segunda-feira, julho 30, 2007

Time to face the raw and naked truth

Blog Living Timorously - Sunday, 15 July 2007
Time to face the raw and naked truth

In 2004, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, former Portuguese Prime Minister, and now President, delivered a speech, in which he lamented that Portugal was exporting less and less, falling behind neighbouring Spain and other EU countries, saying that "we must face facts, it’s the raw and naked truth that we’re not capable of penetrating international markets where competition is strong and productivity is higher".

He was right then, and he is right now. One of the reasons why it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify East Timor's links with Portugal, is because it is so timid about establishing trade and investment links with the surrounding Asia-Pacific region. If Australia and Indonesia are ignorant of East Timor's history, then Portugal is ignorant of its geography.

The Portuguese like to go on about their historic links with Asia, but that's really all they are: historical. By contrast, countries European that never had any colonial presence in Asia, such as Denmark, are actively involved in trade with it. Despite being half the size of Portugal, Denmark has more embassies in Asia, and more companies investing there. When establishing ties with Asian countries, the Danes ask "can we make money there?", but the Portuguese ask "can we preserve our language there?"

In fairness, the French are also mad keen on promoting their language, despite the fact that even in formerly French Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, people prefer to learn English. But France still has a degree of economic importance, which Portugal does not, meaning that middle-class types in Singapore or Jakarta will go along to the Alliance Française to learn French. Similarly, Germany's importance means that people will go along to the Goethe Institut to learn German. But would these people go along to the local Instituto Camões to learn Portuguese? Nope, not least as there aren't many branches in Southeast Asia.

It's all well and good to promote learning of languages for learning's sake, rather than just materialistic and utilitarian reasons, but the East Timorese are entirely within their rights to ask proponents of learning Portuguese "what's in it for us?"

As an American advertising slogan in the 1980s put it "where's the beef?" Looking through an Economist Intelligence Unit Country Report on East Timor, I was amazed to find that Portugal not only lagged behind Indonesia and Australia in terms of trade, but Bangladesh!

If Portugal wants to be taken seriously in the Asia-Pacific region, it needs to start taking the Asia-Pacific region seriously.

5 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

It seems that Portugal's a serious pain in this guy's ass, otherwise he wouldn't bother to write such a load of crap about it.

Anónimo disse...

Dear Sir,


As you can see, I am a English speaking Portuguese citizen working for a private Portuguese company here in Timor.

I dont believe Australia and Indonesia are ignorant of Timor history, much because they are also part of it. Regarding the knowledge of Portugal of geography, well, you see the world map as it is ? Half of it was made by portuguese travelers, and I would match my knowledge of geography and traveling with you any day, Sir.

Also please consider the fact that there is a Portuguese link with a place on the other side of the world, and respect it, as much as I respect the fact that the Aussies still sing "God save the Queen".

If the choosing of a native language is connected only to economic reasons we would all be speaking English by now. The single fact that I'm writing this comment in English should make you wonder really who has limitations, the ones that only speak one language, or the ones that speak more than one. Any developed country speaks english, yes, even the danes and portuguese learn that in school, as well as geography, as well as history!

So you see, the problem is not teaching the timorese to speak english, they will, once they have a proper education like any one of us, the problem is that the native speaking english nations are not willing to speak anything else than their own. But sir, thats a problem that the rest of the world as left behind a long time ago.

East-Timor is the youngest nation in the world, they value their identity and independence more than anyone else (and they dont sing God save some-other-country Queen, not even a Portuguese one!). Besides beeing catholic you need to consider what makes them diferent from the surrounding countries:

- Just the political borders ?
- Their costumes ?
- Their race ?
- Their Flag ?

Might be all of that those togheter, AS WELL AS LANGUAGE. English makes them citizens of the world, Portuguese makes them Timorese in this part of the world.

So you see, any John Doe little country like Portugal or East-Timor can teach and learn english, but that doesn't make them who they are.

Regarding the Portuguese lack of investment, its a natural resources problem Sir. Compare it with Denmark for example. But that never stopped us of being who we are, we don't speak the danish as a native language because of that either, or spanish, or whoever owns more investment. The economic importance of language is overrated in your assessment Sir. Money speaks no language, its all about profit.

As a final note, here in East-Timor, Australians, Indonesians and Portuguese all get along very well and don't give a **** about political empty games.

I do hope you publish this comment as I feel that I'm entitled to the right of reply.

Respectfully

Miguel Carreira
From East-Timor

Anónimo disse...

