Ubuntu Academy - Third Edition Report

LEAD TO SERVE

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Ubuntu Academy – Change the world from within.

Another edition of the Ubuntu Academy has come to an end. For the third time we have travelled alongside one another as part of a very special group of people, in a long twoyear journey, wherein we discovered what it is to be “Ubuntu”. Alongside each of our fellow travellers, we have come to understand that life only makes sense when we bond and when we understand the importance of the phrase “I am because you are”. It is in this instance that we see ourselves as interdependent and we discover a unique and one-off treasure in each individual by our side. We become greater and better people by way of the Ubuntus who walk by our sides.

Moreover, along this road we have also crossed paths with the legacy of humanity’s greatest beings: Mandela, for a start, but also Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Aristides Sousa Mendes all came to inspire us each day.

In each of them, we found either the greatness of leadership in the service of others, full of lessons for our daily challenges, or the frustration of not having been able to go further, a reality which we ourselves know all too well. Our ‘masters’ showed us the way.

All this was only possible because institutions such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Porticus Foundation, the Montepio Foundation and the Serralves Foundation provided us with the best conditions, making it possible for us to realise each of the steps that we chose, thus allowing us to go further. Along this journey, we were lucky enough to learn more about how to manage projects to create a better world, thanks to the knowledge and skills of the Everis and LI-

POR teams. The Universidade Católica [Catholic University], in a gesture of enormous friendship, welcomed us in Lisbon and Porto, making us feel at home. Others, such as Aprender e Agir [Learn and Act], helped us to open our minds and learn who we are, in an endeavour for self-awareness.

And so many others can be added to this list...

The trust and generosity shown by all these partners has led us to feel profoundly grateful to each and every one of them and as such we extend them a huge thank you!

Everything we have gone through together has led us to the conclusion that it is worth playing our part in changing the world. But to change it from within. That is, within each and every one of us, bringing to the surface a sense of awareness of injustice and inequality, making us get up to mobilise the very best of us to defend human dignity. To this internal change has to be added the change within the institutions in which we find ourselves (or will find ourselves), contributing in a positive way towards the improvement of their mission in the service of common good.

Ubuntus act in the form of a community within organisations and their role within them is as co-constructors of humanist responses.

As Ubuntus, we want to change from within, so that the seed which has been scattered onto the earth is one of sustainable growth and ever-increasing fruitfulness. Now this stage has come to an end, it is the time to bear fruit. With and for others.

Rui Marques Head teacher Ubuntu Academy

Ubuntu Academy What is it?

A non-formal educational project to train young people who have a high leadership potential who come from a background of social exclusion and/or aiming to work within these backgrounds, in order that they can go back and develop projects of social entrepreneurship for the benefit of the community.

Who is it aimed at?

Young people aged between 18 and 35 with a high leadership potential and who come from vulnerable backgrounds and/or who are ready to work in social entrepreneurship projects.

Ubuntu Created based on references from African culture, Ubuntu (I am because you are) and on the real life example of great figures such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, Aung Saan Suu Kyi and others, this project aims to awaken a new identity, a change of paradigms, which is reflected in a set of actions, attitudes and thoughts that each participant demonstrates in relation to the community, to the individuals with whom they interact and also in relation to themselves.

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

Servant Leadership The Ubuntu Academy, as a learning community and one with a purpose, seeks to develop the concept of “Servant Leadership” which the young people will attempt to adopt in the construction of their social entrepreneurship projects, the development of social projects being one of the key aspects of the Ubuntu Academy as a process of individual development and the giving back to the community the lessons they have learnt during their time in the Academy.

Methodology The methodology used in the Ubuntu Academy is profoundly linked with the essence of its concept conceptual (in harmony, moreover, with the definition of Ubuntu: a person is only a person through others, I am because you are!) It’s a pedagogic model with specific characteristics.

On the basis of a two-year training cycle, the Ubuntu Method is based on a pedagogy of non-formal education, and comprises a fixed training team (which includes participants from earlier editions) and the students.

The Ubuntu Method is essentially a process of learning and social transformation through a pedagogy of relationships. It is based on a path founded on:

EXPERIENCES - Surf and Leadership, Contemporary dance and leadership, Orchestra and leadership, etc.

CHALLENGES - Development of projects on social innovation, Mandela’s Day organisation, Ubuntu Lives Conference, etc.

Role Models

Experiences

Tools

Challenges

MODELS - Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi, Desmond Tutu, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Mother Teresa.

TOOLS - Project management, financial management, communication, conflict solving, self-awareness, etc.

Partners The principle of partnership is one of the key principles of the Ubuntu Academy. The partners should be actively involved throughout the entire lifetime of the Academy (preparation, execution, monitoring and assessment) and in future projects in which we aim to train the participants. Partnership offers innumerable advantages and added value, from improved commitment, increased skills and transparency, and thus is intricate to the Ubuntu spirit.

The following were sponsors and partners of the third edition of the Ubuntu Academy: the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Porticus Foundation, the Montepio Foundation, the Serralves Foundation, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa [the Portuguese Catholic University], Everis, LIPOR, the Associação Aprender e Agir [Learn and Act Association] and the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa [Portuguese Chamber Orchestra].

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Assessment of impact The Ubuntu Academy has demonstrated results and generated an impact in its three generations of participants and through them, in the communities involved. External assessment procedures were carried out on each of the three editions, and, on several occasions, other studies and scientific articles were drawn up based on this project. Thus, a great deal of attention has been given to measuring the impact and the personal transformation as a result of taking part in the Academy.

skills, areas of knowledge and attitudes, linked with leadership in the service of others. For this reason, a survey was circulated at three different points in time: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the training and this was filled in by each participant, from the point of view of their own self-awareness. An attempt was made to measure the level of growth between the start and the end of the training which could be gleaned from the responses given in the initial and the final questionnaire, from simply measuring the responses obtained.

A CEPCEP team developed an assessment in the last year which took into account not just the most recent edition but also the impact felt by participants of the first and second edition. What follows is the most prominent of the results obtained:

The most significant conclusion of this qualitative assessment of the impact on the development of skills, areas of knowledge and attitudes (SKA) is that all participants recorded an average level of progress of 21%, with lows of 1% and highs of 44%.

Assessment of impact on the development of skills by trainees One of the aims of the third edition of the Ubuntu Academy was to monitor, throughout the duration of the Academy’s work, the development of thirty

The most significant improvement identified was in their skills/knowledge linked to project management (26%) and where they saw least growth was in their mediation skills (18%).

