Portuguese and Spanish Speakers in the UK

Education programme for Portuguese and Spanish Speakers in the UK

Abbreviations: SPS(...) = Spanish and Portugese Speakers (in the UK - the brackets are available in the digital versions for an additional cultural / lingistic / national descriptor or marker) RS = Research & Study Groups (Collaborative networks for the purpose of research and/or study. Some may have a "geo-specific" location, others may be international and "virtual"). RSC = Research Scholar Coordinator (one for each country).

Partnership

These items are numbered according to the (RS) programme aims in the agreed text below this sub-section:

1. It is suggested that a dialogue be opened with a view to creating a partnership agreement in which The Libraries of Canning House and the British Library would be the "parent libraries" for the programme. The funders and directors of Canning House are asked to "revalue" the library and the education and cultural sections in the light of the needs of the "2010 Independence Anniversaries: Britain's role" and the education programme. This would open a substantial, newly-recognised role for the CH Library and other partner libraries in SPS areas.

2. It is suggested that a dialogue be opened with a view to creating a partnership agreement with the entities listed in item 2. (SAS-ISA, other centres for area studies (Latin America and Portuguese speaking Africa and Asia - PSAA, Iberian studies, etc,) universities, schools and adult colleges, Canning House education and cultural departments, scholarly associations and journals - SLAS, JLAS, BLAR, OJLAS, etc) and with LA and PSAA cultural associations and new family, special interest and regional R&S groups.)

3. "Initially to focus (within the context of "2010 Independence") on histories of common heritage (See "History of Peru" for an example) and re-skilling through improved use of English." . . . BUT specialists could (should?) develop more advanced topics. Organisations which already host talks, lectures, seminars and workshops could consider disseminating these to a wider SPS audience (London-wide, nationwide.)

4. Methodology is partly defined by the "bridgebuilder" software. (That is these jointly editable pages http://academia.wikia.com/index.php?title=Portuguese_and_Spanish_Speakers_in_the_UK&action=edit

Agreed text

The following is the text which was agreed at the 28 October meeting of the alliance of Portuguese and Spanish Speakers and was included in the document presented to the Mayor of London, preparatory to the meeting with Deputy Mayor, Richard Barnes and a subsequent general meeting with Boris Johnson.

We, the alliance of Spanish and Portuguese Speakers in the UK, are asking for the backing of the Mayor of London in our proposal to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Home Office, the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Local Education Authorities in the development of an extra-curricula education programme for Spanish and Portuguese Speakers in UK.

The programme aims to

1. Improve usage of and access to library facilities and learning materials based on existing resources with Canning House, SPS National Libraries and the British Library as the "mother libraries" and borough libraries, the BL virtual / online library and other internet resources and OJLAS as the means of access.

2. Work with existing providers (SAS-ISA, other centres for area studies (Latin America and Portuguese speaking Africa and Asia - PSAA, Iberian studies, etc,) universities, schools and adult colleges, Canning House education and cultural departments, scholarly associations and journals - SLAS, JLAS, BLAR, OJLAS, etc) and with LA and PSAA cultural associations and new family, special interest and regional R&S groups (Research and Study groups) in order to develop a list of tutors and tutorial (R&S) locations.

3. Initially to focus on histories of common heritage (See "History of Peru" for an example) and re-skilling through improved use of English.

4. Use methods based on the OU(Open University), UNESCO-DKN(Diaspora Knowledge Networks), collaborative editing, knowledge-sharing and multimedia techniques.(See example in 3)

5. Provide a means for each cultural-linguistic group within the alliance to tailor materials to their requirements

6. Support a research scholar in each country of the alliance. See Arguedas Scholar in Peru.

Click history tab to see version as at October 18.

DRAFT DOCUMENT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR OF LONDON

Context

Se les hace llegar un borrador para ser aprobado en la importante cita del MIERCOLES 28 a las 6 PM en punto en Distriandina. Dirección:

6 Farrell Court, Elephant Road, Código Postal:

SE17 1LB

Solo quienes asistan a esta cita han de poder ir la semana que sigue al exteso encuentro con el vice-alcalde y su equipo.

Por favor leer y enmendar, si gustan, este texto.

