Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government promotes Europe Day celebrations in São Jorge - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

On Friday, May 9, the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government promotes the regional celebrations of Europe Day in Velas, São Jorge Island, with various educational, cultural and recreational initiatives aimed at the school community and civil society.

The commemorative program begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Velas Basic Education and Secondary School. It will be marked by the hoisting of flags and the performance of the Portuguese, Azorean and European Union anthems by students from the Velas and Calheta Basic Education and Secondary Schools.

At the school auditorium, a class on “75 years of European integration: The Schuman Declaration today and the Azores” is being held for secondary school students from Velas Basic Education School, Calheta Basic Education School and São Jorge Vocational School.

This will be followed by the “Europe Quiz” - a trivia-type contest featuring general culture questions about the Azores and the European Union, History, Geography & Demography and Institutions & People - which will involve the participation of teams from Velas Basic Education School, Calheta Basic Education School and São Jorge Vocational School. The programme also includes exploratory workshops on the Azorean Biosphere Reserves and the delivery of prizes to the contest winners by the Vice-President of the Government.

The ceremony will continue at the Velas Municipal Auditorium, where there will be a moment for civil society, starting at 7 p.m. with the performance of the Portuguese, Azorean and European Union anthems by the Lusitânia Liberdade Philharmonic Band, which will precede the conference “The Europe of Tomorrow: the contribution of the implementation of Biosphere Reserves” to be delivered by Maria Anunciação Ventura, a researcher at the University of the Azores. 

There will be a panel discussion featuring the mayor of Velas, Luís Silveira, the mayor of Calheta, Décio Pereira, the manager of the Fajãs de São Jorge Biosphere Reserve, Paulo Jorge Silveira, and also the professor and researcher at the University of the Azores, Maria Anunciação Ventura. The session will be moderated by Rodrigo Rodrigues Silva.

The Europe Day celebrations, promoted by the Vice-Presidency of the Government, are a joint effort between Velas Town Council, Velas Basic Education and Secondary School and Calheta Basic Education and Secondary School.

These celebrations, which this year are dedicated to UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, are intended to emphasise the ecological, cultural, economic and social value of the four existing reserves in the Azores (Corvo, Flores, Graciosa and Fajãs de São Jorge) on the national and European scene. Furthermore, they aim to raise awareness and stimulate the interest and participation of the entire community in activities related to the European Union, contributing to active European citizenship through greater and better dissemination and knowledge of European issues in general and the Outermost Regions in particular, as is the case with the Azores.