Soft Skills Initial survey 10

8,49 8,16

9 8

7,32

7,425

8,24 7

7,96 7,985 6,875 7,715

7 6 5

6,295

8,61 8,585

8,5659,105

5,51

Increase recorded by participants in levels of soft skills

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

8,845

9,14 9,235

7,925

8,65

8,105

6,59

6,425

Final survey

Intermediate survey

7,425

6,84

7,83

8,295 7,84

8,545

7,93

7,28

8,31

7,875 7,19

6,085

8,03 7,615

8,095

8,375

7,815 7,955

6,845

7,16

7,62

Management Skills Initial survey 7,995

Intermediate survey

7,715

8

7,985

7,86

7,865

7,255

6,72

6,645

Final survey

8,285

7,365

7,085

7,555

7 6,605

5,835

5,8

6

6,74

6,045

7,115

5 Your knowledge of project management?

Your ability to manage projects?

Your ability to monitor projects?

Your knowledge of social entrepreneurship?

Your ability to organise events?

Your ability to plan?

Increase recorded by participants in levels of project management skills

Mediation Skills Initial survey

Intermediate survey

8,02

Final survey

8,365 7,905

8,085 7,795 7,76

7,31

8

7,265

7,52

6,785

6,97

7 7,275 6,625

7,06

6

6,255

5 Your ability to manage conflicts?

Your ability to negotiate?

Your interpersonal relationships?

Your ability to moderate small groups?

Your ability to moderate sessions?

Increase recorded by participants in levels of mediation skills

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The skills/areas of knowledge/attitudes with the most significant change (% improvement compared with initial situation)

As competências / conhecimentos / atitudes com evolução menos significativa (% melhoria face à situação inicial)

Knowledge about social entrepreneurship - 41% Skills to speak in public - 40% Knowledge of the Ubuntu and the leaders philosophy - 38% Knowledge of project management - 38% Ability to manage projects - 37%

Importance given to attendance - 3% Importance given to punctuality - 5% Level of cooperation and team work - 10% Autonomy - 10% Ability to moderate small groups - 17%

Assessment of the seminars of the 3rd Edition of the Ubuntu Academy At the end of each seminar, the trainees were asked to fill out a written assessment form, and the first question was as to the overall assessment.

It was clear that, on a scale of 0-5, the assessment average for the twenty-six seminars carried out in

Lisbon was 4.58 and the overall assessment average for each individual seminar was between 4.21 and 5. In terms of those which took place in Porto, the average was 4.57 and the lowest average and highest average were 3.93 and 4.94 respectively.

The Lisbon seminars which received the most positive assessments were (top 10, from 0 to 5):

Assessment of Oporto seminars (top 10, from 0 to 5):

Surf, Resilience and Leadership seminar

5,00

Work with Refugees seminar

4,94

Music and Leadership seminar

4,79

Ubuntu Lives seminar- life stories

4,87

Ubuntu Lives Seminar

4,77

Inaugural seminar

4,85

GreenFest Seminar

4,76

Aristides de Sousa Mendes seminar

4,85

Idea Development/Theatre and Leadership seminar

4,75

Empathy seminar (GNR)

4,74

Freedom Writers seminar

4,83

Invictus seminar

4,73

The Legacy of Mandela II seminar

4,82

Public Speaking seminar

4,67

Desmond Tutu seminar

4,81

Self-awareness seminar

4,63

Ideas Fair seminar

4,80

Refugees seminar

4,63

The Legacy of Mandela I seminar

4,77

Ubuntu Lives/ Life Stories preparatory seminar

4,72

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

Assessment of impact on development of skills of trainers The Ubuntu Academy recruits a group of trainers/ mentors who, in their vast majority, took part in the first of second edition. This participation, over and above the support they offer to the participants of the third edition by way of an inter-peer approach, also gives weight to the advanced training objective. For this reason, an assessment of impact is also carried out using the same methodology. As would be expected, their initial level (responses to the first survey) was greater than that of the group of trainees but even so, development in all the skills, areas of knowledge and attitudes was also recorded, of an average level of 13%, with a low measured at 1% and a high of 23%.

Management Skills

Self-esteem - 23% Self-confidence - 22% Knowledge of Ubuntu philosophy and philosophy of leaders in the service of others - 22% Knowledge of project management - 22% Importance given to the individual testimony - 21% Knowledge of social entrepreneurship - 21% Ability to manage conflicts - 21% Initial

Survey Intermediate

Final

Level of Growth

Your level of self-confidence?

6,85

7,90

8,33

22%

Your level of self-esteem?

7,09

7,65

8,75

23%

Your skills to speak in public?

7,27

8,10

8,75

20%

The importance you give to your individual testimony?

7,12

8,10

8,58

21%

Your ability to serve the group?

7,91

8,30

8,83

12%

The importance you give to punctuality?

9,15

9,25

9,25

1%

The importance you give to attendance?

9,30

9,30

9,67

4%

Your ability to mobilise people and groups?

7,55

8,20

8,33

10%

Your level of cooperation and team work?

8,27

8,30

8,83

7%

Your ability to take the initiative?

7,72

8,05

8,50

10%

Your knowledge of the Ubuntu philosophy and those who inspired the Academy?

7,38

8,40

9,00

22%

Your critical analysis skills?

7,64

8,15

8,50

11%

Your ability to innovate?

7,13

7,60

8,25

16%

Your ability to deal with the unforeseen? (problem solving)

7,41

8,20

8,50

15%

Your autonomy?

7,88

8,10

8,36

6%

Your knowledge of project management?

6,79

7,75

8,25

22%

Your ability to manage projects?

6,85

7,65

7,92

16%

Your ability to monitor projects?

7,33

7,95

8,33

14%

Your knowledge of social entrepreneurship?

6,97

7,65

8,42

21%

Your ability to organise events?

7,85

8,10

8,75

11%

Your ability to plan?

7,58

7,85

8,75

15%

Your ability to manage conflicts?

7,09

7,95

8,55

21%

Your ability to negotiate?

7,09

7,65

8,17

15%

8,09

8,15

8,75

8%

Your ability to moderate small groups?

8,09

8,20

8,75

8%

Your ability to moderate sessions?

7,30

7,75

8,17

12% 4%

Skills

Soft Skills

The skills / areas of knowledge / attitudes having the most significant level of development (% improvement compared with initial situation)

Pergunta

Mediation Skills Your interpersonal relationships?

General

What is your level of personal satisfaction with this experience at this specific time?

8,76

8,65

9,08

What is your level of personal satisfaction in general at this specific time?

7,88

8,15

8,58

9%

What is your level of personal fulfilment at this specific time?

7,67

8,00

8,42

10%

What is your level of professional fulfilment at this specific time?

7,31

7,65

7,75

6%

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Greatest fruits of the Ubuntu Academy At the end of 2014 the first step was taken towards the internationalisation of the project with the start of the Ubuntu Academy in Guinea-Bissau, which ended in January 2015, undertaken by way of a project financed by the European Union through the EU-PAANE programme.

The Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau was referenced and recognised as having demonstrated good practice in terms of the training of young Guineans. Following this positive experience, similar projects are being created for Cape Verde, Mozambique and East Timor.

