A. PROJECT ENVIRONMENT:
In the first part of the project (1 to 2 months) volunteers will be placed in Amarante, where Equação is located (head office\store). They will stay either in rented apartments or at the Culture and Youth Hostel in Amarante, a new and dynamic space at Amarante that we also use as accommodation for Workcamps, etc..

Amarante is a small town in the North of Portugal, part of Porto district (60km far from Porto, to the interior) with 12 thousand habitants (in the centre). It's quite famous city for tourism, culture and wine production. Indeed is quite near (18km) to Oporto wine region (Peso da Régua). It's the urban part of a large municipality (300km2) with more than 60 thousand habitants. It holds a strong trading and marketplace component (supported by tourism) and services. It's quite calm and relaxing in the winter and during the week (Monday till Friday) and receives a lot of tourists and emigrants in the summer and at weekends (returning back a lot of university students and workers, giving a all new life to the city, namely at night , with several coffees, pubs and discos crowded with young people). Amarante has a high quality level (several sportive and cultural equipments, it's a hotspot city, with free internet all over the city centre). It's crossed by Tamega River (one of the rivers ending at Douro River that crosses Porto till the Atlantic ocean) and it's on the valley of one of the most important Portuguese mountains, Marão (1450m).

The activities in Amarante will be held either at Culture and Youth Hostel in Amarante, an at Equação head office\store, located in the Amarante's industrial area, 3 km far from city centre.

After the first period (1 or 2 months later) and for the rest of the EVS period volunteers will be located at Equação members (Amarante, Braga, Ferreirós do Dão (Tondela), Porto, Barcelos, Guimarães and Lisbon). Depending of the city volunteers will be placed either in rented apartments or in single rooms, always together with other young people.

Amarante (already described) is the city where Aventura Marão Clube runs its activities (Fair Trade, Water sports and BTT). Runs the local worldshop (also called Fair Trade Shop) located in the main commercial street. During 2º period, EVS volunteers will stay at Casa de Cultura e Juventude de Amarante (modern youth hostel with 30 beds) in 2 or 4 persons rooms, together with other EVS or Youth in Action volunteers.

Braga is one of the cities where Associação Alternativa runs is activities (Fair Trade). Braga is one the oldest Portuguese cities with more than 2000 years as a city. Has 175 thousand inhabitants, quite urbanised, and it's a city with culture and traditions, where history and religion live together with technology (Braga is called by so many as the
portuguese Silicon Valley) and bohemian life at Minho University. It's one of the municipalities with higher rates of population in Portugal and one of the youngest of all Europe. Braga has much known traditions and festivities (Festas de S. João, Semana Santa, Braga Romana, Festas Académicas, etc.). It offers a lot of sportive and special cultural activities, having a strong commercial activity (a lot of walking areas, where in fact we run our local worldshop). In Braga EVS volunteers will be placed in rented apartments, together with local students or other EVS volunteers.

Barcelos is the other city where Associação Alternativa run its activities (Fair Trade). Barcelos is a small town but highly populated, part of Braga District (located 20km far from Braga and 50km far from Porto), with 20 thousand inhabitants in the centre. It's a place with high rate of young people living there (one of the highest in Portugal) and with growing population in the last decades. This helps making Barcelos a place with a good offer in terms of culture and night animation (coffees, pubs, discos, etc.). It has a strong industrial activity (textiles and clothes) and handicraft production (the most famous Portuguese symbol comes from here: o Galo de Barcelos). The town is crossed by Cavado River and is located quite near the Mountain and Geres National Park (who divides Portugal and Galiza, in the North of Spain) being part of the trail "Caminhos de Santiago" (Santiago trails). Handicraft sales (mainly at fair of Barcelos, every week) is one of the most important activities and animation in the city centre, close to the street where we run our local worldshop). In Barcelos EVS volunteers will be placed in individual rented room, alone or together with local students.

