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Description
The project CANTO MOÇO – OS DIREITOS HUMANOS NA VOZ DE JOSÉ AFONSO aims to raise awareness and involve and empower young people for the defence of human rights, based on inspiration in the work of José Afonso. Aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 18, from the third cycle of primary education and high school, the projects aims to identify themes that deal with human rights in José Afonso’s songs in order to develop computer games and other activities for the development of training courses and support materials for teachers and formal and informal collectives, establishing bridges between human rights and José Afonso’s work. We also intend to innovate and train activists from AJA and other collectives to accomplish their mission by developing an interactive digital application for use by young people, thus using appealing and modern tools to disseminate and affirm the relevance of José Afonso’s work in the promotion and defence of human rights.
Summary of project results
The Canto Moço project aimed to raise awareness, engage, and empower youths (aged 12 - 18) in the defense of human rights by exploring the life and work of José Afonso. As a teacher and artist, José Afonso was a strong advocate for human rights. The project drew on the rich musical, philosophical, and political depth of his work to connect human rights themes with his legacy, thereby raising awareness.
To promote human rights dissemination, awareness and outreach, the following activities were undertaken :
- Distribution of materials to schools and school libraries;
- Sessions for school audiences;
- Workshops for formal and informal youth groups.
The project used José Afonso''s texts/lyrics/music on human rights issues to create educational resources for schools and community organizations. These resources include:
- A training course for teachers;
- A handbook for teachers and activists;
- School activity sheets;
- Educational digital games.
These materials were co-produced in meetings with social activists, secondary school youths, and education professionals, mainly in the Lisbon metropolitan area. The initiative successfully bridged José Afonso''s legacy with human rights education, providing practical tools for empowerment and awareness.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 41 professional staff trained;
- 753 youths mobilised by NGOs to engage in human rights work;
- 33 awareness raising campaigns carried out;
- 91% share of target group showing concern for human rights.
In terms of capacity building, the promoter carried out a needs assessment and prepared an action plan. This led to the development of an institutional communication plan.