In April 2014, by way of an initiative of the Instituto Padre Antรณnio Vieira, the Ubuntu Global Network was founded in Lisbon, allowing the

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

project to be taken across borders by way of the work of the 13 organisations in the 8 countries which make up this partnership.

Several social projects created by participants are also in development phase and the areas of intervention of these projects are very different (education, health, cultural diversity, environment, etc.) and have a very widespread geographical sphere (Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, etc.). This richness of projects in development and the quality of support provided for their implementation has been one of the Ubuntu Academy successes.

Greatest fruits of the Ubuntu Academy 1st edition of the Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau In terms of a training project for young people with a high level of leadership potential, who are active in civil society, with the aim of them developing social entrepreneurship projects for the benefit of the community, the Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau was an extraordinarily positive experience for all those involved- managers, participants and partners– as well as for the country.

Properly adapted to the Guinean reality and created based on the Ubuntu philosophy and the examples of the lives of great figures such as Nelson Mandela, Amílcar Cabral, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi and Aung Saan Suu Kyi, amongst others, the project achieved an impact over and above all expectations. It achieved, notably, its objective of driving forward a new way of being within society, a change in paradigms, which was reflected in a number of actions, attitudes and thought processes shown by each participant in relation to the community, the individuals with whom they interact and in relation to themselves. Having awakened, from the very start, a huge level of interest on the part of the country’s youth organisations, which was reflected in a huge level of applicants, way over 330, the Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau began its work with a group of 70 young people, hailing from different organisations within the country.

And after the training sessions, which had an impact both in terms of inspiring participants and on their technical skills, and which welcomed various invitees and persons of both national and international renown, there was a huge opportunity for the young trainees to put everything they had learnt at the Ubuntu

Edson Incopté Participant in the 1st edition of the Ubuntu Academy

Participation in the 1st Edition of the UA “Taking part in the first edition of the Ubuntu Academy for me meant a change in my personality, a change of thinking, in my way of being, and of serving others. It gave me guidance for the one thing I wanted most to do in my life, which was to serve others, particularly those in Guinea-Bissau. It was, therefore, a way to give structure to all my dreams and aims in life.

More than that, it also gave me a greater understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, in the sense of strengthening my strong points and placing them at the service of others, and trying to overcome my weak points, transforming them, often, into strengths.

In conclusion, the Ubuntu Academy was an experience which marked my life and will continue to mark my life in that it was an enormous school of human, citizen and happily even spiritual training, training which, when linked to academic training, allows a person to make a greater contribution to society. “

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Academy into practice by way of the creation and implementation of social entrepreneurship projects, with the financial assistance of the European Union. Nine community intervention projects were thought up and implemented as a result, which had a huge impact in local communities. As the first experiment of its kind in the country, the Ubuntu Academy managed, by the end of one year, to maximise the concepts of leadership in the service of others and Ubuntu (I am because you are), unknown in the country up to that point. This maximisation of concepts on a nation-wide level was achieved, in part, by way of the projects implemented but also by way of partnerships and the activities carried out, such as the training with young people from the Armed Forces, challenges/visits to Fortaleza d’Amura and Cumere, the country’s military instruction centre, and the Ubuntu Lives public conferences.

Links established with public bodies such as the Hospital Nacional Simão Mendes [National Simão Mendes Hospital], and civil society organisations such as the Movimento Ação Cidadã [Action Citizen Movement], amongst others, allowed Ubuntu Academy to become an end community, where everyone is welcome and all are useful when the main objective is the service of others.

By way of a conclusion, it is important to point out that Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau was a work of extraordinary service to Guinea-Bissau, through the training and guidance of the country’s greatest strength: its human resources, but more concretely its young people, as a driving force, given that these were young people who were active in their organisations and in the future of their country, young people with leadership potential and able to promote change within their communities. It could be said that Ubuntu Academy Guinea-Bissau was an investment in the country’s future, and one which urgently needs to be increased and its potential unlocked!

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

Participation in the 2nd Edition of the UA “Following the first edition, my participation, as a trainer, in the second edition of the Ubuntu Academy, meant, to a large extent, putting into practice a large amount of what I had learnt in the first edition. It comprised supporting and guiding the young people taking part, working with the Instituto Padre António Vieira team in implementing the training sessions, telling my life story and also giving an account of the first edition, contact with young people in the sense of sharing knowledge and experience.

Those were the extraordinary gains that the Ubuntu Academy provided to me.

In short, my participation in the second edition of the Ubuntu Academy was, above all, a consolidation exercise of all the tools I had acquired in the first edition. Tools which serve to support me now, both on a personal and on a professional level.”

Edson Incopté Participant in the 2nd Edition of the Ubuntu Academy

Greatest fruits of the Ubuntu Academy Vidas Ubuntu Project Ubuntu Lives Project is a project promoted by the Instituto Padre António Vieira, supported by the Programa Cidadania Ativa [Active Citizens Programme], managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation financed by EEA Grants (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

It defines itself as an initiative which aims to promote democratic values, including the defence of human rights, minority rights and the fight against discrimination, which includes the development of a programme which builds and presents “life stories” told in the first person through a “personal storytelling” methodology, and is aimed at young people who, are, in the main from vulnerable backgrounds.

The project aims to develop a process of self-awareness, recuperation of memories, of the origin of sense, of positive integration of everything a person has lived through and placing value on identity. In workshops lasting around 4 days, with a group of trained facilitators, participants are challenged to develop their “life story” in oral, written and multimedia format. The final presentation includes the sharing of these “life stories” with the rest of the group who are taking part.

In 2014 and 2015, 1,600 beneficiaries and 194 teachers and technicians from various different primary, secondary and technical schools, children and young people’s homes, the drugs-prevention community, youth associations, immigrant associations and educational centres, took part, from the north to the south of the country. Inspired by the Ubuntu philosophy (“I am because you are”), which the promoter has developed in Portugal by way of the Ubuntu Academy, which promotes a culture of welcome, respect, mutual support, sharing, community, care, confidence and generosity.

Carolina Tomaz Participant in the 2nd edition of the Ubuntu Academy

Participation in the 2nd Edition of the UA “I heard about the Ubuntu Academy through a friend. I told her it was unlikely I would be accepted due to the length of time they were proposing (2 years). In any case, I decided to attend the first day and it’s a good job I went because the Ubuntu Academy ended up being one of the best experiences in my life.

All the seminars I attended marked me in some way: the discovery of the Ubuntu philosophy; looking in depth at each of the inspirational leaders; the way in which the content was transmitted and worked on …and to add to all that, the delivery of the team who brought this project into being. The Ubuntu philosophy is brought into being via each one of the participants, in the spirit of unity and the captivating and revealing words which prevail in each seminar and make each one unique.

