A Conferência Internacional Infanto-juvenil na Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa: uma experiência, muitos desafios

Abstract

From April 2009 to June 2010, the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries carried out the preparatory stages for the International Children and Youth Conference (Confint), held in Brasilia from 5 to 10 June 2010, under the co-ordination of Brazil’s Ministry of Education, in the eight Member States (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tome and Príncipe and East Timor). The Confint is an educational campaign in a constructivist process in which participants meet and deliberate on the topics proposed, focusing on Climate Change, and choose representatives aged between 12 and 15 who are then responsible for young people’s caring for their communities at schools and in different regions and capitals.

This article aims to describe the different stages carried out in the context of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese-speaking countries), beyond analysing the process based on criteria drawn up by the International Observatory of Participatory Democracy. Throughout this year of work, many lessons were learned: realising the importance of reinforcing institutions, respect for and assessment of cultural, ethnic and educational wealth and unique characteristics, different ways of thinking and acting etc. We are convinced that there is not just one truth or truths to teach; there is a process and we have to share and talk.