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Programs and Measures in vulnerable neighbourhoods, working with
children and young people
Choices Programme
Choices Programme will be generically presented, and then a special focus will be given to
one of the 120 local projects fundraised: “Cool Generation” project, from Almada in the
suburbs of Lisbon.
The sudden increase in the perception of juvenile criminality in August 2000, as also the
massive media coverage of the events, frightened the Portuguese society in general. The
existence of emerging groups of individuals with similar social backgrounds, mainly from
suburban neighbourhoods, that had criminal and delinquent practices, lead to the
Ministries Council Resolution n.º 108/2000, in the 19th of August, that established the
basic settings for two kinds of responses: intervention – creating the necessary conditions
for the implementation of the new Child Protection Law and Youth Crime Law (1999),
separating victims and offenders children and youngsters; prevention – delegating on the
National Commission for the protection of Children and Youngsers at Risk, the creation of
a Programme that aimed crime prevention and the inegration of youngsters form the most
vulnerable neighbourhoods in Lisbon, Oporto and Setúbal.
Critical Urban Areas Initiative
National Program led by Land Planning and Cities Secretary of State and an instrument of
City Policy.
Intends to intervene in neighbourhoods that present critical vulnerabilities and aims
integrated socio-territorial interventions. Started with an experimental phase in three
territories (Cova da Moura – Amadora; Lagarteiro – Porto and Vale da Amoreira – Moita).
The Initiative involved seven ministries (presidential, environment, labour and social
security, internal affairs, health, education and culture), but at present as much as 91
institutions/organizations/local associations participate in it, with plans based on shared
diagnosis and produced by Local Partners Groups.
Both study cases share the following conditions:
− Having the inclusion of children and young people in disadvantage as targets
for intervention
− Active partnerships involving State, local organizations and civil society
− Multi-tier, co-shared, participatory, multi-territorial and multi-level governance
systems with a range of national, regional and local actors.
− Integrated projects with a socio-territorial base
− mobilizing projects expected to have structural impacts
− Innovation-driven interventions
− strategic coordination and participation of local actors
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