Entitled "The Great Journey: Return, Reunion, Recognition, Reparation", the vessel will depart from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on 5 December, heading for Luanda, Professor Dagoberto José Fonseca, a professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Letters of the São Paulo State University of Araraquara (FCLAr/UNESP) and responsible for the project, explained to Lusa.
There will be seven days of outward journey, seven days in Angola and seven days of return, the professor summed up, stressing that Brazil needs to know and recognise its ancestors.
"We need to make the journey back across the Atlantic Ocean to learn about the history that our ancestors made and also to recover those who were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean", said the professor, pointing out that around two and a half million people were thrown into the ocean during this journey from the 16th to the 19th century, just those who came from Angola to Brazil.
In addition to this number, it is estimated that five million Africans arrived in Brazil during the Portuguese colonial period.
"We are the same family, separated by a history of trafficking, a history of the enslavement process and of this Portuguese colonialism, and so we are the same family, separated by the Atlantic and divided by a cruel history, which was 'slavery', and this transatlantic trade of people subjected to 'slavery'", said the professor.
In Angola, the 2000 Brazilians will carry out actions focused on research and cultural tourism, with a special emphasis on Afrotourism, which aims to rescue and revisit African history in different parts of Angola.
"This has never happened before, this journey back with a large group of people across the Atlantic Ocean is unprecedented in human history", praised Dagoberto José Fonseca.
This work involves visits to historical and symbolic sites, such as the Slavery Museum, Fort São Basilio and the former kingdom of Congo, promoting a reflection on African memory and cultural heritage.
In addition, the programme includes several cultural and institutional activities, such as an Angola-Brazil literary festival and a Brazil-Angola arts and culture festival. The group will also participate in meetings with writers, visits to universities, hospitals, maternity wards, cultural centres such as Talapona and Centro de Belas, as well as the Benfica Handicrafts Fair.
Meetings with businesspeople from both countries and meetings at institutions such as the Brazilian embassy and consulate in Angola, the Guimarães Rosa Institute and the Angolan Writers' Union are also planned.
"The entire trip will be paid for by Brazil, by public and private institutions in Brazil. When we arrive in Angola, the Angolan State will provide full support regarding transportation within Angolan territory, personal protection, security, accommodation and other existing expenses," he stressed, stressing that they are working on a "reparation basis" and therefore "Portuguese support would be very welcome."
One of the ways to participate in the project will be through public notices, in which interested people can register. Selection will be based on criteria that include representation from 20 Brazilian states, ensuring balance between regions and between the different sectors of activity and representation.
"There are places reserved for quilombola communities distributed throughout Brazilian territory, we will have staff linked to various areas, education, health," explained the professor.
The trip, which also serves to mark the 50th anniversary of Angola's independence, will offer main courses, each focused on a strategic area: education, health, social assistance and human rights, Afro-tourism and the business sector. These courses were designed to cover various training courses and skills, promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences among participants.
"We will have people linked to samba, the samba communities also represented, since samba came from Angola, it came from semba, from Angola, and you will also have people linked to religions of African origin, Candomblé from Angola, and Umbanda, we will also have representation from some priests, some nuns, and some evangelical pastors", he said.
In addition, "a black parliamentary front will be formed, of deputies so that they can also meet with members of the National Assembly of Angola", stated Dagoberto José Fonseca.
