25 April: students from Portalegre are “inspired” by captains and PR to write a book

Students will bring the publication to life, in the year in which half a century of the institution of Democracy in Portugal is celebrated.

The testimonies of the President of the Republic and some April captains serve as “inspiration” for a book about the Carnation Revolution that is being written and illustrated by almost 600 students from Portalegre.

The publication about the 25th of April is being developed by students in the 3rd and 4th years of basic education from 15 school groups in the Portalegre district.

The work, which marks the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April, is part of the ‘Fábrica de Histórias’, a program to promote school success developed by the cultural association Cabeçudos, with the support of the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA).

Cabeçudos project manager, Rui Andrade, explained today to the Lusa agency that this project involves “more or less 40 students” from each of the 15 school groups in the 15 municipalities in the district.

The book will be composed of thematic texts, each written by a group of around 20 4th year students from each of the groups.

The illustration is the responsibility of other groups, also made up of around 20 3rd year students from each of the groups involved.

“We thought it was a good way to celebrate 50 years of April 25th and CIMAA too. It is an identity project, of territorial cohesion, with children from all municipalities in the Portalegre district,” she said.

The book, which began to be prepared at the beginning of this year, firstly included a set of thematic workshops, aimed at the “involvement and motivation” of students, in order to delve deeper into the tasks that each one would perform.

According to Rui Andrade, this project also involves “several mediators”, responsible, for example, for monitoring writing, compiling texts and illustration.

“The 4th year boys had an engagement workshop and two writing workshops, but before they started writing, we had to find out if they knew what the 25th of April was and we placed a person who had lived that date with each one. of the groups”, he explained.

The group of interviewees within the scope of the project included the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a political prisoner and three captains from Abri, including Colonel Vasco Lourenço.

The students also collected testimonies from the first mayors elected after the 25th of April in the Portalegre district, among other personalities.

According to the person responsible, each group is now writing texts that address “the before and after” of the revolution.

Rui Andrade indicated that censorship, the International and State Defense Police (PIDE), among other topics, will be highlighted in the work, which will be launched on April 19th, at the Cineteatro de Ponte de Sor, starting at 2pm :00.

“In addition to offering the book to the authors, we will offer the book to all 1st cycle students in the Portalegre district”, a total of “around 3,700 students”, he indicated.

On the day of the launch, a show inspired by the 25th of April is also planned, with the participation of students from the 15 groups.