SOMOS is a local Programme of Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights prepared from scratch along one year and launched in Lisbon at 10 December 2015, costing 100.000€ and reaching directly 2000 people per year. It aims to develop a shared culture of Human Rights and Democracy in the city through training and awareness-raising initiatives.
SOMOS themes include: Introduction to Human Rights, Democratic Citizenship and Rights of the Child, Youth and Children Participation, Racism and intercultural dialogue, interreligious dialogue, LGBTi Rights, structural and institutional discrimination, ageism and intergenerational dialogue, disablism, Human Rights Education, Education for Democratic Citizenship, gender equality, gender identity, Human Rights and media, Bullying, gender violence, Homeless people, drug users, prostitution, remembrance and Human Rights, health.
[ Read the entire study case about Somos Lisbon ]
SOMOS Programme implementation was initiated in late 2015 encompassing two dimensions: training and awareness-raising activities. Training regards to the initial strategic learning processes addressing the City Council staff (2015), aiming to increase internal coherence of practices. Training is also addressed to external publics, aiming to develop the multiply effect of SOMOS values. “Escola SOMOS” (SOMOS School) is one of the most visible activities of the Programme. It consists in an intensive week of parallel training courses on human rights and democratic citizenship themes, with joint moments, where the about 70 participants engage together in educational activities.
One of the Programme main challenges it’s be implemented with sustainable coherence, in close cooperation with NGO’s, along with the necessary continuous learning process within the City Council. SOMOS next steps can be its multiplication in other cities within and beyond the country.
This study case was published in the framework of the Inclusive Cities Observatory: an open source of human rights-based local social inclusion policies. Visit the Inclusive Cities Observatory.