Ferreirós do Dão (part of Tondela municipality) is the place where Cooperativa Cooplaneta run is activities (coffee, pub and Fair Trade). Tondela is a small town, located in the centre of Portugal, close to Viseu, the district's capital. It has 14 thousand inhabitants in the urban area. But Ferreirós do Dão, 8km from Tondela, is a rural place with only 410 habitants, located in the area with plenty of agriculture and forestry, ending in a lovely river (River Dão), known as a really nice place for summer swimming, etc.. In Tondela one of the main references in terms of cultural offer is ACERT (Associação Cultural e Recreativa de Tondela), recognised at national and even international level. This association gives to Tondela a all range of different cultural proposals: dance, theatre, cinema, trainings, music, and a lot more. Clearly among several festivals organised all over the year is "Tom de Festa", the biggest cultural moment, famous at national level. Like many other cities in the countryside Tondela (and even more Ferreirós do Dão) is a calm and relaxing place (specially at winter and during week) receiving many people (students returning from Viseu High School, workers returning from Spain and Viseu, emigrants visiting family and tourists) and activities at summer and weekends. In Tondela EVS volunteers will be placed in individual rented rooms, alone or together with local students.

Porto is the city where Associação Reviravolta run its activities (Fair Trade). Is the second biggest Portuguese city, where live about 230 thousand people, centre of a big metropolitan area with more than 1,9 millionin habitants. It has an important touristic and cultural offer (with more than 10 thousand events each year), with clear focus on "Fundação de Serralves", a contemporaneous art museum (designed by our most famous architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira) and "Casa da Música" (where probably exist the best acoustic place in the world). Porto was European Culture Capital in 2001. Each year this city receives more than 1 million tourists willing to visit the historic city centre (classified by UNESCO as Wold Heritage Site) and the relation of the city with the famous Oporto Wine, which old wine-cellars are located in the other side of Douro River (at Vila Nova de Gaia).

Porto has quite good urban transport system (with a new and lovely Metro). Is a city with a lot of young people that celebrates many typical festivities (São João do Porto) and students parties (has more than 50 thousand university students). Together it creates a nice night environment (with a lot of Erasmus coming from all over Europe) at pubs, coffees and discos. It has, like all touristic places, an important commercial strategy (with plenty of walking areas, where in fact we run one of our local worldshops). In Porto EVS volunteers will be placed in rented apartments, together with local students or other EVS volunteers.

Guimarães is the city where Cooperativa Cor de Tangerina run its activities (vegetarian and biological food and Fair Trade). Guimarães is a middle size city, part of Braga district (located at 15km from Braga and 55km from Porto), with more than 50 thousand inhabitants in the urban centre. It is the city where Portugal was born as a nation and because of that is one of the most important historic and touristic places in Portugal. The city centre is classified by UNESCO as Wold Heritage Site. Guimarães has an interesting cultural life (museums, monuments, cultural associations, art gallery's, typical festivities and recently a new Cultural Centre at Vila Flor). The city was selected to be the European Culture Capital in the year 2012.

Recently was considered the second best place to live in Portugal. Has an intense economic activity, mainly in transformation sector (textiles and clothes) and also commercial business (pointing on tourism). Guimarães is a young city (with much young students) also because it holds two university extensions (one from Minho University and the other from
Porto Artistic High School). The space of Cooperativa Cor de Tangerina (Restaurant and Worldshop) is located exactly in front of the city ex-libris: Castelo de Guimarães, Paço dos Duques and our first king monument (D. Afonso Henriques). In Guimarães EVS volunteers will be placed in rented apartments, together with local students or other EVS volunteers.

