Azeitão Eco-consciente

Hi, 

We are a group of citizens in Azeitão (Setúbal, Portugal), working on building a resilient local community able to cope with the ecological, environmental, social, economic, political, educational and cultural challenges we are all facing right now. In order to achieve this, we're involved in several initiatives and projects, hands-on activities targeting ecological citizenship, education for sustainability and a peaceful transition to resilient and sustainable life styles.

We are helping our local community to understand the importance of ecosystemic knowledge and of creating biophilic urban areas to cope with climate change, biodiversity loss and health issues. We've been planting native trees and plants and are now participating in building biodiversity ponds in our neighborhoods, involving our community in the creation of these environmental corridors. We're promoting gardening workshops and plants and seeds exchanges to disseminate knowledge and good agroecological practices for food security, ecological and health balance. We also hope to promote local food production at a family level as well as at a business level.

We are identifying local resources being wasted and studying possible circular economy solutions for materials such as sheep wool or textiles. We're also putting together a community library of things to promote a local sharing economy. We are highlighting the importance of heritage, culture, arts and crafts, creativity as well as an holistic approach to health and other intangible goods as opportunities for well-being and happier lifestyles. We're also promoting community reflection on the potential of an eudaimonic approach to life to cope, not only with hedonic and consumerism issues, but also with profound psychological and social wounds.

We're also aiming local sustainable mobility through community dialogue, knowledge and experience exchanges about our public transports. Within the same mobility purpose, we're promoting cycling skills among women and rusty bikers. We also plan on promoting a bike train to school in the near future.

We have our local municipality support and we participate on local policies co-creation. We promote citizenship and democratic participation, as well as critical and systemic thinking. We invite our local community to reflect upon, to envision, to participate and to co-create collectively a more sustainable, healthier and enjoyable life.