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EACEA National Policies Platform
Portugal

Portugal

9. Youth and the World

9.4 Raising awareness about global issues

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Formal, non-formal and informal learning
  2. Youth-targeted information campaigns on global issues
  3. Information providers
  4. Key initiatives
On this page
  1. Formal, non-formal and informal learning
  2. Youth-targeted information campaigns on global issues
  3. Information providers
  4. Key initiatives

Formal, non-formal and informal learning

Formal Education

In Portugal, in formal education, global issues are framed in the curriculum unit of Citizenship and Development, included in the curriculum of all school grades of the compulsory education.

This curricular unit falls on the scope of the National Strategy for Citizenship Education.

Framed in the objectives outlined in the Education System Basic Law and in the "Profile of the students exiting Compulsory Education", the Citizenship and Development curriculum (cross-reference with Chapter 6 - Education and Training) intends to ensure the adequate preparation for an active and informed citizenship, as well as the adequate training for the compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals, 2016-20130 under the 2030 Agenda.

In secondary education, it has become a curricular unit transversely developed with the contribute of all classes and training units.

It includes a wide range of themes, for which the Ministry of Education has developed a set of guidelines for schools.

Education for security, defence and peace

The Education for Security, Defence and Peace is one of the theme areas of education for citizenship that intends to promote the knowledge and reflection on a responsible participation of the citizens.

It is the result of a collaborative protocol between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Defence, and its main objective is to promote the dissemination of values and matters regarding security and defence in the basic and secondary education. This protocol resulted in the join preparation of an Education Benchmark for Security, Defence and Peace, for the basic and secondary education.

The protocol also provides for the design, execution and promotion of training activities for teachers, within the framework of a continuous training, in order to incorporate in the schools' Educational Project a culture of security, defence and peace.

Human rights education

The Human rights education objective is to promote the debate on the development of a civic conscience regarding Human Rights.

It is based on the principles underlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation and in the Council of Europe Charter on Education for a Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights

Development education

The Development education aims to raise the awareness and understanding of the causes of the development problems and inequalities, locally and worldwide.

It intends to promote the right and duty of all people and all populations to participate in and contribute to a full and sustainable development.

Environmental education for sustainability

The Environmental education for sustainability aims to promote the values that have an impact in the change of attitudes and behaviours regarding environment.

The Directorate General for Education provides a set of reference documents online to support students and teachers.

Intercultural education

The Intercultural education intends to promote the recognition and valorisation of diversity and respect for multiculturality of current societies and for cultural and religious diversity.

Gender equality education

Gender equality education intends to promote equal opportunities and educate for the values of pluralism and equality between men and women.

(Cross-reference with Chapter 6 - Education and Training 6.6 Social inclusion through Education and Training - 2. Social cohesion and equal opportunities).

 

Non-formal and informal education

Common Cause (Ca(u)sa Comum) - educating for a global citizenship for an integral ecology

The Common Cause project aimed to contribute to the development of a society more aware and committed to the construction of a fairer, more equitable and sustainable world. 

This project lasted 2 years (September 2016 to August 2018) and was jointly promoted by the Gonçalo da Silveira Foundation and the Casa Velha Association - Ecology and Spirituality.

Co-funded by the Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, the goal of this project was to promote moments of reflection, education and action about Integral Ecology as a way to reinforce the exercise of Global Citizenship in the communities.

This project is targeted at educators and students, civil society organisations and a wide range of actors that develop work in the Education for Global Citizenship, Cooperation and Environment, as well as informal groups and the public sector in the fields of Cooperation, Environment and Education, too.

Its main activities included initiatives that promoted synergies between actors and experiences such as work meetings, sharing of practices, documents and pedagogical resources, recommendations for key interlocutors in the field of Cooperation, Environment and Education.

In the field of training, the Education for Global Citizenship provides, among others, pedagogic resources in all education cycles, as well as formative workshops.

 

II International Congress on "Education, Environment and Development"

The II International Congress on Education, Environment and Development, held in November 2016, intended to promote the debate and reflection on the themes of environment, development and education.