Lisboa is the city where Association Cores do Globo run its activities (Fair Trade). Lisboa is at the same time capital and the biggest Portuguese city. It has 510 thousand residents and is the centre of a big metropolitan area with more than 3 million habitants. The Lisboa region is the wealthiest in Portugal (PIB is even higher than the EU city average). It is located in the right side of Tagus River (the largest river passing in Portugal) being the most occidental capital of Europe, exactly because its location is near the Atlantic cost. The clime is quite good (temperate) as in general is the Portuguese clime (temperate clime, with to main influences: Atlantic in the cost and Mediterranean in the country side). Lisboa has several UNESCO places classified by UNESCO as Wold Heritage Site. Lisboa is a city with old people living and young people working and studying (people coming from all over Portugal). It has a brilliant cultural life, being one of the most cosmopolitan places in all Europe (crossing people from Cabo Verde, Brasil, Ucraine, China, Italy, Angola, etc.). Lisboa was European Culture Capital in the year 1994, and since that focus on the Belém Cultural Center. Since 1998 (Expo98 Lisbon World Exhibition) the city grew a lot in that area, being today one of the most important areas for business, big events, leisure and trade. The transport system is quite efficient with 4 metro lines and the famous and typical surface "eléctricos" (trams). In the historic centre of Lisboa, the connection Alfama - Baixa\ Chiado - Bairro Alto is a place for diversity and mixture of people, generations and proposals. In a same night is not difficult to find fado (the most typical Portuguese music expression), opera or rock concerts. And is exactly in this area (Baixa Pombalina de Lisboa) that are located both Association Cores do Globo headquarters and our local worldshop. In Lisbon EVS volunteers will be placed in rented apartments, together with local students or other EVS volunteers.

The EVS volunteers' activities will take place mainly at worldshops but also at schools, fairs, events and other places coming out from the personal development project that each volunteer will build up in the first phase (Amarante).

Each organization\shop manage also a group of local volunteers that support the local activities.

B. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR EVS VOLUNTEERS

In the first period of EVS, at Amarante, the EVS volunteers will receive a Portuguese language course managed by a local teacher. Equação will also provide activities (visits, contacts) to involve the EVS volunteers in the Portuguese culture, mainly in this region. They will also visit and get to know all local organisations already mentioned to start defining the personal development project in each location (Amarante, Braga, Ferreirós do Dão (Tondela), Porto, Barcelos, Guimarães and Lisbon).

All volunteers will learn and get trainings about Fair Trade criteria. Some volunteers will learn about safety and biological food and agriculture. They will also work with the main Portuguese software for shops and stock management (Primavera Software) and with internet programming (to manage our websites). They will develop communication and educational skills (mainly at school activities and Fair Trade Shops). They will also develop skills as Workcamp monitors. They will be integrated with a multidisciplinary team working methodologies (at working groups inside Equação structure as well as with other national volunteers inside each local organisation).

In the first phase the EVS volunteers will participate in the Equação working groups under executive director, Miguel Pinto supervision. They will help Equação in the tasks planned for next years and support Equação members at Fair Trade Shops, School and Educational projects and activities, Fairs, Caterings and Local Campaigns, Workcamps, etc..

Usually the EVS volunteers will have to work 35h a week (already including training courses) from Monday till Friday (weekend is free). At Amarante Equação daily working time for EVS volunteers will be from 9h30 till 12h30 a.m and 14h30 till 18h30 p.m. After, at Equação members we will have different and flexible time schedules combined between EVS volunteers and Equação members, case by case.

In the first phase, at Equação (Amarante) EVS volunteers will be involved in marketing issues (website management, communication, translation of documents about fair trade products and producers, market studies, etc.), stock and shops management, educational issues (school projects and activities such as Fair Trade School Clubs, European partnerships for educational projects, etc.), youth and volunteer issues (youth in action programme, awareness for volunteers to work at fair trade organizations, etc.) and they will be involved in planning, on going and evaluation phases of International Workcamps.

They will be supported by Equação executive director. During this first phase the EVS volunteers will visit and get to know all local organisations already mentioned to start thinking and defining the personal development project in each location (Amarante, Braga, Ferreirós do Dão (Tondela), Porto, Barcelos, Guimarães and Lisbon) having into consideration both personal interests and local organisation needs. This personal development project is also close related with the fair trade and development education trainings where EVS volunteers can acquire knowledge that allow them to relate our general principles (fair trade criteria) with specific personal wills and local organisation needs, becoming an important base of knowledge, translation, and dissemination of information among consumers and schools.

