Vox Populi: Marcelo Yamada from Lisbon, Portugal

1. What are your expectations/hopes from these elections?

For this European Elections, I hope that the young generation go to the polls to make themselves represented. When I say young generation, I am not referring to people’s age. I am talking about people who are concerned with issues that are affecting all people in general, even the ones who are not even born yet. Such issues are the environment and biosphere, positive and structural peace between gender, ethnic/religious groups and nations, and these three values of our society who are being threatened by our extremist groups: human rights, democracy and freedom. Those concerns are indeed very recent if we look to history, thereby I am say that those who take them into account represent the young generation.

Nevertheless, what I hope is far different from what I expect. Unfortunately I have very pessimistic predictions about the new European Parliament to be elected this year. From what I observe, anti-democratic, intolerant and neo-fascist groups are gaining more and more strength all over the world, including inside the EU. This, make me foresee dark times coming upon all of us in Europe after these elections.

As an activist, I’ll be ready to join efforts to fight for a more sustainable and fairer world for every person in this planet, come what may.

 

 

2. Do you/people in your member state still have faith in the EU to deliver?

I think that people in Portugal are in general very acceptable of the European project. They have in mind that the European funds are very helpful to the Portuguese economy. Although, while the idea of European Union, of sovereignty-sharing, is interesting and favourable to peace and development. The way in which the EU functions is not the fairest nor the most effective one (which I also believe that most of the Portuguese are aware of it).

3. Will you be voting? If so, who for (if you are willing to say)?

No, because legally I am not European. As a Brazilian immigrant, I am living in Portugal for 8 years. Here I was educated. Here is my home. Voting is one of the rights I am denied for not having the «European Citizenship». I self-declare myself a European Citizen anyway. ahaha

 

 

4. Tell us some very brief persona/biographical details about yourself?

• Born in Japan, raised in Brazil and living in Portugal
• Student of International Relations in the University of Lisbon
• Politically engaged in civil movements, likewise pacifism, feminism, environmentalism, human rights and democracy protection and anti-capitalism;
• Aims to study Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation in order to become a Peace-worker and Conflict Mediator.