This was the 5th Edition of the Mercado Oitocentista. This annual event is a historical recreation of a rural market and the daily life of a small village close to the country’s capital. The event, which the Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos sponsors, took place from the 1st until the 3rd of June. Those who attended the market could witness some of the village’s art, customs, crafts and cuisine. This year the theme of the market was “Arruda in 1818: The Resistance”.

On the event’s second day, AIDGLOBAL participated in the activities and was represented by Susana Damasceno, President of the Organization, and Tainá Souza, Project Assistant. They carried out recreational and awareness initiatives, which focused mainly on issues related to water as an essential resource to life, and to its sustainable consumption, as well as to armed conflicts, in times of peace and war, highlighting not only current conflicts and the refugee crisis but relating these events to the French invasion of the Portuguese territory in the 18th century. It is essential to highlight the expressive participation of adults and children in the activities, which used the pedagogical resource the “Soldier’s Backpack: From War to Peace”, elaborated from the “Educate to Cooperate: The Historical Route of the Torres Lines and Global Citizenship” project.

The Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos (CMA), by making available many booths and stands to local organizations, allowed AIDGLOBAL to share its mission and current projects in collaboration with local groups and authorities aimed at promoting active citizenship.

AIDGLOBAL: Action and Integration for Global Development is a Non-Governmental Organization that works toward a more equitable and sustainable world. In Portugal, it promotes Global Citizenship Education (GCE) via projects carried out in schools, training programs and workshops and pedagogical resources aimed at teachers, educators, public servants, community development agents, actors, young people and children. Mozambique fosters access to books and promotes digital literacy by setting up and supplying school and public libraries and training teachers and librarians. 

Learn more about the CMA Mercado Oitocentista here and the pedagogical resource developed by AIDGLOBAL called the Soldier’s Backpack here.