Grandmother University
Barroso: Defending the commons
Debates, testimonies of locals and a film screening about the seven-year struggle against lithium mining in Barroso (Portugal)
15. June 2025
18.00-20.00
18.00-20.00
Save the Date
For free
for adults
in English
In the north of Portugal, in the mountains of Barroso, for centuries, local people have been making a living from ecological agriculture, shepherding and beekeeping. The ownership of the land, the mountains and rivers is shared. The ancestral practice of commoning and the harmonious interaction with nature makes the region the most biodiverse in Portugal.
But in 2018, a multinational concern made a cross on the map and decided to extract lithium in that very place, for the so-called green transition of the European Union. On this day, the unexpected struggle of two small villages began.
In the event, we will discuss, if the “Green Transition” is a fantasy which leads to ecocide, the destruction of the commons and the expulsion of the population in sacrifice zones.
During the evening, we will show testimonies from local residents, a speech by Sofia Gomes in the Parliament of Portugal, show the animated film “ontanha Invertida/ Inverted Mountain (produced by G.I.T. / Territorial Research Group), present the research of professor Steven Emerman, show the report Investigating Lithium - Mines everywhere and noise (CM TV 2005), have a live connection with locals in Covas do Barroso and close with the music of “Brigada da Foice” by Carlos Libo.
