Advent

One entire week in Brussels, doing office work, can be seen as boring; but I actually appreciate it quite a lot. Especially because the end is coming to an end, and there are things that need to be done before leaving for holidays. I can’t say that I was 100% successful in cleaning my “to do” list, but I progressed pretty much and can look at this last week as a quite useful one. In any case, I’m happy that soon I will be going for holidays. The accumulated tiredness is reaching the level at which the mind wants but the body can’t anymore… and that’s not good! So, the weekend was a mix of lazy rest and active preparations for the last days at work and the holidays ahead, while the sun shone and created the conditions for the cold to establish itself in Brussels. Some may say that 0° isn’t too cold, but when you’re a Portuguese, who was used to live in Lisbon, believe me: 0° is freezing cold! I kind of like these sunny and cold days though… especially when I can stay inside and benefit from the warmth of my flat! And even more when the flat is cleaned and I can lie in the sofa and watch new episodes of “The 4400”! So, all in all, this was a nice week! And the next one will be even better: it will start with the staff retreat in Ghent, will go on with the last day in the office, and will end up with the so-long expected trip for Christmas in Portugal. With everyone that counts on board!

Together for a better world

First China, then Africa. It seems like we’ve been job-shadowing the leaders of the European Union in the last two weeks. First it was the EU-China summit, in Beijing, that we anticipated by meeting the All-China Youth Federation; and now it was the EU-Africa summit, in Lisbon, that we anticipated by organising the Africa-Europe Youth Summit. If in Beijing we were left alone, this time, in Lisbon, we were joined by the President of the European Council, José Socrates, by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and by many other political authorities from both Africa and Europe, and hundreds of journalists who spread the message. It is also true that in Beijing it was only a few of us, and now, in Lisbon, we were more than 200 young people from around 80 different countries. In spite of the differences, there are some common elements worth noting. The first, and maybe the most important, is the fact that young people and youth organisations are taking their responsibility of building a better world seriously, and are taking part in the important debates of today, being aware of the past but keeping their eyes in the future, which is the only way politics make sense. The second, equally important, is that it seems that the institutions and the politicians are finally starting to recognise not only the importance, but also the usefulness of listening to what young people have to say about matters hat concern them, on the traditional fields of youth policy, but also beyond them. These two aspects combined make me very happy, very proud and full of hope. They reward the efforts of many people who have worked hard over the years and give motivation for others to continue their work. The summit in Lisbon, in that sense, was somehow a mystical experience… Some of the people who were with me when I started this adventure more than ten years ago were still there; some others who played an important role in several of its crucial moments were also there; but, even more important, the ones who I hardly knew or never have met before, were also there: and they were so many and so full of enthusiasm and knowledge and will, that they didn’t leave me any doubts that the point of no return has been passed. I was born in Africa 33 years ago. I’ve been living in Europe ever since. Inside, these two continents have always been close to each other. Now, I know that they will become closer together also for everyone else. The world will be better. The future will be better than the present is and the past was. And I don’t think that a better reason to smile can be found!

China

The first time I was in China, two years ago, I was surprised to see that it was much different than I had expected it to be. Much more modern, much less “oriental”, much easier to adjust to… One year earlier I had been in Japan and, somehow, I was expecting China to be as different as Japan is when you compare it to the Western world. I was therefore surprised not to be “lost in translation”… When I returned there, one week ago, I therefore thought that I have already had my share of Chinese surprises. Yet, it turned out that I was wrong… and China surprised me again!

In 2005 I visited Beijing and Tianjin. This time I repeated Beijing and added Shanghai.

In Beijing, I didn’t return back to the Forbidden City; instead, I went for the first time to the Temple of Heaven. On the other hand, I went back to the Great Wall: in 2005, I visited it at Badaling; now I saw it at Juyongguan. The days spent in Beijing confirmed the deep changes that the city is going through in view of next year’s Olympics: the “northern capital” is a lively metropolis, where the traditional architecture of imperial China blends with boxy, bland sino-soviet buildings and much more modern architectural forms. The heavenly harmony between old and new is a constant in the city, and something to admire. But the biggest surprise awaited me in Shanghai…

Situated on the banks of the Yangtze River delta, Shanghai, with its 19 million inhabitants, is the largest city in China. Originally a fishing town, it became important in the 19^th century only, when its strategic location attracted foreign nations interested in trade. Until 1949, when the People’s Liberation Army took control, Shanghai was indeed an international settlement ruled by almost all nations but China. Shanghai then became an industrial centre and, even during the Cultural Revolution period, was able to maintain high economic productivity; in fact, the city has experienced, for the last 15 years, a continuous economic growth of between 9 and 15% per year! The result of all this is a modern city which represents at its best the economic success of modern China. The lovely “bourgeois” 19^th and early-20^th century elements blend with the leftovers of the 1949’s communist take-over, but all of them are totally overshadowed by Shanghai’s futuristic skyscrapers and modern lifestyle. Xintiandi, literally the “new heaven on earth”, is probably the best example of this complex blending: an area where traditional stone gate houses on narrow alleys, near the site of the First Conference of the Communist Party of China, were restored and now house art galleries, cafes, restaurants and luxury shops. Final result: a charming neighbourhood, a romantic ambiance, and high prices, even by international standards. Gorgeous!

China still has huge challenges to face, especially when it comes to democracy and respect for the human rights; but it is also fair to say that important steps have been taken in the right directions. Unique for its dimensions, but also for its old history and rich civilisation, China is not comparable to any other nation in the world; but the world needs to start looking at China and try to understand it, for the future will make obvious its strategic importance in every sphere of the world’s life, be it economy, politics, sports or culture at large. Socialism with Chinese characteristics might be sometimes difficult to understand, but it exists, and it seems to work!