The project ‘Networking for Development: from Town Twinning to More Efficient Cooperation’ continues to promote networking and sharing of information and best practices between different actors in the area of Development.
The most recent initiative took place last Thursday, March the 29th, at the Jean Monnet Centre in Lisbon, in that that was the second roundtable organized by the project. Partnerships for Development was the theme of the event that brought together Municipalities, Development Non Governmental Organisations (DNGOs), funders and Universities for a debate on Portuguese Development Cooperation.
A conversation with Fernando Cardoso, Director of Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies set the tone for the beginning of the discussion. After speaking on the historical evolution of International Development Cooperation, and framing Portugal in the European and international architecture, he presented the current trends for Cooperation ? South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation – and its permanent relationship with security issues, equally pressing in Developing countries.
In a second moment, the participants were organised in thematic groups, sharing information, best practices and experiences of cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries.
This roundtable was also preceded by a meeting between the project team and the technicians of the participating municipalities, where the statutes of the Inter-municipal Network of Development Cooperation were discussed, thus moving a step closer to its formalisation.
The project ?Networking for Development: from Town Twinning to More Efficient Cooperation? aims to promote synergies between cooperation actors and strengthen the role of local authorities as active agents of development cooperation. It is run by IMVF in partnership with the Municipalities of Loures and Marinha Grande, Fine + p and Fondo Galego de Cooperación e Solidariedade. It is funded by the European Commission and the Portuguese Institute for Development Support, and has the institutional support of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities.
See photos of the event here.