About the Journal
The name “NJINGA & SEPÉ”Journal is a simple tribute to the African Queen Njinga Mbandi * and the Brazilian indigenous warrior Sepé Tiarajú ** both symbols of the resistance struggles and the affirmation of African and Brazilian identities. Honoring Njinga Mbandi and Sepé Tiarajú is undoubtedly an inspiration for the challenges that this Magazine presents to the world, because the prejudice against the languages spoken by the African and Brazilian peoples is still great.
NJINGA & SEPÉ Journal: International Journal of Cultures, African Languages, and Brazilian is a journal of the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB) that aims to disseminate unpublished research by researchers, professors, undergraduate and graduate students who they are interested in the themes of cultures, in the debates on critical linguistic policies and in the description of East Timorese, African, Brazilian indigenous languages and signs in order to revitalize, preserve, register and respect the cultures and identities of the respective peoples. Each year there will be a volume made up of two numbers.
Works written in any African or Brazilian or East Timorese or sign language will be most welcome. Sign languages will be presented through a video of up to 10 min. The aim is to haggle, value, protect and disseminate the diverse Brazilian and African indigenous languages that have never been privileged through linguistic policies, to make them become languages of science (linguistic intellectualization). But texts written in European languages (Portuguese, English, French and Spanish) will also be considered as long as they describe, address or speak about African, Brazilian or Timorese languages or cultures.
NJINGA & SEPÉ Journal consists of five (5) sections: Section I - Unpublished articles and translations / interpretations; Section II - Interviews, book reviews; Section III - Poetry and Lyrics of popular songs; Section IV - Experience reports, photos, recipes for traditional foods, rites and festivities; Section V - Proverbs, taboos and myths, and Section VI - Sign languages.
NJINGA & SEPÉ Journal restores "justice" in the light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity (2002), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2006) and the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights ( 1996) which in its Art. 43 defends that “all linguistic communities have the right to access works produced in their language.” Article 13 of that Declaration defends that “everyone has the right to access knowledge of the language of the community where they live.” This project of Revista Científica aims to raise awareness of the need to place all the languages of the world on an equal footing without distinction because there is no superior language, of science or there is still no superior culture than the others.
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* Queen of the Kingdom of Ndongo and Matamba, born in 1582 and died in 1663. Her reign was established from 1631 to 1663. She fought intensely against colonialism and enslavement. As a woman, in a macho culture, she managed to overcome and overcome all obstacles. Njinga knew many languages and different cultures, which made her an important ambassador. The queen's name was recorded in several ways: Nzinga a Mbande, Nzinga Mbande, Jinga, Singa, Zhinga, Ginga, Dona Ana de Sousa (the latter due to Catholic baptism in 1623).
** Known as the popular saint, the indigenous Sepé was born in 1723 and died in 1756. He resisted colonial rule and fearlessly led the reelection against the Treaty of Madrid. He died fighting against oppression and colonization of indigenous peoples. The indigenous chief Sepé Tiarajú was leader of the missionary forces and was a lieutenant of the Spanish army and knew how to read and write. He was a tireless fighter against colonialism and especially the occupation of indigenous lands, which is why he became a popular hero. His stubborn resistance was summed up in a sentence that he probably never uttered: “This land has an owner”.
