Report by Ms. Paula Helena Santos, the Municipality of Évora, Portugal
At the beginning of this year, the Municipality of Évora undertook two important peace initiatives—the School Carnival and the Youth Month—to promote among young people and school communities the value of peace, coexistence of peoples, tolerance, sustainability and resilience, in compliance with the third objective of the Mayors for Peace Vision, Promote the Culture of Peace.
Under the theme, “Évora for Peace,” the School Carnival 2023 brought together children and adults from about two dozen schools and kindergartens in a peace parade to celebrate friendship, joy, and conviviality.
One of the many activities of the Youth Month, month-long initiative in March, is an exhibition of voices of the youth. From the youth associations integrating the Municipal Youth Council of Évora, 34 youngsters completed the sentence, “Em Évora lanço sementes pela paz quando… [In Évora I sow seeds for Peace when…],” and the exhibition displays banners with each of the participants’ answers with their photos. Launched on March 2, the exhibition is available to the public in Praça do Sertório until the end of the month.
Photos: courtesy of the City of Évora