We should rethink the model of cooperation for development, supporting projects that are innovative, dynamic and sustainable, and that really promote the networking and strengthening of civil society organizations. These are the conclusions of the 7th Meeting of Portuguese-Speaking Foundations (CPLP), held in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on 12 and 16 September.

Promoted by GIFE (Group of Institutes, Foundations and Enterprises), the Portuguese Foundation Centre and the foundations Gulbenkian (Portugal) and Roberto Marinho (Brazil), the event gathered 100 representatives of foundations and institutes from countries including Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Principe, and Timor-Leste.

‘The meetings are a platform for international foundations that work and speak the same language, and assume, in their diversity, common goals with a growing spirit of cooperation,’ said the president of the Portuguese Foundation Centre, Emílio Rui Vilar.

According to the secretary general of GIFE, Fernando Rossetti, the event opens a unique opportunity to seek new ways of cooperation. ‘This will be guided by the appreciation of local experience and by building effective partnerships that lead to new ways to promote social development,’ he says.

For GIFE, the event also presents an opportunity to build new ties, which may contribute to the ongoing process of expanding its international presence − sharing experiences and benefiting from the knowledge of other organizations.

For more information
http://www.site.gife.org.br
http://www.cplp.org