At Equação member's EVS volunteers will be involved in related issues but with more specifications and in direct contact with our target groups: consumers and schools. At Aventura Marão Clube (Amarante) they will be involved in the Fair Trade Shop, School Fair Trade activities and in the Youth in Action Programme and International Workcamps tasks. They will also help in specific needs of Aventura Marão Clube (website management) or concerning the other 2 areas of action (water sports and mountain bikes).

At Cooperativa Cooplaneta (Ferreirós do Dão, Tondela) they will be involved in the Coffee, pub and Fair Trade Shop, School Fair Trade activities (create Fair Trade Junior Clubs at school), support to fairs and events to promote fair trade. They will also have an important role producing information (because is a new organisation in the field), mainly creating and developing a website for Cooperativa Cooplaneta.

At Associação Alternativa (Braga and Barcelos) they will be involved at Fair Trade Shops, Online sellings, Website management, School Fair Trade activities (create Fair Trade Junior Clubs at school), support to Fairs, Caterings and Fair Trade awareness campaigns.

At Cores do Globo (Lisboa) they will be involved at Fair Trade Shops, Online sellings, Website management, School Fair Trade activities (Fair Trade Junior Clubs at school), support to Fairs, Caterings and Fair Trade awareness campaigns. In particular they will also be involved in on going and new Educational projects.

At Associação Reviravolta (Porto) they will be involved at Fair Trade Shops, Online sellings, Website management, School Fair Trade activities (Fair Trade Junior Clubs at school), support to Fairs, Caterings and Fair Trade awareness campaigns. In particular they will also be involved in on going and new Educational projects.

Finally at Cor de Tangerina (Guimarães) they will be involved at Fair Trade Shop and Restaurant, Safety and Biological Food and Production, Website management, School Fair Trade activities (create Fair Trade Junior Clubs at school), support to Fairs, Caterings and Fair Trade awareness campaigns.

In each one of the Equação's members EVS volunteers will be supported by local staff (each member and Fair Trade Shop has at least one fulltime paid staff).

In each local staff mentioned will be the mentor for EVS volunteers and so responsible for personal support in the daily like to EVS volunteer.

The Equação executive director will co-ordinate the EVS volunteers and is responsible for project support.

C. VOLUNTEER PROFILES AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

We would like to receive volunteers highly motivated for Develop Cooperation and Fair Trade Issues. Motivated to work in small fair trade organizations and to learn Portuguese for all contacts we need (consumers, students, national fair trade partners and institutions, etc.). We will look carefully to all applications taking into consideration the volunteer motivation letter, our project aims and activities for properly match-making. Equação board will evaluate all applications and decide after. We want to cooperate with other fair trade European organizations and workcamp partners mainly from Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain (with whom we already have established strong connections).

D. SPECIAL NEEDS (IF APPLICABLE)

Having EVS volunteers with fewer opportunities we will activate some persons already identified and well prepared (psychologists, sociologists, teachers, etc.). to support - as tutors complements- those EVS volunteers.

E. RISK PREVENTION, SAFETY AND PROTECTION

As fair trade organizations working in the field (store and shops) we have all legal and appropriate standards for safe living and working environment. We are already on going with certification procedures for HACCP and HST (clean and safety work conditions). All accommodations will be rented taking into consideration all legal aspects related with that. We have among our members some directors and\or volunteers well prepared to work on risk and crisis prevention (psychologists, sociologists, teachers, etc.). We will provide regular meetings and informal moments to take this issue into consideration.

Finally we want to involve and develop a partnership with the Portuguese former EVS volunteers association (ANEVE, also created in 2000 by our executive director) in this informal moments and other exchange opportunities.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=60000142801