LAG Monte is a territorial partnership of four local development associations. It's a non-profit private entity with the legal form of local associations group, founded in 1996.
Its creation is the result of a bet on a development project for Central Alentejo region made by four local development associations working in the region: ALIENDE – Associação para o Desenvolvimento Local in Redondo; A.D.I.M.- Associação de Defesa dos Interesses de Monsaraz, in Monsaraz; A.D.M.C. – Associação de Desenvolvimento Montes Claros, in Borba and TRILHO – Associação para o Desenvolvimento Rural, in Évora.
In 2006, the social basis of Monte's four associates gathered 713 public and private entities, both individual and collective, from Central Alentejo Region.
Being a territorial partnership its intervention is based in the complementarities found between the four associations, for the definition of a local development project for Central Alentejo seen in a sustainable and inserted perspective of the territory
Monte's territory
Territory of great amplitudes and extensions characterized by numerous "montado" (and the ecological system around it, like the surrounding flowers and the animals living from it fields where "sobreiro" (cork tree), "azinheira" (holm-oak) and olive tree fields are dominant; isolated rural populations are detached at the landscape, generally of small dimension and dominated by the white colour on the houses.
People in this region (still) live very turned to the inside of their houses and villages, protecting themselves from high temperatures, and sometimes from the outside world. Being used to a certain isolation and decades of poverty, this populations have become deeply creative at their gastronomy, poetry and "Cante" (typical singing from Alentejo).
More recently this became an elected region for its wines, for the great sausages made of black pork meat, for the olive oil and patés, for its bread, but also for the inner peace (quietness) of its landscape and villages, by the natural resources it offers, nowadays strongly influenced by the construction of "Alqueva's big lake", by the immensity of its landscape marked by important megalithic but also because it was a territory chosen by the Arabian and roman culture characteristics that have left here their testimonies. Plenty of reasons to recognise Alentejo as an unique place in Europe.
Along the years Monte has been acting as a social and economic agent from Central Alentejo Region.
From its intervention we detach 5 strategic axes:
I - Rural Development
II - Promotion of Citizenship and Association
III - Social Intervention - Qualification, Employment and Social Insertion
IV - Cooperation
V - Environment
The development projects fit in each of these 5 areas.
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Marta Alter Mestre em Planeamento Regional e Urbano Responsável pela Direcção Técnica < 1997 |
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Rosário Pequito Cuba 12º ano de escolaridade Responsável pelos Serviços Administrativos < 1997 |
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Inácia Lopes Rebocho Licenciatura em InvestigaÇÃo Social Aplicada Acompanhamento e gestão de projectos sócio-comunitários. Cooperação para o Desenvolvimento < 1998 |
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João Antunes Licenciatura em Sociologia Acompanhamento e gestão de projectos sócio-comunitários. Redes Sociais < 2003 |
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Rosa Sampaio Licenciatura em GestÃo de Empresas Leader. Microcrédito. Gestão financeira e Contabilidade < 1999 |
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Paula Santos Licenciatura em RelaÇÕes Internacionais Educação. Qualificação. Formação profissional. Qualidade. Voluntariado e Responsabilidade Social < 1999 |
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Maria Casinhas Licenciatura em Economia Leader. Microcrédito. Acompanhamento e gestão de projectos empresariais < 2000 |
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Ricardo Carretas Licenciatura em Geografia e Planeamento Regional Dinamização de projectos regionais e de cooperação < 2007 |
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Ana Paula Varela 9º ano de escolaridade Animadora Local. Gestão informática < 2005 |
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Jorge Gomes Coelho Licenciatura em Estudos Portuguesas Leader (GIR Aliende). Microcrédito. Gestão Corrente. Gestão de Intervenção < 1994 |
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Vânia Simões LICENCIADA em gestÃo Leader (GIR ADMC). Microcrédito. Gestão Financeira e Contabilidade < 2009 |
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Leonor Romão Licenciatura em Sociologia Leader (GIR Trilho). Microcrédito. Concepção. Implementação e acompanhamento de projectos < 1999 |
Since the beginning, Monte has privileged to work in partnership with several entities in order to promote a sustainable development, in which the local communities can become a part. Thus, cooperation is a specific working area in Monte, being also a strategic instrument to reinforce internal skills of Monte's team.
The work as a NGO has spread Monte's intervention areas and allowed us to participate in wide platforms to promote the development of communities.
In 2009 Monte became part of the direction Board of the Portuguese Platform of NGO's, which implies an active participation in reorganizing this structure, as well as increases Monte's work in this field of work.