Government's Regional Strategy to Combat Poverty and Exclusion moves forwards for public consultation
The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity presented in Povoação the main guidelines about the Regional Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, announcing that the document will be submitted to a public consultation process "during next November."
Andreia Cardoso spoke at the end of a visit to the day nursery of Maria Isabel do Carmo Medeiros Foundation. Following a hearing process that took place in the first half of this year and involved more than 430 participants, including public and private entities from all municipalities of the Region, the Government of the Azores will put the document under consultation to collect the contributions of the civil society.
The document, which is being developed over a 10-year time horizon, lists four strategic priorities for intervention: ensuring a process of comprehensive and inclusive development for all children and young people from the beginning of their life; reinforcing social cohesion in the Region; promoting a territorial intervention; ensuring adequate knowledge on poverty in the archipelago.
"This will be an innovative document in the national context," Andreia Cardoso said, noting that the Azores will become the first Region of the country to outline "a territorial plan that will be developed with the participation of people and institutions." The public consultation process will now add the contributions of the civil society.
The diagnostic work that will serve as a basis for the strategy was closely followed by regional and national experts with recognised academic and professional curricula in the areas of Sociology, Economics, Social Work, Employment, Health and Education. They will make up the future scientific committee in charge of monitoring and preparing the action plan for the 2018-2019 biennium, which will include the actions and measures to be implemented.
The Regional Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion aims to improve the coordination and coherence of public policies, thus enhancing a series of mechanisms that will lead to an improvement in the quality of life of the Azorean population, especially those facing poverty and social exclusion.