A conversation on Amílcar Cabral, Palestine, culture, colonialism, memory, solidarity, and the ongoing work of liberation.
On September 12, the anniversary of Amílcar Cabral’s birth, Casa Palestina brings together Palestinian, Portuguese, and Lusophone voices for a conversation on culture, colonialism, memory, and liberation.
One of the most influential anti-colonial thinkers of the 20th century, Cabral understood culture not as something separate from political struggle, but as a fundamental part of resistance and collective liberation. His work continues to resonate far beyond Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde, raising urgent questions around land, identity, political education, international solidarity, and the role of culture in confronting colonial power.
Bringing Cabral’s ideas into conversation with Palestine, this panel will explore how culture can preserve memory, sustain identity, challenge dominant narratives, and become a space of resistance. Rather than equating distinct histories and experiences, the discussion will create space for exchange between different struggles against colonialism, asking what these histories can teach us about solidarity and the ongoing work of liberation today.
Speakers
José Manuel Viegas Neves
José is a Portuguese historian and Assistant Professor at the NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH) in Lisbon, where he also serves as Deputy Director. His research explores the intersections of culture, ideology, politics, and identity in contemporary Portugal, with a particular focus on nationalism, political ideologies, post-colonial movements, and the history and sociology of sport.
Balolas Carvalho
Balolas is a Portuguese journalist, documentary filmmaker, and producer working at the intersection of human rights, international affairs, and decolonial movements. As a cultural agitator, her work is dedicated to telling stories and creating spaces that resist, remember, and reimagine.
Wael Zboun
Wael is a Palestinian political researcher, writer, consultant, and PhD researcher in Political Science and International Relations at ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon. His research focuses on European foreign policy, Palestine, international law, and the relationship between normative principles and geopolitical interests, with particular attention to EU policy toward the Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023. His interdisciplinary work examines political power, international legitimacy, settler colonialism, state recognition, and the gap between political commitments and practice.
Moderator
Inês Margarida Alves
Inês studied Philosophy and writes poetry. She is currently developing a research project that draws on her own biography while exploring questions of language, family memory, identity, and Cape Verdean heritage. Through writing and artistic and cultural research, the project examines the relationships between belonging, diaspora, and ancestry, while creating new spaces for reflection on the stories we inherit and the ways we tell them to ourselves.
The restaurant will be open.