An event that brought together the IPLUSO community with the aim of reflecting on Human Rights and Citizenship
The International Congress on Humanism, Human Rights and Citizenship took place on 23 and 24 October 2025. It is important to highlight the strong involvement of the lecturers and students of the School of Education of Lusophony (ESEL – IPLUSO) in the various dimensions of participation in this Congress, namely:
- In the Congress Organising Committee: Jacinto Serrão (Coordinator), Maria Neves Gonçalves, José Brás and Paulo Mendes Pinto;
- In the organisation and coordination of the thematic panels:
- Panel I – Citizenship and Development: Maria Neves Gonçalves.
- Panel V – Politics and Ideology: José Brás.
- As speakers in the thematic panels:
- Physiognomy: beauty, goodness and educating the gaze for citizenship: José Brás
- Are Human Rights in crisis? Paulo Sargento
- With presentations in the parallel sessions, we highlight:
- Within the scope of the project on the Iberian Wolf being developed at ESEL, the presentation – Training Teachers for a New Citizenship with the Iberian Wolf: Dulce Franco (Presenter), José Brás, Maria Neves Leal Gonçalves, Elvira Lázaro dos Santos, Anabela Brito Correia de Freitas, Paulo Sargento and Clementina Rios.
On this topic, lecturer Anabela Brito Correia de Freitas also presented a paper entitled The Iberian Wolf, Traditional Literature and Citizenship.
- Within another project under development in the Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education, entitled The School–Family Relationship, we highlight two presentations by four second-year students of the programme, in collaboration with the lecturer, namely:
- The School–Family Relationship and the Construction of Citizenship: students Laura Caldeira & Matilde Colaço and lecturer José Brás.
- The School–Family Relationship: a necessary partnership for the construction of citizenship: students Leonor Batista & Matilde Camacho and lecturer José Brás.
- Also within the scope of another project, the presentation Education For Human Rights: a research project in Portugal: Paulo Sargento (Presenter), Maria Neves Leal Gonçalves, Miguel Faria, José Brás, Olívia da Conceição Andrade de Carvalho, María Esther Martínez Quinteiro, Mónica Teixeira, Dulce Franco, Clementina Rios, Raquel Ramos, Sandra Inês Feitor, Carlos Alberto Poiares, Melanie Tiago, Maria Louro & Teresa Lopo.
- What Keeps Us Human: A journey through children’s and young people’s visual narratives, presented by Ana Serra Rocha & Sara Soares Belo.
- Intervention in family contexts as a transformative practice of parental conflict, authored by Ana Serra Rocha in collaboration with another colleague.
- Biology and Geology teachers’ views on teaching topics related to environmental ethics, presented by Luísa Carvalho.
- Compulsory Schooling and Equality in Access to Education in Angola: Limits and Challenges to School Success and Hospital Pedagogical Intervention: Challenges and Perceptions of the Multidisciplinary Team, presented by Jacinto Serrão in collaboration with colleagues.
- From Legislation to Action: inclusive cultures, policies and practices, authored by Daniela Semião.
- The Social Network Programme as a driver of inclusion and equality, presented by Cristina Maria Mendes da Silva.
In addition to the above, it is also important to highlight the strong participation of students throughout the entire congress. For all these reasons, ESEL, its teaching staff and students deserve to be congratulated. For those preparing to become teachers, the issues addressed throughout the congress are of particular relevance. There is no doubt that Humanism, Human Rights and Citizenship have been, are, and will continue to be central formative themes for all who wish to embrace the teaching profession.
This training is essential to counter the technocratic tendencies that increasingly permeate the educational sphere. It is crucial not to lose sight of the fact that the educational work of teachers holds great value in the humanisation of students. Human dignity is inalienable, and those who work in education cannot renounce or waver in upholding this fundamental principle-value.
