The ceremony began with the welcome of José Alberto Quintino, president of the Historic Route of Linhas de Torres, followed by the words of the Mayor of Vila Franca de Xira, the host municipality in 2023, Fernando Paulo Ferreira.
Among others, two important moments of the night should be highlighted: the artistic performance "Sonho Infernal ou o Fim de Uma Jornada Sem Glória" (“Infernal Dream or the End of a Gloryless Journey”), an adaptation of the anti-Napoleonic literary propaganda document "O Testamento de Junot" (“Junot's Testament”), published in Lisbon in 1809 by Impressão Régia, and the delivery of the Wellington Honour Awards (3rd edition) that aim to recognize entities and/or individuals who have excelled in several areas, namely Environment and Sustainability, Culture and Creativity, Accessibility and Inclusion, Sports and Movement, Promotion and Dissemination.
AIDGLOBAL was honoured with the Wellington Honour Award in the Environment and Sustainability category. The Councilor of the Municipality of Mafra, José António Paulo Felgueiras, presented the award, noting that it expresses recognition of the Organization's work in promoting Literacy, Education and Inclusion, contributing to a fairer and more sustainable world. The award of the prize symbolizes AIDGLOBAL not only an honour but also the recognition of the successful collaboration with the partner municipalities, which are part of the Historical Route Association of Linhas de Torres.
The Historical Route Association of Linhas de Torres mission is to “conserve and enhance the heritage of Linhas de Torres”, which motivated it to actively cooperate with AIDGLOBAL's project “
Educar para Cooperar: a Rota Histórica das Linhas de Torres e a Cidadania Global”, which involved teachers, students and local development actors, raising their awareness of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) issues and the richness of the heritage of the Historical Route of Linhas de Torres. From this project emerged
the Soldier's Backpack, a pedagogical-didactic resource that promotes Peace, Biodiversity and Human Rights from the History of the French Invasions.
The ceremony not only celebrated the achievements of the entities/individuals to whom the awards were given but also reinforced the commitment to sustainability and the enhancement of heritage in Linhas de Torres. It was a night that inspired a renewed commitment to a more sustainable, egalitarian, and culturally rich world.
To close the event, all those present had the opportunity to enjoy a tasty gastronomic touch, especially the wine "Encostas de Xira", produced by Quinta Municipal de Subserra, located in the town of Subserra, municipality of Vila Franca de Xira.
The Route of Linhas de Torres was a historical defensive system, built during the Peninsular Wars, at the beginning of the 19th century, in Portugal. These fortified lines were designed to protect Lisbon from Napoleonic invasions and consisted of fortifications, trenches, redoubts and forts, distributed over a series of hills and valleys. The innovative strategy of building these lines helped the Portuguese and British resistance to repel the French forces and is considered one of the most important military achievements in the history of Portugal. Nowadays, the Route of Linhas de Torres is a tourist route that allows visitors to explore this historical heritage and appreciate the rural landscape of the region, consisting of a set of six visit routes that extend between the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River, crossing the territory of six municipalities — Arruda dos Vinhos, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira.