Today, now that some time has passed, I can more consciously understand that the Ubuntu Academy allowed me to discover who I was, in relation to myself and with the world. My active listening and my openness to discovering what is around me has allowed me to live a life which is fuller and more complete.

The Ubuntu Academy made me more human.”

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Desingosta Project Desingosta is a criole word which means to make stand on two feet or make something useful. The “Desingosta” project aims to train children and young people, to reduce the high levels of youth unemployment, increase the friendship links and mutual support of people living in Bairro Municipal Moinho das Rolas district (in Oeiras, greater Lisbon), promote exchange and tolerance between people coming from polar opposite backgrounds and different areas.

Making resources available giving young people the knowledge of where to go to find work, of the law, how to get back to school, amongst other things. Making young people aware of their abilities through making them responsible for and involved in activities, letting them know that transformation starts within ourselves and teaching them about the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Encouraging young people to offer each other mutual support, giving them incentive to volunteer in the implementation of activities with social implications, sporting actions and festivities, promoting exchanges with other associations which allows young people to learn about other realities, sharing experiences, teachings and developing activities, events and tournaments.

André Moreira Participant in the 2nd edition of the Ubuntu Academy

Participation in the 2nd edition of the UA “The impact and the importance that the academy had on my life was enormous.

As well as giving me the tools to create a solid base in the Association, it made me grow as a citizen on every level; it allowed me to learn about realities which are completely different from my own. It also reinforced even more strongly my desire to solve all humanity’s problems.

The project we created within the Academy is being implemented in the field at a speed of knots, praise be to God. The fact that the project was created in the Academy opened doors which up until that point would have been impossible to open without the existence of a solid, forward-looking project which is so full of joy.

I can therefore say that the academy was like a mother, teaching us how to crawl, then to walk and to make some dreams come true.”

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

Greatest fruits of the Ubuntu Academy Embarca Project The Embarca Project arose in the context of of the Ubuntu Social Incubator from the 1st edition of the Ubuntu Academy, which began its programme of intervention in March 2013, as part of the 5th edition of the Choices Programme. The project is aimed at intervening in the district of Bairro dos Navegadores, in the municipality of Oeiras, and with the aim of promoting social and educational inclusion, employability and active citizens within the community of Bairro dos Navegadores. The areas of intervention where the project is taking action is in the promotion of school achievement, professional training and employability, the dynamisation of communities and citizens, digital inclusion and training of young people. Throughout the duration of the 5th edition of the Choices Programme, the project was backed by the Oeiras Town Council and managed by the Instituto Padre AntĂłnio Vieira. At the end of the 5th edition of the Choices Programme in December 2015, the Embarca Project was shut down, and it reopened its doors in June 2016, under the management of the Oeiras Town Council.

Graciete Borges Participant in the 1st edition of the Ubuntu Academy

Participation in the 1st edition of the UA “Taking part in the Ubuntu Academy was a fantastic opportunity for me thanks to all the different experiences I underwent and the amazing life stories and stories of survival which I was able to hear about, and share. Meeting young people with ideas and dreams similar to my own allowed me to believe that it is possible to make a difference, starting from our own communities. The possibility to create and implement a project in the community in which I live, alongside other young people who believe in the possibility of doing something more, was a turning point in my life, and a new pathway was opened to me. Today I work with those people and for those people who are closest to me and I believe that this work will have positive impacts on the lives of all of us!�

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3

RD

UBUNTU ACADEMY PILOT PROJECTS

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy

TUA – Tomar Uma Atitude [Take an attitude] Concept It consists in the mapping and identifying of opportunities and existing challenges within parishes, in the identification of key players in the area, both individuals and groups, drawing up of an assessment plan which involves everyone from the community and evaluating action proposals with a view to integrated government.

those present to point out where they lived on the map of the parish and we asked 4 questions aimed at identifying the parish’s most positive and least positive points, that is, to highlight the opportunities and challenges as well as advancing ideas and/or strategies in order to strengthen opportunities and transform challenges into opportunities.

Main objectives Promote the progressive linking of the social intervention of various partners as well as activating profitability mechanisms for existing resources within the community, thus stimulating ecological and sustainable synergies.

The 1st session with the non-formal group, that is to say, people from the general community, is timetabled for 4th July. The session will have the same format as the formal session.

We will look at the data we have collected from both meetings in August, and thus translate the opinions and desires of the community of São Pedro de Tomar.

In September we plan a mixed session, that is, with both the formal and non-formal group in order to share the results.

We aim, in this manner, to draw up work groups and a joint action plan(s) the first activity of which will be a community event organised “by all for all” which will take place at the beginning of October.

Pilot project We established a collaborative partnership with the São Pedro de Tomar Parish Council in May this year and it is already implementing the pilot project which consists of Mapping and Assessing of the Area, by way of a methodology based on the territorial strategy of integrated government.

Team Aida Pontes, Cláudia Brandão, Catarina Veríssimo

We held the 1st formal meeting on the 21st June with the Parish Social Committee in which we presented the project to the team. We asked

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children will interact with six characters and their life stories, which will evolve and grow alongside the children throughout the journey, creating empathy and links with their imaginations.

UBUNTU KIDS Concept The UBUNTU KIDS Passport is an educational game applied in a school context in primary schools, aiming at strengthening personal, social and emotional skills, helping prevent engagement in risky behaviour and the inability to integrate socially.

Objectives Based on individual and group challenges, carried out in the context of a classroom and at home, and which combine learning and fun, the UBUNTU KIDS Passport consists of a journey on four progressive levels which translate into the first four years of primary school, and which become progressively more difficult and complex, based on the skills and knowledge acquired by children in the year in question.

On each level, a journey is proposed to the children by way of a route full of challenges. Each route has three stops: (1) self-awareness (2) relationships with others and (3) entrepreneurism.

Each time a challenge is overcome, the Passport is stamped, which stimulates the child to discover new challenges as well as stimulating their individual progress. Throughout the game, the

Pilot Project The pilot project of UBUNTU KIDS Passport was implemented in the Associação Infante de Sagres [Sagres Child Association] for three months (April to June) with year 1 pupils. The Sagres Child Association is a Private Social Solidarity Institution which offers nursery, pre-school and primary school places.

The pilot project consisted of 11 activity sessions with 75 primary school pupils of the Sagres Child Association: › Carrying out 6 sessions with year 2, 3 and 4 pupils with the aim of creating a visual image of the characters by reading and visualising their live stories, promoting entrepreneurism, sustainability and social participation via their involvement in a project in which they were paired up with another child; › Carrying out 5 sessions with year 1 pupils: 2 sessions aimed at presenting the UBUNTU KIDS Passport, its concept and its characters and 3 sessions of training in social, personal and emotional skills which each of the UBUNTU KIDS stages of the journey aim to represent (self-awareness, relationships with others, entrepreneurism).