Xanana na iminência de ser convidado por Horta para formar novo governo de Díli
Público, 30.07.2007
Jorge Heitor*

Tudo se prepara em Timor-Leste, para que na quarta-feira, 1 de Agosto, o Presidente da República, José Ramos-Horta, convide o seu antecessor Xanana Gusmão, agora líder do
CNRT e da Aliança com Maioria Parlamentar (AMP), para formar o IV Go-
verno Constitucional. Isto depois do enorme impasse causado pelo resultado pouco concludente das legislativas de 30 de Junho.

Sem esperar mesmo que o chefe de Estado formalize o convite, um porta-voz da AMP, Cecílio Caminho, avançou já na quarta-feira que o novo executivo deverá ter "cerca de 30 membros, entre ministros e secretários de Estado".

Não pormenorizou, contudo, se haverá um ou mais vice-primeiros--ministros, hipótese que durante as últimas semanas viera a ser aventada, para contentar todas as sensibilidades presentes na nova aliança.

Outra coisa que Caminho disse foi que a proposta da AMP para a presidência do Parlamento é o líder do Partido Democrático (PD), Fernando "Lasama" de Araújo, um dos signatários do pacto pós-eleitoral com o CNRT de Xanana. A par dos dirigentes da Associação Social Democrata Timorense (ASDT), Francisco Xavier do Amaral, e do Partido Social Democrata, Mário Viegas Carrascalão.

A sucessão de "Lu Olo"
Entretanto, a Fretilin, partido mais votado, e que sempre tem insistido em que deveria ser convidada a formar o IV Governo (que sucede aos de Mari Alkatiri, Ramos-Horta e Es-
tanislau da Silva), propôs para a presidência do Parlamento o deputado e jurista Aniceto Longuinhos Guterres Lopes.

A antiga força maioritária, que até hoje detinha a liderança parlamentar, na pessoa de Francisco Guterres, "Lu Olo", perdeu uma parte substancial do seu eleitorado du
rante este último ano, designadamente devido à criação do Congresso Nacional de Reconstrução de Timor--Leste (CNRT).

Entretanto, noutro desenvolvimento da situação timorense, Alkatiri criticou a deslocação a Díli, dias antes, do primeiro-ministro australiano, John Howard, considerando que foi efectuada sem aviso prévio ao Governo de Estanislau da Silva ou sequer à embaixada timorense em Camberra.

A presença estrangeira
"Temos aqui um grande contingente militar australiano, a nosso pedido, mas esperamos tomar conta dos nossos assuntos internos o mais rápido possível. Toda a presença estrangeira que começa a perpetuar-se cria alguns pequenos conflitos com a população", disse o secretário-geral da Fretilin ao programa em português da Rádio SBS, da Austrália.

Sobre quem deverá chefiar o próximo Governo, Mari Alkatiri reconheceu que
a última palavra cabe de facto a Ramos-Horta, actualmente um independente, mas disse esperar que o Presidente "decida com base na Constituição". Entre os observadores políticos da situação timorense, reina agora a sensação de que nada do que se diga com alguns dias de antecedência é irreversível, podendo sempre haver uma mudança de rumo à última hora.
*Com Adelino Gomes

Anónimo disse...

Thank you for your comments and great advice.
Why did you spend so much time to figure this out? Today is 30 July and you were thinking and doing research from 15 July? Great job.
If we are so small, and we only have history, why other nations such....are so bother about us?
Carpe diem....the naked truth…

Anónimo disse...

Timor: Fernando «La Sama» eleito presidente do Parlamento
O líder do Partido Democrático, Fernando «La Sama» de Araújo, foi hoje eleito presidente do Parlamento Nacional de Timor-Leste.

Fernando «La Sama» de Araújo foi eleito com 41 votos dos 65 deputados do novo Parlamento, contra 24 votos do deputado da Fretilin Aniceto Guterres.

Diário Digital / Lusa

30-07-2007 8:25:00

Traduções

Todas as traduções de inglês para português (e também de francês para português) são feitas pela Margarida, que conhecemos recentemente, mas que desde sempre nos ajuda.

Obrigado pela solidariedade, Margarida!

Mensagem inicial - 16 de Maio de 2006

"Apesar de frágil, Timor-Leste é uma jovem democracia em que acreditamos. É o país que escolhemos para viver e trabalhar. Desde dia 28 de Abril muito se tem dito sobre a situação em Timor-Leste. Boatos, rumores, alertas, declarações de países estrangeiros, inocentes ou não, têm servido para transmitir um clima de conflito e insegurança que não corresponde ao que vivemos. Vamos tentar transmitir o que se passa aqui. Não o que ouvimos dizer... "
 

Malai Azul. Lives in East Timor/Dili, speaks Portuguese and English.
This is my blogchalk: Timor, Timor-Leste, East Timor, Dili, Portuguese, English, Malai Azul, politica, situação, Xanana, Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri, Conflito, Crise, ISF, GNR, UNPOL, UNMIT, ONU, UN.