The congress was targeted at teachers, researchers, students of the different

 levels of education, institutions/associations technicians and the general public.

The congress was accredited as a continuous training of teachers by the Competency Centre Entre Mar e Serra (CCEMS), with a duration of 15 hours, corresponding to 0,6 credits, and counting for the career progression of teachers of the Basic and Secondary Education.

 

I Training Initiative "Security, Defence and Peace:..."

The Institute of National Defence promotes training initiatives about security, defence and peace within the framework of Education for Citizenship.

In 2016, the 1st training initiative took place and was named Security, Defence and Peace: A Project from All to All (Um projecto de Todos para Todos) The Benchmark for Preschool Education and all Basic and Secondary Educations.

The training initiative was developed under the Education for Citizenship and aims to raise the awareness for the integration of issued related to security and defence in the educational practice, through the use of the Education Benchmark for Security, Defence and Peace, which was developed in a partnership between the Directorate General for Education and the Institute of National Defence.

It was targeted at teachers of the different education cycles, from preschool to secondary education.

This training initiative was accredited by the Scientific-Pedagogic Council for Continuous Training, according to the Legal Regime of the Continuous Training of Teachers, and has the duration of 25 hours, granting one credit.

 

Educate to Cooperate

The Educate to Cooperate project is coordinated by AIDGLOBAL - Action and Integration for Global Development since 2006.

It is an Education for Global Citizenship project that aims to empower schools as building spaces of critical and participatory citizens, that promote social transformation.

The project intends to train teachers and educators in Education for Global Citizenship; promote the association of contents of the official curriculum to the themes of Education for Global Citizenship, providing pedagogic resources and materials; raising students' awareness to the various themes on Education for Global Citizenship, resorting to activities that promote, at the same time, civic participation and the awareness of everyone's role for a fairer and more supportive world.

The project's website provides a wide range of pedagogical resources and materials framed in the education for global citizenship themes, including:

The 8th edition with the name "Educate to Cooperate - The Historical Route of the Lines of Torres and Global Citizenship (a Rota História das Linhas de Torres e a Cidadania Global)" is funded by Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the support of the Montepio Foundation. The partners of this project are the City Councils of Arruda dos Vinhos, Loures, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Mafra, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira, and the Training Centre Loures Oriental, too.

This project aimed to raise awareness among students, teachers, local development actors and citizens of the six partner municipalities (Arrudas dos Vinhos, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira) for the themes and values of Education for Global Citizenship and mobilise them to promote said themes and values, coordinating with the themes of the heritage of the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres.

The project comprised a set of activities among teachers and students of different cycles of education, including:

  • Awareness Programmes; 
  • Training Initiatives;
  • Workshops on education for global citizenship
  • A study on the connection of the heritage of the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres to Global Citizenship
  • A set of Pedagogical Resources to support study visits
  • Learning Circles
  • Six weeks of Development Education
  • Creation of Geocaching routes
  • Conference "the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres and Global Citizenship"

The project has a duration of 24 months and ends in October 2017.

 

We are all needed project (Projeto Tod@s somos precis@s)

The We are all needed European project is coordinated by the Danish Institute for Human Rights and was funded by the European Commission.

This project produces a set of materials targeted at teachers and students that wish to contribute to the education against discrimination on the basis on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In Portugal, the materials produced under this project were developed by ILGA Portugal and counts with the collaboration of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality and the Directorate General for Education.

 

We propose (Nós propomos!)

 

We Propose!" Project  Citizenship and Innovation in Environmental Education "aims to promote an effective local territorial citizenship, in a perspective of governance and sustainability. It constitutes the broad national project within the scope of the subject of Geography and mobilises schools of the Mainland and of the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira. Currently, the Project is being implemented in Brazil and in Spain by several universities, constituting an important Iberian-American project. This project is promoted by the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon, being supported by the Ministry of Education, through the Directorate General for Education, and by socio-professional organisations of Geography.

 

Young People in Politics - Participating for a Global Citizenship

Under the Young People in Politics - Participating for a Global Citizenship project, a set of initiatives has been developed:

  • "Young People in Politics: Information and Training for a Sustainable Development ((In)formar para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável)"

The training "Young People in Politics": Information and Training for a Sustainable Development is a free activity targeted at activists of youth parties.

