New video details SPA’s Lusophone Project supporting Portuguese-speaking society development

The Portuguese language unites and strengthens people, with 280 million speakers throughout the world. It is the most spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere and the third most spoken language in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the third most used language on social media. By 2050, 350 million people are expected to speak Portuguese.

CISAC has members in Portuguese-speaking countries, including SPA in Portugal, MACA in Macau, SOMAS in Mozambique, UNAC-SA in Angola, SCM in Cape Verde as well as ABRAMUS, ADDAF, AMAR SOMBRAS, ASSIM, AUTVIS, DBCA, GEDAR, SBACEM, SICAM, SOCINPRO and UBC in Brazil. SPA has taken the lead to help Lusophone societies develop and launch their operations.

Shown during the CISAC Regional African Committee in Abidjan, SPA detailed the Lusophone Project to support developing Portuguese-speaking societies in a new video. The project seeks to build a network of societies in Portuguese-speaking countries and to support them, including in Africa.

In 2013, an international seminar on “The Importance of authors’ rights in the new cultural markets of Lusophony” took place in Lisbon, with support from WIPO. East Timor also held a seminar as well on developing authors’ rights with support from the State Secretariat for Arts and Culture of East Timor.

In 2014 in Dili, a conference was held about authors’ rights as a paradigm of development as well as on code for authors’ rights and the local society’s statutes. In Lisbon, a protocol was signed between União Nacional de Artistas e Compositores(UNAC-SA) and SPA. Workshops were also held in Mozambique and Angola in addition to an international seminar on “Culture, authors’ rights, Lusophony and the future” in Lisbon, which CISAC Director General Gadi Oron spoke at.

In 2015, an international seminar on “Culture, Lusophony and authors’ rights in the digital era” brought people together in Lisbon, including CISAC Director General Gadi Oron. At the CISAC Regional African Committee (CAF) in Angola, a technical assistance contract was signed to support development.

In 2016, Portuguese was recognised as the third official working language at CAF In Namibia. Increased cooperation with Cape Verde also took place with SCM applying to CISAC. A Lusophony Manifesto was signed in Brazil. CISAC Regional Director Samuel Sangwa visited SPA in Portugual. A postgraduate programme on Lusophone collective management and authors’ rights was created in partnership with the University of Lisbon. 

In 2017, SPA President José Jorge Letria visited SCM in Cape Verde. At the CAF in Rwanda, the committee encouraged the Lusophone Project. WIPO created an action plan in São Tomé and Príncipe. Solidifying the language, CISAC held its General Assembly in Lisbon with CISAC President Jean-Michel Jarre receiving the SPA Medal of Honour. SCM became a CISAC member that year. Cooperation was increased with visits to societies in South Korea and Morocco. 

Finally in 2018, the project boosted cooperation with Guinea-Bissau with a visit to the Ministry of Culture as well as Macao. WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and Deputy Director General Sylvie Forbin welcomed Lusophone Project to Geneva, Switzerland. A seminar was held in Rabat with Moroccan society BMDA.

The music is an original composition by SPA President and CISAC European Committee President José Jorge Letria.