Purpose: The Intercultural week was envisioned to promote the sharing of experiences and the relationships between diverse citizens of Portimão, thus stimulating intercultural dialogue and raising awareness for the importance of a just, egalitarian and solidary society.
The objective of the conviviality is «to strengthen the neighbourhood and socialisation networks between neighbourhoods, spaces of interculturality, in order to disseminate the realities of each place, promoting mutual respect between different cultures, without forgetting the encouragement of the participants' sense of pride for their roots», according to the Portimão City Council.
Stimulus/Rationale: A whole week dedicated to interculturality through an activity programme seeking to enhance experience sharing and conviviality through the various migrant communities, thus stimulating dialogue between various cultures and raising the awareness of all citizens towards the importance of building a more just, egalitarian and intercultural society.
Process: The Intercultural Week of Portimão that takes place every year in May/June (to celebrate International day for Cultural Dialogue and Africa Day) has a highly diversified programme of activities – music, dance, fashion, gastronomy, storytelling, among others – involving the active participation of different audiences, from the school community to diverse migrant local associations and others planned with partner organisations such as the Capela association, local schools, the Portimão Museum, All Mozambi association, ESOA association, the pedagogical farm and the local Centre for Migrant Integration.
In 2023, the initiative was marked by a public debate and practice sharing on how to improve migrant integration services.
Impact: This project has become a part of the local agenda and marks the commitment of the municipality in changing Portimão into an intercultural society instead of a multicultural one, one in which peacefully co-existing cultures mix and mutually respect each other’s differences, and where one can learn and enrich themselves through dialogue and conviviality with diversity
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