2013

 

The Embassy was invited by the President of the Council of Lisbon’s Eça de Queirós Group of Schools, Mr Fernando Pinto, to take part in a cultural event/interactive session in the school on 24 January 2013. The event was the main session of the school’s week project called “The Week of Philosophy and Psychology”, held from 21 to 25 January 2013. Having Nelson Mandela as the central personality, the leading theme of the school’s week project was “Around the Feast. Around Celebration”. Other topics of discussion during the school’s week programme also included the celebration of the end of apartheid, the election of Nelson Mandela as President and the victory of South Africa in the Rugby World Cup in 1995.  During the week the film, Invictus was projected twice and the theme discussed by a few members of the Ubuntu Academy who accepted the school’s invitation to participate in the debate with the students during which the Ubuntu concept and the example of South African historic leaders were also conveyed to the students.

The Embassy was represented by the First Secretary, Mr Rudolph Stroebel, who took part in the interactive session on Nelson Mandela and addressed the students in the school’s main auditorium. The session was also attended by the Portuguese journalist António Mateus who was invited to talk about the main personality of his book Mandela, the Construction of a Man as well as on his own experience and work in South Africa as a journalist.

South Africa’s flag was hoisted and the National Anthem respectfully heard by the audience that also had the opportunity to appreciate some South African crafts displayed by the Embassy in the auditorium.

The event was attended by nearly 120 youths and teachers as well as by the President of Santa Maria dos Olivais Parish Administration Office, Mr José Manuel Rosa do Egipto.

 In the end, all were invited  by the organizers of the event to taste Rooibos tea.

RTP Journalist, António Mateus, Rudolph Stroebel and Teresa Carrola from the South African Embassy

Mr Rudolph Stroebel with a group of students from Eça de Queiroz Secondary School

 

A large group of students and teachers attended the event