As part of the project "Dialogar e Agir por + Igualdade na R.A.M.", promoted by AIDGLOBAL, in partnership with the University of Madeira (UMa), a series of awareness-raising sessions were held with UMa students. Held between September 25 and 26 as well as on October 17 of this year, they aimed to make young people aware of their role in society, encouraging them to become agents of change.
The actions were integrated into the curricular units: Pedagogical Practices 1, Contemporary Currents of Pedagogy, Education and Citizenship and Community Intervention. The main objective was to mobilize and highlight the importance of youth participation, through the implementation of participatory methods, encouraging students to get involved, as educators, in current issues, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, Domestic Violence and Poverty. The sessions emphasized diverse forms of citizen participation and stressed the relevance of petitions as a tool for social change.
One of the dynamics used was the "participation thermometer" exercise to measure engagement in citizen causes. Students were also encouraged to meet and support petitions and organizations, such as Amnesty International, that work to promote human rights and social change.
A striking activity was the “improvisational theatre”, in which performances on keywords were presented, such as Domestic Violence, Poverty, Politics, SDGs, Education, Youth, Participation and Citizenship. Participation was positively evaluated, highlighting the commitment of the students.
Ninety students of both sexes were present, and the use of teamwork was positively verified during the activities.
The Awareness Sessions of the project "Dialogar e Agir por + Igualdade na R.A.M." aim to empower young people to become active and participative citizens, contributing to a more inclusive, democratic and human rights-promoting society.
"Dialogar e Agir por + Igualdade na R.A.M." is promoted by AIDGLOBAL, in partnership with the University of Madeira, and funded by the EEA Grants' ActiveCitizens Program, with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Bissaya Barreto Foundation Operators.