Team Patrícia Campaniço, Bruna Sambú, Constança Vilar, Edsana Costa, Margarida Milheiro, Margarida Roque.

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Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy sion and yoga, thus constructing a new educational expression within the group.

LegUS Concept Training in personal and social skills.

Objectives To train young people so that they become a source of inspiration for society, by strengthening their individual characteristics, providing them with the necessary tools to promote respect of differences, with the aim of emphasising equality across humanity.

The legUS team always put huge emphasis on the individual freedom and potential of each pupil, with the aim of capturing and stimulating their individual characteristics and developing the Ubuntu spirit: I am because you are; moving away from the individual to the group and back to the individual again.

The pupils who took part in our pilot project developed group skills: union, barriers broken down, opinions shared which helped to over-

Pilot project The pilot project was developed in the Marquesa D’Alorna School with a group of young people aged between 12 and 19, selected by a multi-disciplinary team from the school itself. The activities developed always took place within the school in various spaces reserved for the same.

The pilot project saw involvement from the school community, both from teachers and from civil servants and from parents/those responsible for children’s education.

Activities were developed with a specific leaning towards the area of dramatic/theatrical expres-

come personal issues, listening to various different points of view, mutual support, empathy towards others, respect for the time/space of others, self-confidence, self-motivation and self-esteem. The recognition by the school, in particular of the external peers of the project, and of the work developed by them which culminated in the final theatre presentation, was fundamental.

The final piece was pretty strong demonstration of the group overcoming barriers in front of with the school community, the feeling that they were all part of a whole and the resulting recognition of their efforts.

Team Luísa Sargento, Nuno Lopes, Nivaldo Silva, Mónica Pacheco, Odília Nair, Susana Pereira.

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The specific objectives are:

DIREÇÃO (Diálogo Interreligioso) [Inter-religious dialogue] Concept The DIRECTION project is an initiative which aims to promote knowledge of various religions in the context of open and constructive dialogue between practising believers of various faiths and atheists. The idea arose from findings that there are few opportunities for dialogue amongst the different religions, and which promote tolerance, understanding and respect between believers, as well as knowledge of each religion.

The project is aimed at practising believers /believers of the 5 main religions [Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism] and atheists who are interested in learning about, exploring and promoting understanding between various religions, aged between 20 and 35, and will take place in greater Lisbon.

Objectives The general objective is to promote inter-religious dialogue (IRD) between practising adults of different religions and atheists interested in the subject, with the aim of raising their awareness, involving them and raising their consciousness as to the effects of religious intolerance, or rather, contributing towards changing the way that inter-religious dialogue is viewed as something simply problematic so it is instead seen as a great treasure from the point of view of diversity and valuing each individual as a unique and complete being.

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Ubuntu Academy | Lead to Serve 3rd Edition report

1. To create a space which promotes IRD and through it to work on values such as knowledge, tolerance, respect and valuing of religious diversity 2. To promote the development of personal skills which allow a more substantiated critical reflexion and opinion in young people 3. To spread the importance and impact of inter-religious dialogue as a path towards tolerance and peace within society.

The project aims, in terms of results, to reach 150 young people of various religions, aiming at raising awareness, promoting consciousness and knowledge and, as a consequence, a change in the behaviour which leads to religious intolerance.

It is a 4-month project and we opted to involve 2 religions in this initial phase (Muslim and Catholic).

The activities will include a debate on the subject of “The concept of God: the vision of the Christian and Muslim faith” and it will take place on 8th July at 7pm (and will last two hours) and will take place in Lisbon with the following speakers: Sheik Munir, Mrs Hassina Sayed, Teresa Ramos and Father Gonçalo Castro Fonseca, sj. Entrance will be free.

We will have inter-religious prayer in Lisbon in September on a date and time still to be announced.

Pilot project It is a 4-month project and we opted to involve 2 religions in this initial phase (Muslim and Catholic). The activities will include a debate on the subject of “The concept of God: the vision of the Christian and Muslim faith” and it will take place on 8th July at 7pm (and will last two hours) and will take place in Lisbon with the following speakers: Sheik Munir, Mrs Hassina Sayed, Teresa Ramos and Father Gonçalo Castro Fonseca, sj. Entrance will be free. We will have inter-religious prayer in Lisbon in September on a date and time still to be announced.

Team Ana Júlia Lopes, Andreia Alves, Miguel Jarimba

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy

MirAtiva - Associação para o desenvolvimento local [Association for local development] Concept MirAtiva – Association for local development is a not-for-profit organisation with headquarters in the municipality of Amadora. Its aim is the promotion of local development of the village of Casal da Mira, seeking to increase the quality of life and well-being of its inhabitants by way of the following activities: Creation and promotion of a new, more positive, image of the area and its relations with the outside world, alternative occupations which promote sharing, neighbourhood relationships based on trust and communal living amongst inhabitants to generate greater cohesion and respect; projects and activities promoting health, leisure time and physical and mental well-being; initiatives which promote intercultural and intergenerational relationships, valuing the identity and culture of each inhabitant and generating a greater sense of belonging to the area; activities promoting active citizens, namely mobilising the inhabitants for their involvement in the preservation of communal spaces, in the improvement of accessibility to the area and in the promotion of safety; offering support and information on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and ease of access to services by the population, specifically health services, immigration, family support, educational equipment and vocational; support to groups of inhabitants who wish to carry out positive initiatives beneficial to the neighbourhood; training actions which aim to increase the skills of individuals and in this way their social inclusion; other activities related to its mission.

Pilot project The issue which is being addressed is the weak community cohesion, which translates into an absence of interaction between children, young people and other inhabitants of the area.

In order to bridge this gap, the project will use the practice of sport as a way to promote interaction between all and a way to fill leisure time with learning and play.

The initial objective of this project is to create activities which promote health, leisure and physical and mental well-being via activities like Jiujitsu, Ballet/Hip-hop, African Dance and Capoeira. The activities will take place during the school summer holidays (July to September 2016) for children aged between 6 and 15 and will take place on work days between 10am and 6pm. This year MirAtiva will integrate the 3rd year of the “Look in Movement” Week during the month of July, more specifically from 11 to 16 July 2016, ending with a closing ceremony.

Team Marcos Varela; Mónica Baldé; Vânia Figueiredo

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BIM - Bolsa Intercultural de Mediadores [Intercultural exchange mediators] Objectives The general objective of the project is to support immigrants, descendants of immigrants and their associations in their integration, participation and intercultural harmony within their host country.

Our specific objectives are: 1. To offer guidance and monitor the immigrant settlement procedures alongside the competent authorities; 2. To offer financial support to immigrants who have legal rights to apply for citizenship but who have no money to hand to do so- by way of a trust fund; 3. To create useful services for the immigrant communities; 4. To support the strengthening of immigrant associations.

