The President of the Republic presided at the closure of the international conference “Portugal and its Youth – New Trends, New Hope”, which he promoted in Lisbon, within the scope of the Routes to the Future initiative, underlining the challenges which will be faced by the new generations.

In the first discussion panel of the Conference’s second day, presided by Maria Nunes Pereira, Research Manager in GECKO Biomedical, the theme of which was “Youth and Mobility”, a personal testimony was presented by Bruno Neto, technical coordinator of Humanitarian Programmes in the Congo People’s Republic and responsible for training with ONGs Solidarité International, Oxfam and Action Against Hunger.

David Cairns, researcher in the Centre for Research and Sociology Studies of ISCTE, Lisbon University Institute, and Pedro Couto Soares, manager of National ERASMUS Agency + Youth in Action, were the lecturers in that same panel.

Youth and Culture was the theme of the last discussion panel, presided by Júlio Oliveira, Chairman of the National Federation of Youth Associations. Carlos Farinha, a plastic artist, gave his personal testimony and lectures were addressed by Fernando Alvim, an Angolan plastic artist and vice-chairman of the Sindika Dukolo Foundation, and by Francisco José Viegas, journalist, author and manager of Quetzal Editors and of LER magazine.

The President of the Republic delivered a speech at the closure of the Conference.