Rather, the country’s colonial era, which subjugated countries including Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde and East Timor as well as parts of India, is often perceived as a source of pride by most Portuguese. In April, 2022, Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, would say his country should apologize and take responsibility for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, however, there has not been a formal apology or even reparations to the countries that were subjugated or the people that have to been on the other side of the brutal slave trade.

Join Us: Film Screening and Discussion of 'Our Gorongosa'

 

Education and voluntary family planning have powerful positive impacts beyond people, benefiting the planet too.

The Center for Biological Diversity is teaming up with staff from Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park to present the documentary, Our Gorongosa. In the film a young Mozambican elephant ecologist shares the inspiring story of how the park is becoming a new model for wildlife conservation and community development in Africa, with a special focus on educating girls and empowering women. 

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has become one of the most celebrated wildlife restoration stories in Africa.

After a quarter century of civil war and political turmoil wiped out more than 95% of the large mammal population, a decade of renewed protection and careful conservation has brought the park back from the brink.

But for a national park to thrive in today’s world, protecting the animals is only half the battle. Gorongosa has also made a powerful commitment to lifting up the 200,000 people—and in particular the girls and women—who live near the park. This is a new vision for conservation in the 21st Century, where people and animals must coexist—to the benefit of them all.

In the film, Dominique Gonçalves, a vibrant Mozambican ecologist who runs the Gorongosa elephant ecology project, shares the myriad ways Gorongosa is redefining the identity and purpose of an African national park. From her own work mitigating human/elephant conflict; to community clubs and school programs that empower girls to avoid teen marriage and pregnancy; to health clinics and nutrition training for expectant mothers and families; Dominique leads viewers on an eye-opening journey that will transform their understanding of what a national park can be.

The commitment of the incredible women who run these programs—and the resilience of the mothers and girls who are benefiting from them—make for an inspiring story of strength and hope. As Dominique explains, only this virtuous cycle of careful conservation and community development can ensure a positive future for the animals, the people and the planet.