Pilot project The pilot project will be implemented in the municipality of Cascais, but the services provided won’t just be limited to the inhabitants of Cascais and will last 6 months.

The partners we hope to have in place for the implementation of the pilot project are: Embassies e consulates – Advertising the service to the wide range of people to whom they offer services; financial support for the various activities.

Social foundations and social benefactors Advertising the service to the wide range of people to whom they offer services; financial support for the various activities.

Town council - Advertising the service to the wide range of people to whom they offer services; financial support for the various activities.

Local immigrant institutions/associations Advertising the service to the wide range of people to whom they offer services; financial support for the various activities; offering a space where the services can be provided and receiving a donation in return.

Informal groups – Advertising of the services to the target public: religious groups, key members of the community.

The pilot project aims to have as follows: › 132 people assisted in the context of offering support to the process of immigrant settlement jointly with the competent authorities. › 2 people/50EUR or 1 person/100EUR in 5 months. › 1 training action carried out jointly with an immigrant association. › Offering support in the creation of activity and account reports, organisation of one event or one training action carried out jointly with an immigrant association.

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We aim to provide generic and abstract information services and to monitor the process of immigrant settlement. Possibly to create other types of services and projects, by and for immigrants from a viewpoint of total autonomy and sustainability such as paid support for the internal organisation and activities of the immigration associations.

Team Alexandru Machidonschi, Kirina Gama, Manuel Frazão, Umera Assanali

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy Sussa Mon Concept This is an initiative of young people united in their aim to improve the image and the quality of life in the city of Bissau, through neighbourhood cleaning projects, improving waste collection and promoting a change of behaviour.

Mobilising society to the environmental cause by participation by its people in city cleaning is the tool which has been chosen to stimulate/ bring about and restore civic values.

The execution of this idea will come about with the support of the Bissau Town Council, collaboration with local associations, NGOs and international bodies.

Objectives › To inform and made clear the consequences of the improper treatment of waste › Change the behaviour of the population towards waste

Pilot project It is hoped that this can be carried out in the city of Bissau, involving the inhabitants of the chosen district and with the collaboration of local youth associations.

Two activities are aimed at being carried out in order to fulfil both of the main objectives: › To organise two talks in different areas in order to begin the process of raising the consciousness of the population as to the consequences of the accumulated waste; › To carry out two cleaning activities in a district in order to weigh up the commitment of the local population and the viability of the project.

Team Adiato Baldé; Ana Maira Cassamá; Carlos Cabral; Felina Mgo; Joela Badinca

› Keep the city clean.

The aim is to have applied our objectives to 3 large districts of the city (during the space of one year)!

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Unificar.te Concept “Unificar.te” is a personal and social development programme which, using non-formal education methodologies and art, aims to promote social inclusion of young people with behavioural problems and/or who are at risk.

Objectives The project is focusing on the following specific objectives: 1) To promote the development of personal and social skills 2) To promote participation and active citizens 3) To motivate young people to go to school 4) To promote greater cooperation and integration between local bodies.

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Pilot project The pilot project took place in The Children and Young People’s Home Nossa Senhora do Acolhimento, in Ramalde, from 3 to 5 July 2016, from 2pm to 8pm each day, lasting 50 hours in total, culminating in a final event open to the community on 6 July. Six young people, aged 13 to 17, all girls, were brought onto the project, who had been singled out due to their engaging in risky behaviour and by way of fulfilment of promotional and protectionist care home measures.

Team Elvira Lopes, Filipa Paiva, Iolanda Fontainhas, Orquídea Ribeiro, Sofia Mexia Alves and Raquel Pacheco

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy

Ponto P - versão 2.0 [Point P - version 2.0] Concept The Point P project– version 2.0 is a project seeking to prevent engagement in risky behaviour associated with alcohol and drug consumption as well as sexual activity, promoting a healthy lifestyle. Point P takes place in the streets of the historical centre of Santa Maria da Feira, where the majority of bars and nightclubs can be found.

The intervention consists in the sharing of knowledge and clearing up doubts from the perspective of raising awareness as to moderate consumption of drugs and alcohol and the adoption of healthy sexual behaviour by way of the Ubuntu philosophy: “I am because you are”.

This philosophy is associated with values such as mutual support, sharing, trust and generosity and defends the belief that someone is only a person by way of contact with other people, and that from this dynamic interaction humanity is born. Therefore, the Point P project inserts the Ubuntu concept into an inter-peer logic, giving priority to the sharing of knowledge amongst young people in order to strengthen and close the gap on language and symbols, thus promoting both the identification and reinforcement of the positive results of this relationship.

Objectives In this manner, the specific objectives of the project respect the promotion of self-check behaviours, the concept of normal and conscious consumption of drugs and alcohol, transmission of knowledge as to the risks associated with consumption, adopting behaviour which differs from that of models of reference, the promotion of behaviour which broadcasts a message of “healthy behaviour” and the reduction of the burden on the public system.

Pilot project Given that through its intervention strategy, the project aims to have an impact on different target publics, it is hoped that through the initial pilot that this impact can be put into practise on the main target public: young people who are spreading the message of “healthy behaviours”.

In this sense, we propose the creation of a group of 10 young people who will transform all their potential into an agent of change, working with other young people on the issue in question.

Over and above looking at the issue from a technical point of view, the aim is to provide these young people with a non-formal teaching experience, developing their abilities as leaders in the service of others, and consequently to reinforce their communication skills, working as a team, and skills at taking the initiative. Equally, we understand that it is necessary to prioritise the communication strategies of the project message given that this is the main objective of the Point P project. Therefore, we consider it vital to develop communication strategies as well as effective and innovative material and support structures and which have an impact in order that the message is transmitted in an assertive way and one which is appropriate to the target public. As indicators of success we will point to, in the phase prior to and following the pilot period, the importance of assessing the reactions of the participants and the partners to the project marketing materials, as well as the knowledge acquired during the training.

Team Ana Oliveira, Teresa Ferreira

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3. To contribute towards a significant deconstruction of stereotypes and prejudices on the AIW by facilitating a clear and immediate dialogue with the community ;

Mosaico [mosaic]

4. To promote cultural interaction and the strengthening of ties between Portugal and the AIW.

Concept The Mosaic project, in which the youth association MEDesTU is part, consists of promoting and developing initiatives in the (inter)cultural sphere on a local, national and international level, constituting a platform which aims to spread knowledge about the Arabic and Islamic World (AIW).

Pilot project Accessible Mosaic Manual (AMM)

In this vein, we launched a survey in the form of a questionnaire between 18 February and 30 April, the aim of which was to collect data on what Portuguese people think about the Arabic and Islamic World (in the sense of capturing current social concepts of the same), to then go on to carry out an analysis of a more exploratory nature.

