ECOS Cooperativa de Educação, Cooperação e Desenvolvimento, CRL
Praça da Paz nº 22,
Loja 4
8000-165 Faro
Portugal
- Democracy and community development
- Human rights
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- International/Cultural relations
- Youth and education
ECOS is a multisectoral social cooperative, registered in January 2010, established by professional youth workers and educators from diverse professional sectors and active at local, national and European levels. The social objectives of ECOS are the promotion of social integration and transformation, particularly by combating social exclusion and discrimination, promoting equal access to opportunities, encouraging dialogue and cooperation between different social actors of civil society and promoting social innovation and entrepreneurship by using approaches of non-formal education, intercultural learning, education on human rights, citizenship and democratic participation and sustainable local and global development.
ECOS is constituted by experienced youth workers with diverse academic backgrounds in fields such as social education, sociology, psychology, economics, sports and law. Our main expertise is in the development of participatory-based projects that can involve young people, schools, civil society, organizations and decision-makers. Due to the extensive experience of cooperants and staff, ECOS is also an expert organization on training and capacity building of professionals, organizations, and public and private institutions. Our main activities are:
- Creation of spaces for structured dialogue, cooperation and collective construction among diverse social, business and institutional actors;
- Promotion, design, implementation and evaluation of playful, educational, social, cultural and sustainable development projects, in formal and non-formal spaces, through non-formal and human rights education, in a way that contributes to lifelong learning;
- Development of the organizations' capacity for efficient management of their resources and projects through training and new technologies of information and communication;
- Design, monitor, support, assessment and consultancy to individuals, organizations, municipalities and institutions regarding strategic development, educational programmes and social intervention projects;
- Promotion, recognition and validation of methodologies that contribute to personal and social transformation.
In the society we live in, there are dominant narratives that promote the fragmentation of our relationships with each other, with the environment and with ourselves. Therefore, what drives us is the need to awaken a new conscience through processes of collective learning and construction that promote a more just, resilient and harmonious society. Our main objectives are:
- To contribute to the promotion, recognition and valorization of methodologies that can enhance learning, personal development and social transformation;
- To contribute to social inclusion and strengthening of social cohesion, towards community development.
Check our recent projects here: https://www.ecos.pt/projetos.html
ECOS has a significant experience in networking and gathering different stakeholders in participatory-based projects promoting the development of civil society, cooperation and dialogue. We believe that working in the south of Portugal, with the regional network of municipalities and organisations we will be able to bring new partners and new cooperation possibilities for this network. Our trainers, educators and project managers can also support the development of new projects, bring the network closer to the young people's needs and priorities and develop tools to cooperate with others to approach common challenges.
ECOS is a pioneer in enhancing, promoting and developing EuroMed cooperation in the southern region of Portugal. Our motivation is based on knowledge, experiences and feelings, which gives us a certainty that due to the historical background of the region, we should promote more opportunities for young people and other actors to cooperate within the Mediterranean region. We believe that within Anna Lindh Foundation Network we will be able to create new projects and partnerships and also open new possibilities to cooperate and support the development of the region.