This initiative aims to raise awareness and empower young activities for the themes of Development Education and enable them to develop actions in their Youth Parties.

Addresses topics such as: Development Education, Development Cooperation, Public Aid to Development, Official Development Assistance, Coherence of Public Policies for Development, Sustainable Development Goals and the New Paradigms of Development.

  • ACT GLOBAL - Education for Global Citizenship

Under the Young People in Politics - Participating for a Global Citizenship, the ACT Global initiative is a Facebook page that aims to be a community of informational and educational content about Education for Global Citizenship.

It is targeted at young people, youth parties and the general community.

The page provides contents about Education for Global Citizenship, specifically about: Human Rights, Gender Equality, Sustainable Development; Globalisation and Interdependency; Global Citizenship, Sustainable Consumption; Volunteering; Migration and Refugees.

 

Education for GloCal Issues

The Education for GloCal Issues project aims to raise the awareness of the community, teachers and students of the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education for Sustainable Development Goals. 

It includes a wide range of themes: Conflict and Peace, Responsible Consumption; Interculturality; Quality Education; Human Rights, Food Sovereignty.

Among its activities, several training initiatives for teachers are planned, focusing on the integration of these themes in the lesson plans and in the initiatives targeted at school libraries in the various regions of the country.

The project is promoted by Monte-ACE - Central Alentejo Development, in partnership with AIDGLOBAL, the Democratic Union for Teachers of the South, the Sugodesign and it is co-funded by Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P.

 

Amitie Code

The international project "Amitie Code - Capitalizing on Development" in the field of Development Education aims to raise the awareness of the community - public authorities, citizens, teachers, young people and students - to the themes of Migrations, Development and Human Rights. 

It is comprised of a diversified set of activities, including School Labs, targeted at the 3rd cycle of Basic Education, Secondary Education, Education and Training Courses and Vocational Courses (in the municipality of Loures) and Training of technicians and teachers, targeted at municipal technicians and teachers of Loures.

The project involves 6 European countries: Germany, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Spain and France.

In Portugal, the project is promoted by the City Council of Loures, in partnership with the Centre of International Studies of the ISCTE-IUL and AIDGLOBAL, which is responsible for the training activities. It is  funded by the European Commission.

 

"Human rights Friendly Schools (Escolas Amigas dos Direitos Humanos)"

The Human Rights Friendly Schools Project arose under the World Programme for Human Rights Education, launched by the United Nations Organisation (UN) in December 2004.

It is coordinated by the Amnesty International in Portugal, with the institutional support of the Directorate General for Education, having been implemented in 2013.

The objective of this project is to empower young people and promote an activity participation of all members of the educational community in the integration of human rights values and principles.

The project is based on 10 global principles of human rights friendly schools, derived from international norms and standards on human rights based on non-discrimination, participation, accountability and empowerment.

It is targeted at all actors of the school community (students, teachers, non-teaching staff and the school board), as well as guardians.

 

The Mundar Platform

The Mundar Platform (cross-reference with Social Inclusion - sub-chapter 4.4) arose under the Idea Competition for Young People – Mundar: Change your World! (Mundar: Muda o Teu Mundo!). It is promoted by “Choices Programme” (Programa Escolhas), in partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and by Torke+CC.

It is aimed at young people between the age of 16 and 30, and intends to encourage young people to present ideas, create projects and organise actions that promote their empowerment and autonomy.

 

Interculturality

The High Commission for Migration (ACM, I.P.) promotes a set of initiatives linked to Interculturality, Diversity and Migrations.

(Cross-reference with Chapter 3 Social Inclusion - 4.5 Initiatives Promoting Social Inclusion and Raising Awareness- 1. Intercultural awareness).

 

Young People's Rights

European Day Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children

A day (18 November) developed by the Ministry of Justice to raise awareness against exploitation and harassment of children and young people.

