association for the defence of the heritage of mĂŠrtola
Ăndice background p.3
mission p.3
objectives p.4
main areas of intervention p.4
main qualitative and quantitative results reached in each area p.5
awards p.8
projects for reference p.8
annual budget p.11
main sources of finance p.11
contacts p.12
background The Associação para a Defesa do Património de Mértola (Association for the Defence of the Heritage of Mértola - ADPM) is a not for profit institution of public interest. It was set up in 1980, with the aim of playing an active part in the cohesive development of the district of Mértola, based on preserving, enhancing and giving added value to local resources, with pride of place given to in-
volvement of local people in the process of improving quality of life in the communities. It was recognised in 1998 as an Environmental NGO (ENGA) and in 2002 as a Non Governmental Development Organisation (NGDO). Although it still had a local and regional hallmark, its activities have extended and now cover the whole of Portugal.
“ADPM IS A NOT FOR PROFIT INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT WAS SET UP IN 1980 AND WAS RECOGNISED IN 1998 AS A NON GOVERNMENTAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION [NGDO].”
mission The economic, social and cultural development of the places where it intervenes is the central mission of the association. It aims to involve public and private bodies and ordi-
nary citizens in a pro-active way, fostering purposeful participation in the dynamics of its own local development processes.
objectives The ADPM’s work on development has been in progress since the 1970s, integrated in a broader intervention strategy which has been carried out by an array of local bodies over two decades. The fundamental focus of its efforts is: - reconciling natural resource preservation and socio-economic development, as a strategy for the future sustainability of rural areas; - putting integrated development processes in place, the logic of intervention being based on a multi-sectoral approach, encouraging the increase in and enhancement of a
wide range of activities while respecting the traditions and secular cultural of the region; - promoting social inclusion and the eradication of need among the local people, by encouraging individuals to seek solutions to their problems through inclusion processes and active intervention as informed and responsible citizens capable of making decisions; - cooperating for development with partner countries, working together in a process of development that leads to better living standards and greater well-being among local populations;
“ THE ADPM’S WORK RECONCILES NATURAL RESOURCE PRESERVATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.”
main areas of intervention - Local development
- Social Intervention
- Environmental intervention
- Cooperation for development
- Empowerment and training
- Cultural entertainment and tourism
main qualitative and quantitative results reached in each area The ADPM is currently involved in a vast array of mutually supporting activities, a situation that has arisen because a solid team that sets its own working conditions has been built up, comprising around 30 collaborators, and forming a multidisciplinary technical team with administrative personnel, auxiliaries and trainees. Active partnerships have flourished due to the meshing of the interests and aims of this team in a raft of synergies which are local and regional, in Portugal and abroad, and in both the technical and financial areas. These active partnerships extend across the most varied of fields, involving many social and economic players and mobilising local communities to take responsibility for their own development process. In the area of Local Development, the main results have involved a boost to the local economic fabric, bringing with it the creation of dozens of jobs, directly and indirectly, with particular reference
to self-employment. The implementation of a support office for business people has led to a substantial increase in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular those related with tourism, local/traditional products and emerging products. For examples of success in the field of local development, suffice it to mention the case study on Valorização dos Recursos Silvestres do Mediterrâneo – Uma Estratégia para as áreas rurais de baixa densidade do sul de Portugal (Upgrading the woodland resources of the Mediterranean – a strategy for rural areas of low density in the south of Portugal). This resulted from a partnership between public and private bodies, and was headed by the Town Hall in Almodôvar, with the ADPM coordinating. The aim of this action is to make a contribution towards a strategy to get better economic value from resources indigenous to the Baixo Alentejo and the Algarve hinterland.
results in environmental intervention The main aim of the ADPM has been since its very beginnings to show that conservation and development are two forms of intervention which, desirably, would be compatible and capable of being seamlessly integrated with a view to the sustainable future of rural areas. Given this, the association has always considered nature conservation and environmental education as priority area for its intervention. As a consequence of a solid partnership set up with the World Wide Fund for Nature (W WF) in 1992, the ADPM adopted a strategy in this field which hinged on annual thematic campaigns involving
schools at various levels of children’s education, teachers and local people. Also set up was the Centro de Estudos e Sensibilização Ambiental do Monte do Vento (CESAMV - Centre for Research and Environmental Awareness-raising for the Monte do Vento) and this is now an experimental and demonstration area. A significant part of the activities undertaken during this period focused on the classification of a protected area centring on the Guadiana river. This culminated in the creation of the Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana in 1995.
