"The 3rd Asian Portuguese Community Conference (APCC) that will take place in Malacca, once again, one of the most emblematic landmarks of the Portuguese presence in the Indian Ocean, is extremely important to the future of those communities and to Portugal.
These communities scattered from Indonesia to Sri Lanka and beyond, in spite of all their peculiarities, have much in common: the language (the Kristang/Papiamento/the Indo-Portuguese), culture, gastronomy and love for their uniqueness found in their religiosity, in their nicknames, music and folklore.
In a moment of great concern of mine about the World situation, I want to launch a vehement and hopeful appeal for Portugal's imperative need and responsibility to defend the causes, ethics, values and principles of tolerance, dialogue and humanity, without which I do not personally see a promising future.
It is crucial to assimilate the ideals of Fraternity, participating in the genesis of a new human paradigm: fairer, more solidary and ethical.
It is in defending and promoting these principles that I believe that Portugal, a small country in its surface but large in its History and in its people, can commit to becoming a driving force.
In the World, in Europe and in Portugal, the Portuguese people cannot adopt a passive attitude, integrating an isolationist movement of intolerance, of indifference, which will lead to the construction of an inoperative and inhumane Fortress-Europe.
A vision of the World where Life and the Human being are placed at its core is the single solution towards the path of peace and progress, which can only be the one which leads to the development of all peoples, respecting and helping each other.
To a great privilege there is a great responsibility added and it was on the basis of that principle that AMI Foundation has decided to sponsor, once more, the Conference of the Portuguese-descendant communities in Asia.
To all of you, "Grandei Mersea"
Fernando de La Vieter Nobre, M.D., PhD.
Founder and President of AMI Foundation (Portugal)
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