Events focusing on dignity, equality and freedom make up the Humanity Summit, which on the 19th and 20th of September, brought 110 elements from 45 countries to the Algarve to discuss «the Fast Track to Dignity and Social Justice».
Human rights activists, government and civil society representatives, influential innovators, social impact investors, corporate leaders, among others, found the Humanity Summit a platform to talk about “critical global challenges, foster intercultural understanding, encourage philanthropy and social responsibility and defend financial inclusion».
«The objective is to amplify underrepresented voices and execute urgent solutions for a better world» he explains to Sul Informação Myriam Taylor, activist and founder of MUXIMA BIO BV, who organizes the event that takes place at the University of Algarve and ends in Lisbon, on the 21st of September.
«Democracy is a promise that has yet to be fulfilled and for us the challenge is how do we make that promise become real and that we can all feel represented and contributing to the making of democracy», says Myriam Taylor.
The event, which takes place mainly in Faro, will culminate on the 22nd with the presentation of the “Pact of Humanity”.
«It is an instrument that we will propose to civil society around the world to use as our social agenda. A logic in which we are not at the mercy of politicians' agendas and when we return to elections, we, civil society, will have instruments with 39 aspirational objectives", continues the event organizer.
Despite the adhesion of several people with visibility around the world – such as Syiabulela Mandela, activist and grandson of Nelson Mandela, the Minister of Human Rights of Brazil or the former president of Ghana – Myriam Taylor regrets that no element of the Portuguese Government has joined to the Humanity Summit.
Regarding the choice of Faro as the main stage for this event, Myriam says that «the decision had to be this» since she is from the Algarve.
Furthermore, he says that he immediately felt support from the University of Algarve «which was the one who opened the doors for us».
«Do Faro the main stage of the first two days of the summit has several meanings. I have always felt that there is a very large distance from us in relation to everything that is discussed and what is happening in the capital or even in Porto and here we also bring the discussion to the Algarve», says the event organizer.
For the Municipality of Faro It is «a great satisfaction» to receive this initiative because «it places the Algarve at the center of this theme».
«The Humanity Summit was a challenge that the organization threw at us and that we embraced from the first hour because, in fact, what we intend to do here is to discuss a set of values with which the municipality is aligned», he told the Sul Informação Carlos Baia, councilor of the Chamber of Faro.
Alexandra Teodósio, vice-rector of the Algarve University, also states that «these types of events, from a global point of view, are always key for the university and that is why we like to get involved».
In addition to programming in Faro and Lisbon, the Humanity Summit also visited the Lagos Museum – Núcleo Rota da Escravatura (Slave Market), where there was a session paying homage to those who suffered and fought during that period.
Photos: Mariana Sedge | Sul Informação
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