results in the field
of capacity-building and training Following Ministry of Labour accreditation as a training body in 1996, a wide range of work in the area of vocational training became possible. Over the years, there have been a number of Cursos de Educação e Formação de Adultos (Education and Training Courses for Adults), especially in vocational areas related to tourism/ heritage; to agriculture and woodlands; and “traditional arts and crafts”. Along with this there has been a vast array
of courses leading to qualification for members of the active population such as language learning, information and communication technology (ICT), safety at work and capacity building in agriculture. The ADPM was awarded the 2001 Prémio S@ber+, a prize that is given for good practices by the Agência Nacional de Educação e Formação de Adultos. More than 450 trainees have attended ADPM courses over the last 3 years.
results in the area of social intervention In terms of inclusion for people with special needs, the ADPM has put together projects, among them “Tudo a Monte” and “Encaixa-te”, to raise awareness of differences and of respect for and tolerance of This has included close contact projects such the disabled. Social inclusion is also the basis for projects such as awareness of as Margens, which took ICT to old people Portuguese sign language and crossover and has involved many hundreds of older situations, where interaction is fostered people over the past few years. The ADPM between people with and without deficienhas also put together recently a project for cies and/or handicaps. In this context, there this age group called Sobre Rod@s, which were around 1,500 participants involved in aimed to boost inter-generational relaactivities related to awareness-raising and in tionships and a respect for the skills and contact with Portuguese sign language. wisdom of older people. The ADPM has been working on entertainment and involvement activities with a focus on social inclusion and capacity-building among individuals and the communities where they play a part.
results in the area of cooperation for development Since its recognition as an NGDO, the ADPM has been cooperating with many developing countries, and the following warrant a special highlight: - CAPE VERDE (the island of Santo Antão), by means of projects that give a boost to the economy or upgrade local resources and make them profitable (defining walkways, training in preparing agricultural products for the market and local produce
fairs), promoting family-based farming with sustainable methods (the setting up of 20 agricultural plots with micro-irrigation), giving prominence to renewable energy in the agricultural sector (using pumps run on solar energy to pump 180m3 of water per day for irrigation), along with initiatives to support women as entrepreneurs, bringing capacity-building to women, time management and improvements in access
to information (the creation of 9 resource centres and 4 places for children to occupy their free time); - MOZAMBIQUE (Province of Nampula), where cooperation is in the sectors of civil society (support for associations), education and health. This collaboration has taken the form of training for technicians and leaders of associations, adult literacy courses, above all among women and the handicapped,
for free time activities for young children and adolescents, 2 laboratories for secondary education (Physics/Chemistry and Biology), a computer room and IT equipment (15 computers), the acquisition of health support equipment and the building of necessary infrastructures (1 maternity, 1 pre-natal ward, 1 morgue, 1 ambulance, 2 motorbikes for vaccination purposes) along with campaigns to raise awareness of health issues;
“ADPM WORKS IN ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, TRAINING, CULTURAL AND COOPERATION AREAS.”
training and skills learning for human resources (in carpentry, metalwork, tailor and dressmaker skills, cookery); the acquisition and construction of equipment for formal and non-formal teaching – 28 classrooms and associated equipment, 3 administrative/ secretarial blocks for schools, 1 educational resource centre, 1 mobile library, 1 centre
- S. TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE, through training in how to get greater value from local products, and interchanges to deepen capacity-building and exchange experiences; - MOROCCO (Chefchaouen), the projects undertaken focused on organising the heritage recovery and safeguarding;
results in the area of cultural entertainment and tourism The organisation of cultural activities as a form of entertainment based on the local area has been the main link between the ADPM’s work and the communities where it operates, and this has led to true integration between the aims of the association and priorities/concerns of local people. Tourism is always considered as sustainable tourism and has a part to play in all
the work that is undertaken. It is seen as a way to generate wealth and raise employment levels. The creation of a tourism enterprise as a way to better organise and give a higher profile to local resources is an example that dovetails safeguarding of resources and the boosting of local development.
awards The project “CADeRuS – Centro de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável de Ribeira das Patas” (the Support Centre for Sustainable Rural Development in Ribeira das Patas), set up on Santo Antão island in Cape Verde, was picked out as a successful case in the combat against desertification in the 2011 Report for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The ADPM was also distinguished by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification with the DRYL AND CHAMPIONS award Portugal 2013. The basis for
this recognition is the work undertaken on the Monte do Vento in Mértola and in the town of Porto Novo, on Santo Antão island in Cape Verde. The first Maria José Nogueira Pinto award made a special mention of the work carried out by the ADPM as part of the Sobre Rod@s project, because – in an assessment of the creativity of actions and their importance in the social sphere as well as their contribution and impact on communities – it responded best to the concept: “socially responsible in the community of which we are a part.”
projects for reference
CAPE VERDE “CADERUS - CENTRO DE APOIO AO DESENVOLVIMENTO RURAL SUSTENTÁVEL” / THE SUPPORT CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT
environmental and economic development seen in sustainable terms.