› As a whole: a good practices manual for the demystification of myths on the Arabic and Islamic World which is fully accessible to all, consisting of:

Using the remarks given and the existing information, we brought together the necessary conditions in order to invest in a well-defined social entrepreneurship project: a 3- month project consisting of the preparation, implementation, distributing and assessing of a good practice manual serving to deconstruct the stereotypes and prejudices held about the AIW by the community and a reflection on the myths which are frequently associated with it, bearing in mind a need for accessibility for all.

Objetives 1. To promote information to Portuguese society regarding the AIW, through the dynamisation of (inter)cultural activities; 2. To ensure that the information in the manual is accessible to all those who have an interest in the subject, developing synergies on a local/national level for this end ;

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This pilot project therefore aims to have the following delivered by the 31 August 2016: › The results obtained in the survey and which will serve as a basis for the creation of the manual;

• a manual in print and digital form, available in Portuguese and in English using an accessible level of language which will serve the public in general; • a physical Braille manual; • an audio book in Portuguese; • a video to accompany the manual, which will be available in subtitles in both languages, on CD format.

After it is created, the AMM will be advertised until the end of September 2016 on a local level (in Porto, Marco de Canaveses, Braga, Santa Maria da Feira, Póvoa do Varzim, Matosinhos and Espinho) via various advertising methods: events, libraries (both physical and online), online (Facebook, the MEDesTU website (medestu.org), wetransfer), advertising boards and via partners.

Team Juliana Santos; Ana Correia; Juliana Santos e Orquídea Pires

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy

Ubuntu. Um Lugar no Mundo [A place in the world] Concept This pilot project aims to contribute towards the creation of synergies between different participants in the work for the school and community integration of immigrant children and their carers in Portugal, facilitating the work of organisations which work in this area. In this sense, the experience of immigrant families will be looked at when identifying needs and in the sharing of perceptions on the integration process.

Objectives To create guidance material for use in work aiming to facilitate school, social and community integration of immigrant children and their carers in Portugal, through (1) the compilation of information regarding the relationships of immigrant families in Porto Metropolitan Area with the school and the community (2) identification of the ways of facilitating school and community integration of the children and their families (3) raising of awareness as to the importance of school and community integration for reducing the levels of educational failure of immigrant children.

Pilot project Developed in the Porto Metropolitan Area, this pilot experience aims at learning about the views of children and carers on social and community integration (within which an educational dimension will also be looked at) in the context of Portugal. For the purpose of gathering information from this public, we have sent out surveys in the form of questionnaires to carers since June this year and we have interviewed teachers and educators and members of immigrant associations. We have also carried out informal activities with children. Between July and August, this process will be replicated and, in additional, focus groups will be organised with carers. We are aiming, by way of the narratives of the immigrants themselves, to create combined guidance materials which will serve to help and train those professionals who are involved in the issue.

Team Anizandra Sebastião, Inês Vouga, Mafalda Gomes, Maíra Diniz, Tânia Neves

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Ki.Age Concept KI.AGE – YOUR BEST WAY OF BEING is a pilot project to tackle social exclusion in schools, aiming to reduce levels of bullying through a training and preparatory programme based on non-formal education methodology.

Objectives 1) To combat the alienation and indifference in/of interpersonal relations 2) To promote the development of social and emotional skills 3) To promote the concept of intercultural dialogue 4) To promote the concept of non-violence through the values and philosophy of martial arts 5) To engage young people to spread the message to others Pilot project The Ki.Age project was implemented in the Laboratory Project, and its target population was young people aged between 11 and 13.

Five sessions were carried out, each lasting 1.5hrs. Various subjects were covered in these sessions such as team-building, human relations, human rights and interactions between cultures, sport as a vehicle of social inclusion, and bullying, via various group dynamics.

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Following this, and as a way to extend the KI.AGE project, ‘Challenge day’ was born, which translates as a moment of celebration of diversity and positive change and transformation of the community through love, connections, freedom of expression, sharing truths, empathy, compassion and the sense of belonging.

With ‘Challenge day’ we aim: 1) to promote the social conscience and positive interaction of different groups 2) to promote self-awareness and a realistic vision of the skills of each young person 3) to promote a focus on positive relations based on communication, cooperation, negotiation, resisting peer pressure and coping with pressure from challenges 4) to promote management of emotions in the sense of facilitating the development of tolerance and the managing of frustrations 5) to promote a sense of social responsibility Team Ana Margarida Gonçalves, Isaac Sá, André Monteiro, Maria João Mautempo

Pilot projects in the 3rd Ubuntu Academy

EMIRAB Concept This social project is looking at reducing the growing levels of youth unemployment in Portugal, a fact corroborated by the National Statistics Office’s PORDATA which shows that last year 118,100 young people under the age of 25 were unemployed. Sabrina Lopes (2013) confirmed in her dissertation that emigration is a possible solution for individuals who have gone through higher education.

Pilot project To design a virtual platform to guide Portuguese young people interested in working in the US, using information which contributes towards responsible emigration.

Specific objectives › Detalhar a normativa laboral para trabalhadores estrangeiros de maneira crítica e transparente; › To explain employment law in detail to foreign employees in a critical and transparent manner;

guese people wishing to emigrate and who have stated that their employment opportunities in Portugal are generally low.

The project should promote the importance of the Persian Gulf as a responsible emigration destination for the various target publics in order to link the objectives and goals of each type pf target public to the industry areas, in order to strengthen synergies and create a basis of integrated intervention and working in partnership. We look at responsible emigration from two main focal points: (i) to provide the necessary information for the purpose of searching for decent employment in the region (ii) to raise awareness on the subject of youth emigration in terms of the pros and cons of the region proposed.

Team Ruth Yancce, Yeraldin Guerrero, Edgar Barroso, Alfredo Moniz, Cátia Barbosa, Francisca Gaifém, Inês Renda, Flávio Pereira, António Santos, Rute João and Ana Paes

› To summarise important information before travel such as the country’s political situation, history, norms, culture and religion; › To identify stories of compatriots who have lived in the country of destination; › To promote the platform; › To test the platform.

Based on our opinion survey sent out in the month of May and according to the analysis of 100 responses from young people and in the knowledge that the Persian Gulf is the fourth largest destination in terms of young Portu-

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Coisas do Arco da Velha [Incredible things] Concept The project consists of inter-generation exchange of knowledge of Portuguese popular arts and crafts culture and aims to promote active ageing, the promotional of inter-generational relations, the sharing of knowledge between the youngest and oldest populations and the valuing and spreading of popular Portuguese culture.

Pilot project The aim of the pilot project is to define a methodology for interaction between young and old people through arts and crafts. It will be implemented in Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Guimarães and young students on the University of Minho Fashion Design course will take part.

