The initial sessions took place at the Bela Vista and Navarro de Paiva educational centers in Lisbon, using the book Nós (Edições Assembleia da República, 2025), by David Machado and João Fazenda, as a starting point to address topics such as the European Union.
Through this work, the workshops invite young people to reflect on fundamental values of social life, including democratic values, social inclusion, respect for cultural diversity, solidarity, and the exercise of citizenship. The initiative seeks to bring young people closer to literature as a space for dialogue, reflection, and personal expression.
The initiative will continue in other educational centers, namely at the Centro Educativo Padre António Oliveira in Caxias, followed by sessions at the Centro Educativo dos Olivais in Coimbra, the Centro Educativo Santo António in Porto, and the Centro Educativo Santa Clara in Vila do Conde, covering a total of six educational centers.
These actions are part of the "Reading without Borders" program, established under a protocol between the Ministries of Culture and Justice, signed in 1998 and renewed in 2011. Since 2021, the program has expanded to include educational centers, extending book and reading promotion initiatives to the young people housed in these facilities.
The participation of David Machado is particularly relevant in the context of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Portugal's accession to the European Union, a theme that also inspires the 2026 Inter-Prisons and Educational Centers Creative Writing Competition.
By bringing young people closer to books and their authors, these workshops reinforce the role of reading and writing in personal and social development. They contribute to the development of critical thinking, creativity, and a greater awareness of the values of democratic coexistence, promoting reading as a tool for thinking, dialoguing, and building new paths.
