During the Youth Parliament Session held at the Legislative Assembly in Horta, the Regional Director for Youth urged young Azoreans "not to feel they are in the waiting room of their lives."
Lúcio Rodrigues spoke Tuesday at the Youth Parliament session for secondary school students on "Climate change: reversing global warming," which was also addressed the day before at the session dedicated to basic education school students.
In his speech, he defended that the Legislative Assembly "is not the home of adults," but rather the "home of all Azoreans, where young people must also be heard."
The Regional Director for Youth welcomed the students and teachers involved in the Youth Parliament, emphasising "all the work carried out throughout the school year and Euroschool initiative."
For Lúcio Rodrigues, the "commitment demonstrated" was evident in the "good presentations" made by basic education and secondary school students at the Legislative Assembly during these two days.
Regarding the issue of climate change, Lúcio Rodrigues highlighted that these young people, besides "discussing the future of the Region, they discussed the future of the planet."
Lúcio Rodrigues stressed the fact "there are some known faces from previous editions," considering that "it is a good sign to see them return as it is a sign that the taste for civic participation and political participation has strived."
"Young people are already the present and will be the future. Be the agents that will disseminate this message, together with teachers and parents, be the youth that we want to be active and inclusive, be yourselves to feel that you do not have to be in a waiting room. Emancipate yourself and make adults realise that your opinions and ideas are important, not when you become adults but right now," said the Regional Director.
The basic education session was attended by 50 students and 22 teachers from more than a dozen schools of the archipelago, while the secondary education session registered the participation of 66 students and 29 teachers.
Students Maria Botelho and Margarida Silva from Antero de Quental Secondary School in Ponta Delgada won the Euroschool contest.
At the Youth Parliament, the Antero de Quental Secondary School was the winner of the basic education session, followed by Vila Franca do Campo Basic Education School and Cardeal Costa Nunes Basic Education and Secondary School from Pico Island.
As for the secondary education session, the Bento Rodrigues Basic Education and Secondary School from Santa Maria won the first place, followed by Vitorino Nemésio Secondary School in Praia da Vitória and Ribeira Grande Secondary School.
The representatives of Azorean Youth at the National Youth Parliament session, scheduled for May 6 and 7, are as follows: Frederica Pacheco, from Antero de Quental Secondary School, for basic education and Ana Fagundes, from Vitorino Nemésio Secondary School, for secondary education.