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SUSTainability

SINERGIA 39

Prime Minister presides opening session of the 2 nd edition of the Manuel António da Mota award

Manuel AntóniodaMota

Foundation

Portuguese society has sufered great changes over the recent decades. An ageing population, the increase in life expectancy, a fall in birth rates, changes to family structure, the increase in single parent families, the new forms of couples, and the stronger role of women in the labour market are some of the traits that characterise the sociological map of modern Portugal.

This new framework has led to important consequences.

In addition to poverty and social exclusion that seriously afect the well-being and quality of life of many citizens, these phenomena appear many times associated to situations of social and emotional isolation, disease, dependency, addiction and other forms of lack of autonomy. The lack of family ties, the fall of informal solidarity networks, specially in the large urban centres and the insufcient or inadequate existing social response, contribute toward the aggravation of these problems.

Volunteering is inseparable

from the duty and commitment of each one towards our fellow citizens,

based on the spirit of unselfshness and solidarity that social cohesion, harmony and peace amongst human

communities depend on to a large extent.