Mr. Javier Figueiredo pronounced the third conference of the workshop, which was a presentation of a project organized and financed by the Cross border Initiative Office. Ágora, the peninsular debate began in the year 2000 and its main objective was to convert Extremadura in an annual meeting point with the appropriate climate to talk freely about the issues which worry us or which enrich us as Portuguese and Spaniards, and, at the same time, eliminate the misunderstandings, stereotypes and psychological barriers that have separated us for years. Organised by the Extremadura Autonomous Government and sponsored by the Caja de Badajoz and Caja de Extremadura savings banks, the general scheme of Ágora is structured in four parts: Academy, Arena, Scene and Chronicle.
Ágora Academy is a programme consisting of three specialised courses, each devoted to a single theme and lasting one or two days. The courses deal with points of interest or of current importance for both countries and are intended for experts, professionals or students of the area being dealt with who have formally enrolled, and include the participation of prestigious Spanish and Portuguese speakers. Two specialists, one Spanish and one Portuguese, are in charge of the organisation of each course and select the speakers and the participants.
Ágora Arena is a conference, debate or round table open to the general public dealing with a current issue or a polemic topic in Spanish-Portuguese relations.
Ágora Scene is the name given to the cultural, artistic or leisure activities offered parallel to the courses in public areas of the host city (drama, exhibitions, music acts, etc.). It is a question of showing the work of Portuguese creators expressing the world of relationships, and offering a vision of the other social and cultural reality.
The Cross-border Initiatives Office edits an annual Chronicle in which specialists on the issues dealt with produce a light summary of the content of the courses and other parts of Ágora and reflect the atmosphere of the events.
Ágora, the peninsular debate was held between 2000 and 2010, and has become an essential encounter for all those who are interested in relations between Spain and Portugal. Throughout the eleven editions numerous Spanish and Portuguese personalities have formed part of Ágora and have offered their vision of the different issues the courses have touched on. The Carnation Revolution in Portugal, economic relations between Spain and Portugal, the problem of forest fires on the Iberian Peninsula or the presence of Spain and Portugal in the European Union were some of the issues that have been analysed at the Ágora Academy conferences.
Teachers, journalists, artists, politicians and scholars have contributed to strengthening the forum and enriching the relationship between the two countries, and even Prime Ministers as Mário Soares, Felipe González or Pedro Passos Coelho have participated.
The debates of Ágora Arena issues such as bullfighting in Portugal, the different sense of humour, junk TV or the perception of homosexuality in Spain and Portugal have been debated on, all of which have aroused great interest among the audience.
In Ágora Scene, numerous artistic and leisure events have taken place on various stages in Cáceres, Badajoz and Mérida year after year which convert these Extremaduran cities in windows on Portuguese society. This section includes Portuguese cinema cycles, theatre, music acts, exhibitions, talks given by writers, Portuguese book weeks, poetry recitals, Portuguese gastronomy, etc.
In short, a suggestive and varied programme which has been very well received and has converted Ágora, the Peninsular Debate in a forum for dialogue in the framework of Spanish-Portuguese relations.
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