 

Project Lead – Inform to Prevent

A European project whose objective is to develop and to spread information about street violence, violence between peers and other forms of violence against children and young people, through several resources in its website:

 

Dating with Fair Play

The Dating with Fair Play Programme is implemented by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, I.P. (IPDJ, I.P.) and develops prevention actions of violence in dating, framed in the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination (2018-2030) - Portugal + Equal (ENIND).

 

National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination (2018-2030) "Portugal + Equal" [Portugal + Igual]

The National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination translates into three plans, and these plans will be evaluated throughout their implementation so that they can be reviewed, verifying whether the proposed objectives are being met or whether additional measures are needed.

The first pillar is entitled "Action Plan for Gender Equality" and is divided into 77 proposed actions, including "school drop-out by Roma girls".

As a new measure, there is education for the digital skills of older women, which comes within the framework of digital inclusion.

The second pillar is entitled 'Plan to Combat Violence against Women and Domestic Violence' and includes, among other measures, training for judges to prevent gender discrimination in the justice sector.

The third pillar is an innovative one, entitled "Plan to Combat Discrimination on the grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sexual Characteristics".

 

Support for educators/teachers

The website of the Directorate General for Education provides online a set of support resources to students and teachers within the scope of the Citizenship and Development class.

Under the Education for Security, Defence and Peace themes, a support document is available, named Education Benchmark for Security, Defence and Peace - the Armed Forces and the Security Forces, in two formats: e-book and interactive PDF.  The benchmark aims to raise students' awareness of the various educational cycles to the theme of security and national defence and promote a strategic culture in the Portuguese society.

 

In the meantime, with the objective of supporting the implementation of Education Benchmark for Security, Defence and Peace in schools, it was recently created and published a support e-book for the theme D of the benchmark abovementioned, essentially dedicated to the issues of national defence, the Armed Forces and the Security Forces and Services.

Under the issue  environmental education for sustainability, the Benchmark for Environmental Education for Sustainability is available, which results from a partnership between the Directorate General for Education, the Directorate General for School Establishments, The Geography Teachers Association, the European Blue Flag Association, the Portuguese Association of Environmental Education, the Centre of Information, Dissemination and Action for Environmental and Development, the Portuguese Environment Agency and the University of Coimbra, through the Professor Helena Freitas, having been formed a team with elements of the abovementioned entities. A public consultation for the discussion and reflection on the above-mentioned benchmark ran until the 31th of July.

Under the development education theme, it is available the Education Benchmark for Development - Preschool Education, Basic Education and Secondary Education, which was approved in August 2016 and drawn up by the Ministry of Education, through the Directorate General for Education, in partnership with Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P., CIDAC - Intervention Centre for Development Amílcar Cabral and the Gonçalo da Silveira Foundation.

 

 

Youth-targeted information campaigns on global issues

70 NOW - The entrance to your rights! (a entrada para os teus direitos!)

The national campaign 70 NOW - the Entrance to your Rights! was promoted by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, I.P. and was launched in April 2017.

This campaign aimed to raise young people's awareness to their rights, in particular through the information and promotion of the Article 70th of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic that indicates the rights that cover the various spheres of life, such as: culture, education, access to the first job, housing, sports and leisure time.

The objective was to empower young people by providing them the necessary information to fully exercise their rights.

At the same time, it was intended to be a means of mobilisation of the various public, private and 3rd sector agents to respond to young people's concerns.

Under the campaign, a platform of the project was developed, as well as a Facebook page, and an Instagram and Twitter account.

In 2018/2019, to increase the campaign, the IPDJ, I.P. also developed a long-term action of youth volunteering called "Youth Volunteering 70 Now! - Youth Rights".

 

Online and offline Hate Campaign'

Campaign incorporated in Movement Against Hate Speech Online - Youth for the online Human Rights, in the scope of an initiative of the Council of Europe initiated in 2012 and ran until 2017. Although formally the campaign was put to an end the dynamics still continue to produce results both at national and European levels, namely by the creation of the No Hate Speech Network, under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

The implementation, strategy and actions of the campaign are coordinated by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, I.P. (IPDJ, I.P.) in collaboration with other entities, such as the Directorate General for Education and youth associations.

