Celebration of 20 years of work in the Dianova network

Dianova organises the “Learning network – Trends and Challenges for 21st century NGOs” symposium and a visit to the Quinta das Lapas therapeutic community in Portugal to commemorate its twentieth anniversary.

The event took place in Portugal, the 29th and 30th of June

We are celebrating 20 years! 20 years of collaboration and networking, 20 years of commitment to support the most vulnerable, 20 years of work and dedication to promote changes in our society. To celebrate this special date, on June 29th the “Learning network – Trends and Challenges for 21st century NGOs” symposium was organised in Lisbon, sponsored by the city council.

The Symposium allowed us to take stock of what we have learned and to look to the future of the organization, taking into account the economic, social and technological challenges that we face. The meeting gathered more than 80 people from around the world in the CUIL Auditorium – Lisbon Urban Information Center.

The inauguration was conducted by Dr. João Goulão, CEO of SICAD, the General Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies in Portugal. Dr. Goulão introduced the public to the historical context and current situation in terms of drug use and treatment of addictions in Portugal, highlighting the success of the decriminalisation of consumption in Portugal, 15 years after implementation .

Dr. João Goulão, CEO of SICAD, the General Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies in Portugal.

With renowned paleontologist Dr. Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal we travel into the past to discover the essence of human evolution. Dr. Martínez Mendizábal led us to reflect deeply with his presentation entitled “To know where we are going, first we have to know who we are”, both being valid on an organisational and a personal level.

Paleontologist Dr. Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal

Montse Rafel, General Director of Dianova International presented the historical highlights of the organisation’s last few decades evidencing the great evolution and the transformational power of the Dianova organisation and its teams.

Montse Rafel, General Director of Dianova International

To continue to delve into the present and future of the organisation, we have the presentation of Luca Quaratino, a researcher specialising in organisational development. Mr. Quaratino allowed us to see the importance, for a social entity such as Dianova, of having a coherent and solid organisational identity in order to face the challenges of the future.

Luca Quaratino, a researcher specialising in organisational development.

With an eye on the future, Carlos Azevedo, economist and academic Director of IES Business School reminded us of the importance of networking, sustainable future and social challenges. Mr. Azevedo presented the model of collaborative and social enterprises as a model of social innovation to be implemented to respond to latent needs.

Carlos Azevedo, economist and academic Director of IES Business School

Mercedes Garcia, PhD. in organisational sociology and Director of Semántica Social marketing agency, opened our eyes to the wealth of opportunities provided by the digital age and the need for a social organisation such as Dianova to constantly update its profiles and activities and to interact across the network.

Mercedes Garcia, PhD. in organisational sociology and Director of Semántica Social

To close the event, we have Dr. Ricardo Fuertes, advisor to the Lisbon City Councillor for Education and Social Rights, Dr. Ricardo Robles, and the President of Dianova International, Cristina Lizarza.

Dr. Ricardo Fuertes, advisor to the Lisbon City Councillor for Education and Social Rights and President of Dianova International, Cristina Lizarza.

The icing on the cake of the day was a pleasant dinner for all the participants in the historic Chiado district. The celebration of the twentieth anniversary continued on Saturday, June 30th, with a guided visit to Dianova Portugal’s therapeutic community, Quinta das Lapas, in Torres Vedras. A group of about 55 people from the Dianova network, close collaborators, as well as press, representatives of the municipality of Torres Vedras and local authorities attended the meeting.

Guided visit to Dianova Portugal’s therapeutic community, Quinta das Lapas, in Torres Vedras

Without a doubt, it was a conference full of insights into the past, lessons learned and reflections for the future. We hope that the attendees enjoyed the variety and quality of presentations, the visit to the therapeutic community and the company of colleagues and collaborators of Dianova around the world as much as the organisers.

Happy 20th anniversary, Dianova!