As I was about to walk into Martim Moniz coming from the neighbourhood of Mouraria I looked at a small round about area, like an inner courtyard, where a street "sculpture" caught my attention. As I started "digesting" the various messages conveyed I realised that sometimes people try to ignore or reject those who are or live differently within the community ... as if by ignoring their presence or refusing to accept the way they live the "problematic" issues or characters no longer exist ...
The idea of exposing those same issues, which are known to affect the neighbourhood, sounds to me as a new approach to the problems that will continue to affect the community unless one takes a step forward ... and acknowledging them may just be the right way to "minimise" the negative impact they have or have been having so far.
Accepting the difference may also imply accepting the different origins of those who live in this rather "colourful" neighbourhood.
Martim Moniz has therefore revealed its new "face" ... one of various different cafés and small stall restaurants providing a wide variety of tastes, smells ... and even a myriad of different colours, sounds and cultural ambiances.
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