It was possible to put a support centre for sustainable rural development in place, with an array of IT, multimedia and teaching The main purpose behind equipment available to the the creation of a Support Centre for Sustainable Rural local people, along with Development in Ribeira das a place for children’s free time activities, thus playing Patas was: to contribute towards an improvement in a part in the development living standards among the and strengthening of the local people in the commu- economic, social and cultural fabric. The project also nity of Ribeira das Patas, allowed for capacity buildfocusing on human, social,
ing among local players in the development field, farmers and youngsters, giving a boost to family income and improving the marketing of local products for the practice of sustainable agriculture, for environmental awareness and responsible citizenship, for participating and sharing in responsibilities relating to local development through a range of practical activities, training courses, workshops and public campaigns on the environment and health care.
CAPE VERDE
response to various needs in this rural community “CULTIVÁ BÔ TCHÔN that lives exclusively from DEFENDENDO AMBIENTE agriculture. The work done - NÚCLEO DE EXPERIMENthrough the partnership TAÇÃO E DEMONSTRAÇÃO led to the production of AGRÍCOLA E AMBIENTAL DA energy for extracting water CASA DO MEIO” / CULTIVÁ for irrigation by using a BÔ TCHÔN – IN DEFENCE voltaic solar energy system, OF THE ENVIRONMENT with new agricultural - THE CENTRE FOR EXPERIplots introduced for crop MENTATION AND PRACTICE rotation, training in various IN AGRICULTURE AND THE areas connected with the ENVIRONMENT IN THE CASA activities of local people, DO MEIO specifically sustainable This was a combined agriculture, preparing project carried out with a agricultural products for number of local partners. the market, entrepreneurIt was up and running ship and access to new in 2012, and provided a
information and communication technology. The voltaic solar power system provided for all the energy needed to pump water for irrigation in the community, with a very big reduction in energy costs and as a result an increase in the profitability of family-based agriculture. This led to a fall in the number of people leaving the community and in the youth unemployment rate. It even led to the return to agriculture of some families that had previously not been able to cover their operating costs.
MOZAMBIQUE
the teaching became more appealing and attractive for the children. Absenteeism and the drop-out rate both fell. Free time activities for children is another important feature, since they now have a suitable place to spend their time, meaning that the start of child labour is put off and the children can learn and develop other skills needed for social integration and a better life than their parents.
MONAPO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The ADPM started work in the Monapo administrative district (Mozambique) in 2002. Since that date there have been countless activities carried out that have played a part in the growth and development of various sectors, above all education and health. In education, the equipment that was
built meant that a sizeable number of children were able to complete at least their primary education (up to the 7th year of schooling) and many others were able to go on to secondary level. Moreover, building and equipping the resource centre and the mobile library with material that was required for reading purposes led to a diversification of educational methods, with the result that
PORTUGAL, SPAIN “FAJA III – REABILITAÇÃO AMBIENTAL E DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL DA FAIXA PIRITICA IBÉRICA / THE ENVIRONMENTAL REHABILITATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IBERIAN PYRITE BELT (2006/2008) The aim of this project was to combat
desertification and is connected with the regeneration of watercourses. It was born of the necessity that we feel to raise the quality of watercourses across the Mediterranean lands, and plays a fundamental role in conservation for the region. With this in mind, a partnership was set up with the Junta of Andalusia
(the regional government board) and the Alentejo CCDR, the aim being to take actions which would be of interest in the area. The FAJA wants to focus on operations that can serve as demonstrations, while also drawing up some pointers on watercourse regeneration.
annual budget Around 2 million euros distributed as follows:
15%
66%
18%
1%
Supply of services
Subsidies
Other Income
Own income
main sources of finance - Community funds
- Private organisations
- Portuguese funds
- Supply of ADPM services
- Public organisations
- Own income