Praceta Francisco Ramos da Costa nº4
Tapada das Mercês
2725-211 Mem Martins
Tapada das Mercês
Portugal
- Democracy and community development
- International/Cultural relations
- Youth and education
The Association "A Comunidade Islâmica da Tapada das Mercês e Mem-Martins" (Islamic Community of Tapada das Mercês and Mem Martins – ACITMMM) works only with volunteers since 2007. Currently, ACITMMM has a staff of 15 volunteers from diverse areas such as administration, education and social and immigrant support.
For the year 2012, ACITMMM has a budget of 59.500€. The main sources of funding are external sources such as Sintra Municipality and cooperation agreements with other institutions, companies and foundations.
With ACITMMM’s activities, it is expected to induce a process of changing educational and social conditions of the population, developing for that matter several activities like computers, English, Portuguese and literacy courses, social and immigrant support, and school tutoring for children and young people.
ACITMMM has following main partners: Dínamo, Aga Khan Foundation – Programa K’Cidade, Sintra Municipality and ACIDI (Portuguese High Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue and Imigration).
ACITMMM’s main project is called “Viver, Crescer e Integrar” (Live, Grow and Integrate) whose main purpose is to develop conditions for fostering and improve personal, social, educational and professional competences.
In all ACITMMM’s activities it is given a special emphasis in mobilizing local capabilities and in the involvement of the whole community, not disregarding the importance of the creation and maintenance of partnership strategies between resources and institutions based in Sintra’s municipality.
For this reason, ACITMMM works in partnership with association Dínamo, developing projects and activities for young people, and is also a partner of the working group “(I)Nova Tapada” whose objectives are to promote the existent multiculturalism and to improve the image that Tapada das Mercês has outside its community.
Since 2009, ACITMMM has been developing work in areas like intercultural dialogue, citizenship and social inclusion either alone or with its partners or even in the context of several working groups (like “(I)Nova Tapada”). Thus, through these years we have been, locally, and along with our local partner Dínamo, an active organization aiming to build and share experiences and good practices in these areas.
Also, since the beginning of ACITMMM’s work, it has been a priority to establish and maintain a solid network of partners and working groups, and nowadays ACITMMM has 20 partners and participates in 4 local working groups.
For these reasons, ACITMMM believes that it can now contribute to share these experiences with the rest of the ALF network, in a local, national and international level.
ACITMMM came into contact with ALF through its partner Dínamo. Considering the values and objectives of ALF, it was clear for ACITMMM that they were aligned to the way of working and the mission of ACITMMM.
Also, considering the work that has been done with partners like Dínamo, ACITMMM believes that joining the ALF network will improve and promote the development of partnership networks in the local and regional level.
Conscious of our financial limitations, the integration in the Portuguese National Network of ALF could be an opportunity to put into practice new projects and to improve the intervention of ACITMMM, its working groups and its partners.
ALF could also be an opportunity to share experiences and good practices locally and regionally with the participation of the community. Subjects like multiculturalism, pluralism and cultural diversity could be addressed in a more effective and sustainable way if worked in the context of a network, and ACITMMM believes that joining the Portuguese National Network of ALF is the appropriate way to do it.
We also decided to apply to the Portuguese National Network of ALF because it is a way of having contact and sharing experiences with other Euro-Arab organizations, and because it offers the possibility for grants for Euro Med cooperation.