Por favor, quienes no hayan hecho llegar su ficha (nombre, organizacion, datos de su organizacion y boroughs donde viven y trabajan) haganlo pronto.

Isaac

DRAFT DOCUMENT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR OF LONDON

We would like to establish regular meetings between the office of the Mayor of London and the Spanish/Portuguese speaking community (Iberian Americans). The issues that we would like to talk about include crime, development, education, the Olympics, etc.

In this meeting there are two issues that we would like to address.

1- The recognition of our ethnic community.

2- A series of cultural events linked with the proposal for the celebration of 2010 as a year of Iberian American (or Spanish/Portuguese Speaking) inheritance and including a London-wide education programme for Portuguese and Spanish Speakers in London..

Spanish/Portuguese Speaking (SPS) Community

Spanish and Portuguese Speakers can understand each other others language and they tend to concentrate in the same areas (of London). The Iberians is are the largest minority linguistic group in many boroughs, especially in Inner London.

Almost all Iberian American and (Latin American) organizations have services/events in Spanish and Portuguese (as well as English).

Spanish and/or Portuguese are spoken by around 90% of all the Latin American Population. Also around 90% of the speakers of these two languages in the world live in the Americas.

Spanish, Portuguese and English are the only languages in which there are more first-language speakersthat are the mother tongues of native populations overseas than in their own original countries of language-origin. Compared to English (which expanded in the XVII Century) and also became the majority language in overseas countries populated by European and slave immigrants), Spanish and Portuguese started their Atlantic expansion in the XV Century and have become the national / majority languages in many African(6) and most Amerindian(23) countries / territories. Many hundreds of regional, original langages also survive (see education programme in Annexe).

The Spanish/Portuguese speaking countries have been linked together for 500 years. All of them are part of the Organisation of Iberian American States (OEI) and/or the Community of Countries with Official Portuguese Language (CPLP).

The recognition of the SPS community in all ethnic monitoring forms is something that would help in the equal treatment and facilitate the incorporation of our minority.

Cultural events

Our community would like to contribute to the development of London’s culture and tourism. In 2010 we would like to celebrate:

1- 200 Years of the Independence of five out of the six largest Hispanic American countries. This process spread thoughout all Latin America. We would like to increase awareness that London was the overseas centre for the leaders of our independence and that many thousands of British citizens fought in those wars.

2- Two centuries ago London supported the Spanish and Portuguese resistance against Napoleon (the last foreign occupation that both countries experienced) and in the transportation (relocation) of the Portuguese monarchy into Brazil.

In 2010 Portugal (UK’s oldest ally) is going to celebrate 100 years of the republic, and most of the former African and Asian Portuguese colonies are celebrating 35 years of independence.

2010 starts with Spain taking over the EU’s presidency.

A calendar of events is being prepared by a special commission. However, some of the specific tasks we would like to coordinate with the Mayor of London are:

1- An exhibition in City Hall of the Latin American liberators, celebrating the anniversaries and "the London connection".

2- A series of educational pamphlets and websites about the links between London and the independence movements.

3- A series of conferences to be held at City Hall or that the Mayor of London would sponsor at various universities or the Bolivar Hall.

4- A monument to commemorate the liberators and the UK’s fighters in the independence wars.

5- A London’s SPS Community Olympic competition (S.PORT.S’ Sports : Spanish/PORTuguese Speakers Sports).

6- The declaration of September as the Latin or Iberian Speakers inheritance / heritage month. On September 9 Latin American countries celebrate their independence. September ends when Portugal has its national day and in Black History Month.

7- A SPS festival: Festival Amigo.

Festival Amigo

The main event which would commemorate the anniversaries is going to be a festival to be held at a Royal Park.

The best date would be: 4-5 September. The reasons for that are the following:

1) It coincides with the Brazilian national day. Brazil is the largest Iberian-speaking country and Brazilians are London’s largest Latin American community. Rio is going to receive the Olympic torch from London.

2) It is the beginning of September, a month which could become the Latin (American) heritage month.

3) Its timing is between the Notting Hill Carnival and the Thames festival. It could become another tourist attraction. Many people from all over the world could travel to London to experience 2 weeks of different festivals (‘the world in one city’).