The Algarve Social Development Summit, organized by IPSS Amigos dos Pequeninos, brought together, on the 12th and 13th of October, 550 participants and 70 speakers, national and international, at the Piaget Institute in Silves.
The meeting, which had the support of the Collaborative Laboratory of the Algarve Biomedical Center (ABCoLAB) and the Subcommittee of the National System of Early Childhood Intervention (SNIPI) of the Algarve, had as its main objective «fostering the discussion and sharing of relevant topics related to the social sector”.
The Algarve Social Development Summit covered topics such as inclusion, active aging, innovative social projects, good social management practices and SNIPI meetings.
Juan Correia, president of the board of Amigos dos Pequeninos IPSS and leader of the organizing committee of the Algarve Social Development Summit, states that «the event exceeded all expectations in terms of participation».
«It is a privilege to bring together more than 500 people in Silves to discuss topics that are so important for the social sector, both at a regional and national level», he continued.
The opening session was attended by Ana Sofia Antunes, Secretary of State for Inclusion, Luísa Conduto Luís, vice-president of the Municipality of Silves, Brandão Pires, 1st secretary of the Association of Municipalities of the Algarve, Margarida Flores, director of the District Center of Algarve Social Security, and Alexandre Lima, regional education delegate.
On the first day of the event, SNIPI meetings took place, organized with the support of the Subcommittee of this service in the Algarve.
Furthermore, innovative social projects and good social management practices were presented, including the UTOPIA project, by the management of Amigos dos Pequeninos, which aims to create innovative mental health responses in the region.
On the second day, the discussion focused on the theme of inclusion, with the presence of Sofia Santos, who addressed the disruption in inclusion, and sexologist Vânia Beliz, who discussed diversity in sexuality.
The session on active aging, organized with the support of ABCoLAB, featured the participation of several national and international speakers, including Nuno Marques, national coordinator of the Active and Healthy Aging Action Plan.
«There was talk of absolutely structuring themes for the region and the general feeling is that more initiatives of this nature are needed, which is also demonstrated by the fantastic support we had. We have already been challenged to hold a new edition in 2025», said Juan Correia.
The president of the board of Amigos dos Pequeninos IPSS thanked his colleagues from CAOS and the volunteers who played a fundamental role in the preparation and execution of the event, highlighting that «without a team like this, none of this would have been possible».
The event had the collaboration of the Municipality of Silves and the Lions Clube de Silves.
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