(refer to chapter 3 - Social Inclusion 3. Key initiatives to safeguard democracy against and prevent radicalisation which lead to violent extremism)

 

Information providers

Decade EDS 2014+ Platform Project (Projeto Plataforma Década EDS 2014+)

The Decade EDS 2014+ Platform is a free online platform, with open access, that groups resources and projects within the framework of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly for the period 2005-2014.

The platform is coordinated by the National Commission for UNESCO, in partnership with the Centre of Information, Promotion and Action for Environment and Sustainable Development (CIDAADS). It also has a wide range of partners, including the Directorate General for Education, the Portuguese Environment Agency and the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests.

The platform aims to gather and document projects and initiatives about Sustainable Development that have been implemented under the United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2005/2014).

In addition to promoting the reflection and discussion of the impacts and changes of the projects and initiatives developed during this period, the platform also aims to give continuity to this initiative through dissemination actions and dynamization of activities in schools, companies and local authorities, and through the creation of networks that encourage exchanges of information and good practices in Education for Sustainable Development.

 

Other initiatives

"Science in School" Award, Ilídio Pinho Foundation https://www.fundacaoip.pt/ciencianaescola/

There is a wide range of public entities that promote the dissemination of information about global issues among young Portuguese:

  • The Ministry of Education, through the Directorate General for Education, within the scope of project in partnership with other public institutions and/or Non-Governmental Organisations.
  • The Directorate General for Education, under the Citizenship and Development class, provides in its website a wide range of documents and information on several themes regarding the Sustainable Development Goals framed in the 2030 Agenda.
  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, is a co-funder of a diversity of projects in the field of development education.
  • The Ministry of Environment, through the Portuguese Environment Agency, I.P. and the Energy Services Regulatory Authority, promotes projects of information about environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.
  • The Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, I.P., also provides information online in its website, and physically in the Ponto Já Stores about a wide range of initiatives. Also, it is the coordinator of the 70 Now! website, which provides information on the rights and duties of young Portuguese.

 

Key initiatives

IV National Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking (2018-2021)

Within the framework of the IV National Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking (2018-2021) a number of awareness-raising and prevention campaigns has been developed against human trafficking.

I'm Not a Merchandise (Não Sou Mercadoria)

Within the scope of youth, it should be highlighted the campaign promoted in collaboration with the Family Planning Association of Alentejo, among higher education students in 2016 in the Ribbon Burning (Queima das Fitas) of Évora, which aimed to contribute to the promotion of knowledge about Human Trafficking, through the awareness-raising of the audience present and the distribution of materials on this phenomenon.

Students were invited to take a photo in the "I'm not a Merchandise" Placard and create a hashtag (#) with the phrase "imnotamerchandise" and publish it later on Facebook.

TSH - Spread the Word! (Passa a Palavra!)

TSH - Spread the Word! project was coordinated by the Family Planning Association under the Human Potential Operational Programme

This project has developed, in partnership with various educational institutions, awareness-raising actions targeted at young people on the topic of preventing human trafficking, integrating questions about gender stereotypes. 

Within the scope of the project, awareness-raising and training actions were carried out for young people between the age of 14 and 30, mainly online, through the use of the hashtag #traficado/a in the European Anti-Trafficking Day, which took place in 2014.

Come On, Get off the Couch! (Bora lá, Sai do Sofá!)

The Come On, Get Off the Couch! initiative is developed under the Youth in Politics - Participating for a Global Citizenship project, which is coordinated by AIDGLOBAL.

It is a campaign that aims to promote the youth vote in the local elections, due to take place on the 1st October 2017.

The campaign took place in September in the social networks and consisted of 40 videos created by anonymous young people and famous people of the television, music, sports, acting and digital world.

Young People's Rights

Within the scope of the Lead - Inform to Prevent project, a number of advertising campaigns have been developed on street violence, peer violence and other forms of violence for children and young people:

(Cross-reference with Chapter 3 - Social Inclusion - 4.5 Initiatives Promoting Social Inclusion and Raising Awareness- 2. Young people's rights).