ESC: Acting Local Changing Global III

The Portuguese Red Cross (PRC) is one of 192 National Societies part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Movement aims to attend to the needs of those in crisis while guaranteeing their human dignity, promoting peace, reducing the negative impact of conflicts, and protecting populations' lives and well-being. We share 7 Fundamental Principles: Voluntary Service (not prompted by a desire for gain), Impartiality (we help anyone in need regardless of who they are), Independence (we are independent of influence from governments or external institutions), Neutrality (we are nonpartisan), Unity (we are one united Movement, only one Red Cross in one country), Universality (we are open to all) and Humanity (we promote mutual understanding, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all). Founded in 1865, the PRC was one of the original 12 National Societies to sign the 1st Geneva Convention, maintaining volunteering as a basis to achieve its humanitarian goals. The PRC mission is to improve the conditions of vulnerable people through the power of Humanity while respecting the Fundamental Principles. We aspire for a voluntary commitment that solidarity will flourish and become more capable of fighting human suffering. As for the PRC - Braga, we started the activity in 1870 and worked with vulnerable people, from 3-year-old toddlers to the elderly, promoting human dignity and alleviate human suffering. Our Vision is to inspire, stimulate, facilitate, and promote all forms of humanitarian activities, thus contributing to maintaining and promoting human dignity and peace in the world. Additional to our fundamental principles, in Braga, we guide our work considering the following values: People: develop the capacities of vulnerable people and communities, acting in solidarity to reduce threats to life and human dignity. Sustainability: manage resources considering the needs of the most vulnerable people of this generation without compromising their future Integrity: act according to our fundamental principles and humanitarian values openly and transparently, without endangering our emblems and principles. Diversity: commitment to diverse communities that we serve, our volunteers, employees, and partners. This is the condition of non-discrimination. Leadership: commitment to being leaders in providing services with excellence and quality in our areas of action, particularly in raising awareness of humanitarian issues. Innovation: commitment to our history and tradition, but finding progressive, innovative, and durable solutions to the new problems that threaten human dignity in a society in constant transformation. Our activities are directed to the community where it operates and is focused on the following areas: Emergency, Training and Consulting, Youth, Social Intervention and Intervention with Homeless People and/or Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies. It is within the Youth that this strategy will be integrated and carried out. Additionally to developing the local work and intervention in Braga since 2014, the PRC - Braga is hosting the National Youth Office, which also allows us to work, influence and impact the growth and development of the Youth at a National Level coordinating different activities and priorities for the Youth. The PRC youth work is based on 3 values of Youth engagement: Education; Empowerment, and Enabling Spaces and has 3 levels of Youth participation: Youth as volunteers, as active beneficiaries and as leaders. We work with young people in projects implemented in schools, public institutions of social solidarity, and other community environments involving local vulnerable Youth, from 5 to 35 years old. Last year, in Braga, more than 6100 children and youth were involved in the activities, and more than 50 Youth volunteers and 23 Youth workers. We involved about 952 young volunteers in 199 projects at a national level, having reached 40422 beneficiaries. We defined social inclusion as one of its priorities, focusing its action on projects that aim to stimulate the cultural inclusion of socially excluded youngsters (like from ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees) and contribute to the development of social skills that promote citizenship and prevent violence. Other humanitarian challenges are education for health; international cooperation (in which we are involved since 2009, having developed several projects under EVS/ESC as coordinators and partners); employability and active citizenship; environmental and humanitarian education, where we seek to direct young people to follow civic behaviour, respect human rights and foster intercultural dialogue towards a culture of non-violence and peace. Through the projects in each priority, we focus on promoting solidarity among Youth as this is a vital part of our work as a Movement, encouraging their role and empowering their skills as leaders of positive change to build more inclusive and resilient communities.