The project is composed of four stages: the first stage consists of speaking to six older people who have been singled out by technical staff in the institution as having arts and crafts knowledge and the necessary skills. In this initial approach, the aim is to find out what the person’s

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profession is, if the person has the skills to teach this profession and whether they are prepared to do so. After this interview, a plan will be put in place as to the craftwork pieces which will be produced and whether the materials can be bought. The second stage will deal with advertising the planned activity to those young people who could potentially be interested, forming a small group of six people. In stage three, the older people will transmit their knowledge and tradition to the young people. Finally, in the fourth stage, the young people will show the older people that their knowledge can be ‘upgraded’, that it can be renewed and adapted according to the needs of their lives. At that stage, three to five craftwork pieces should be created. The success of this pilot project will be measured by way of a satisfaction survey.

Team Ana Rita Enes, Raquel Graça Ribeiro, Rita Salgado

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RD

UBUNTU ACADEMY

THE VOICE OF THE PARTICIPANTS

Impressão digital

Manuel Frazão “For me, the Ubuntu Academy is the opportunity to better understand the social economy, working with consultancy professionals in the development of innovative and sustainable social projects which create an impact and which survive the test of time. Hearing and learning about historical leaders who, by making changes in the small world which surrounded them, inspired millions to do the same, by believing in values which sought to unite humanity. The opportunity to experience new things, being able to challenge myself to confront my fears and leave my comfort zone and also to learn about the living testimonies of ‘ordinary’ heroes who bring about social changes and whose stories inspire us and teach us so much.

Leaving the best till last, the opportunity to meet so many “Ubuntus” so different and so similar to me. My greatest desire is that the Ubuntu Academy continues, as I would like other people to have the opportunity to live the same experiences I was able to in the Academy. Thank you, Ubuntu Academy.

I am because you are!”

Impressão digital

Carlos Cabral “The Ubuntu Academy had a pretty positive impact on my life.

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Taking part in the Ubuntu Academy was very important for me, it was an experience without equal; the training represents the very essence of leadership, what it is to lead to serve other people like ourselves The academy assists in the creation of projects which make the difference in the lives of people and in communities.

I developed my ability to speak in public. I learnt to work in a group during the creation of social entrepreneurship projects. I also learnt that the Ubuntu philosophy means respect, compassion, mutual support, sharing, affection, trust and altruism. For that reason, I am able to better put those values into practice at present, even in adverse situations, because being Ubuntu is also giving the best of ourselves to others and appreciating the best in each individual.

Ubuntly together!”

Impressão digital

Susana Pereira “For me the Ubuntu Academy was a unique experience never to be repeated and very enriching. In the academy I had the opportunity to learn about examples of courage and overcoming difficulties, people who were truly inspiring and entrepreneurial who discovered and entirely embraced their life’s purpose. The Academy gave me more tools both on a personal development level and in terms of discovering my purpose in life. Better understanding of my path in life, the main message and the life’s work of various great leaders was very inspiring and had a huge impact. The Academy was very important in allowing me to further develop my communication skills both in small and in large

The voice of the participants of the 3rd UA groups. The part dedicated to project management was important as I learnt how to create a project from scratch. I believe that the model provided may also be useful to me in future projects.

I am profoundly grateful for the experience and for having shared it with so many amazing people.”

Impressão digital

Eunice Mendes “The Ubuntu Academy had a huge impact on my life and I can say that the greatest difference it made on me was the push it gave to my confidence. The Academy made me believe in my skills, or rather it pushed my skills to the fore and gave me the confidence to develop them.

I feel that I have started to take more risks, to say yes more in unknown situations. I understood that I can’t simply write my story and force myself to follow it, rather I need to allow myself to BE, then I have a world of possibilities ahead of me. It taught me how to make sure that things get done and what the procedures are to ensure they are done correctly. It taught me how to present my ideas and how to implement them. It taught me to be more focused. And it encouraged me to go on every day and to never give up I take some lovely friendships with me from the Academy and I continue on my path with a full heart, due to everything I experienced and what they gave me, and I know that I am going to continue to give of myself (and to receive of myself, of course, it doesn’t stop here). Thank you so much!!”

Impressão digital

Anizandra Domingos Sebastião “Ubuntu Academy has been an important source of support in my life as it has allowed me to interact with others. It has helped me to always understand and accept others better. And it is for this reason that I say that the Ubuntu Academy has been so important to me in my life, because it allows us to look towards the horizon in a different way, in a more curious way and to get more from the world.

It gives us constructive tools which we can use throughout our lives and which can serve as a guide for humanity. Of course, before we were able to build this magnificent bridge of which we are all now proud, we all had to go through various challenges, various difficulties and various paths (sharing and growing) but which never made us give up on building this bridge.

To conclude, I would say that, “if everyone had and put into practice the Ubuntu philosophy, perhaps the world would be a much better place” because, in fact, “I am because you are”.

Impressão digital

Raquel Ribeiro “I will be Ubuntu for ever. That is the biggest thing I learnt and which I will take with me from the Ubuntu Academy: being conscious of and integrating this philosophy into my life, the main message of which is the positive impact

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that I can have on the lives of others and that others can have on mine.

I would like to highlight the innovative leadership concept which they taught me, centred in self-awareness and in example and inspired by great leaders such as Nelson Mandela.

I feel like I am better placed to bring my dream projects into being, through the tools which were worked on through the training: planning and project management, communication, negotiations and mediation and financial management. I feel very grateful to be able to develop and to give back to society all I have learnt throughout this training period.

Thank you, Ubuntu Academy and its partners, for the opportunity to live a deeper version of my life, the sense of serving others and being able to share values such as welcoming, respect, mutual support sharing, trust and generosity. To build a better world!”

Impressão digital

Tânia Monteiro Neves “Ubuntu Academy was a fantastic experience because it allowed me to learn more about the history of some of the greatest world leaders in the service of others and to be inspired via their life histories, but also through those of so many other participants. Our experiences effectively inform who we are and the way in which we see ourselves and how we interact with the world.

I believe that the construction of the group and the sharing of experiences, interests and motivations determined my path in the Ubuntu Academy and helped me to guide my discovery of new paths and skills, specifically in terms

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of social intervention, humanitarian aid and participative and critical citizenship. I feel that the Academy strengthened a process of fundamental learning which allowed me to be able to do more and be better and more, every day and that is why it was so important to my personal and professional development.”

Impressão digital

André Filipe Monteiro “The Ubuntu Academy changed my life, above all my way of thinking and even my opinion on many issues which have affected our society recently. It also helped me reach some of my goals which certainly, without your help, I would not have achieved.

The Ubuntu Academy made me see the world in a different way; it made me see other people in a different way; it made me be someone in this world and, above all, it made it possible for me to see beyond myself and the fact that without others, I could not live. It made me come out of my hiding hole and gave me the opportunity to help others and allow others to help me. I thank you for everything you did for us and I am leaving these words as an incentive for the next edition of the Academy to be even better than this one.”