June 1995 |
- LARN proponents (then called PURN - Portuguese-USA Research Network) meet and discuss the first proposal. Proponents include researchers Rui Ponte (AER), Pedro Ferraz de Abreu (MIT), and the following faculty: Timothy Sieber (U. Massachusetts / Boston), Ana Coito (Harvard University).
- LARN (PURN) proposal is presented to the following MIT faculty: prof. Joseph Ferreira, Ralph Gakenheimer (Urban Planning), Elizabeth Leeds (Center for International Studies) , Edith Ackerman (Media Lab), Paul Brown (Center for Advanced Engineering Studies), who give very positive feedback.
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July 1995 |
- LARN (PURN) proposal is presented to Julius Fabos, faculty at U. Massachusetts / Amherst, who gives very positive feedback.
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November 1995 |
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu met with the President of the Executive Committee of FLAD (Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento), Dr. Rui Machete, and with the USA board Head of FLAD, Dr Buchanan, about the possibilty of creating an informal association (PURN - Portuguese-USA research Network) to foster cooperation between MIT and other Boston Area faculty and researchers and equivalent Portuguese Institutions, as well as to provide a support base for fund raising for research projects related with Portugal, for both faculty and students.
Dr. Rui Machete expressed FLAD interest, and suggested that FLAD could help this
association in two ways: creating a channel for USA funds that are dedicated to Portuguese-USA cooperation through FLAD, and helping to obtain funds from Portuguese Institutions for concrete projects. FLAD would also consider some direct support, as well as possible matching funds in more formal or large-scale projects. Dr. Rui Machete suggested also an informal meeting in Boston in the near future, to further discuss the matter, and meeting with the Portuguese ambassador to promote further dialog.
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September 1996 |
- At 14 September 1996, took place in Lisbon the foundation of CITIDEP - Research Center on Information Technology and Participatory Democracy. The new Center, with Chapters both in Portugal and USA, included the support to LARN as part of its program and mission.
- LARN proponents meet with several members of Boston-Area portuguese speaking community organizations, including active elements such as Joao Soares and Ambriseth Lima (Cabo Verde community), who are supportive of the idea of finding ways of linking the research community with local community initiatives in culture and education.
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November 1996 |
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu is invited to talk at the Portuguese Cultural Conference, Cambridge, promoted by the Continental Union, and presents the PURN - LARN proposal, with expressive support from the portuguese community members present.
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu meets with the Consul of Portugal in Boston, Luis Barreiros, who is very supportive of the initiative.
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December 1996 |
- LARN proponents (Tim Sieber, Rui Ponte, Pedro Ferraz de Abreu) participated at a CITIDEP "Brunch and Brainstorming", in which was also discussed the PURN/LARN proposal. Elizabeth Leeds was also present and made several suggestions regarding other MIT key people, since she was preparing her leave to Brasil, as head of Ford Foundation in this country.
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February 1997 |
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu is contacted by the office of Dean Rita Marinho, College of Arts & Sciences of UMASS DARTMOUTH, also the President of the Portuguese American Scholarship Foundation, to be included in the Foundation's mailing list.
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April 1997 |
- Four portuguese students from MIT and Harvard constitute themselves as the "Executive Comittee" of a proposed PAPS - Post Graduate American Portuguese Student Association, with objectives that are in some aspects close to the PURN/LARN proposal, and invite people to register. LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu, from MIT, registers and meets informally with PAPS proponent Nuno Vasconcelos, mentioning the PURN/LARN proposal as well as the contacts and support from FLAD to the idea, and suggests to discuss possible joining of efforts.
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August 1997 |
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu send email to PAPS proponent Nuno Vasconcelos, including the full text of the PURN/LARN proposal, and suggests again a meeting to join efforts between LARN and PAPS initiatives. Nuno Vasconcelos replies agreing in principle with the meeting [note: the meeting never ocurred].
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July 1998 |
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu meets in Aveiro FIP proponent Edgar Cruz e Silva (FIP/FIIP - Forum Internacional de Investigadores Portugueses) and informs FIP that LARN supports this initiative and is willing to join efforts, to the point as to give priority to the promotion and organization of the Forum , given its international scope and common goals. Pedro Ferraz de Abreu proposes also to invite PAPS organizers to the next Forum meeting planned for September 1998, University of Acores, having in mind to facilitate coordination of all initiatives. Edgar Cruz e Silva agrees and Pedro Ferraz de Abreu calls Nuno Vasconcelos from PAPS Committee inviting them.
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September 1998 |
- Invited by the Organizing Committee of the International Forum of Portuguese Researchers (FIP/FIIP - Forum Internacional de Investigadores Portugueses), a PAPS representative, José Duarte travels to the II FIIP Meeting at Açores and presents the PAPS project.
- LARN proponents decide to fully support the organizing of the International Forum of Portuguese Researchers, and give priority to help this organization over building up LARN itself, to avoid the dispersion of efforts, although LARN has a wider agenda than FIIP, not being limited, as FIIP, to portuguese membership and constituency.
- LARN proponent Pedro Ferraz de Abreu is elected to the Organizing Committee of the International Forum of Portuguese Researchers (FIIP), at the II International meeting, University of Acores.
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October 1998 |
- Pedro Ferraz de Abreu proposes within FIIP Organizing Committee to make an effort to approach PAPS Organizing Committee and try to coordinate the roles and missions and intervention of both organizations. FIIP Organizing Committee does not pursue the matter, considering that each organization is independent and should not interfere in each other
- Pedro Ferraz de Abreu, as a PAPS member himself and in his personal name, proposes to PAPS Organizing Committee the same (to try to coordinate the roles and missions and intervention of both organizations). PAPS Organizing Committee does not pursue the matter.
- Several PAPS members, including (but not limited to) a few that were also FIIP members, such as Pedro Ferraz de Abreu and Nuno Crato, criticize some deficiencies in the democratic process towards the constitution of PAPS. Three PAPS members, including one member of PAPS Organizing Committee, send messages to PAPS mail list, insulting the critics and accusing them of "sabotage", and insinuating some rivalry between FIIP and PAPS.
- LARN proponents conclude that there was no interest in cooperation from the majority of leaders of both FIIP and PAPS, and decide to put on hold any more efforts in that direction, keeping however their (LARN) cooperation with both organizations.
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