Holistic Reference Centre for Adolescents (Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental - CRIA)

1) External projects involve training educators, health professionals and students to carry out awareness raising activities among their peers such as seminars, workshops, classroom discussions, creation of study groups and student unions, etc. 2) Internal activities are developed around the creation of theatre groups and the production of plays with adolescents and for adolescents which are presented in schools, health centres, community centres, and theatres. Participants become involved in all aspects of production. Plays are followed by a discussion with the audience. The main objective is that the plays mobilise other adolescents, educators, parents and communities to discuss social issues which are the youth's concern. 3) CRIA has also developed educational materials, such as videos, appointment books and a brochure about AIDS created by the young actors together with the artistic and pedagogic assistants.

Children, youth, human rights, child rights, health care, education.

Through the programmes, adolescents explore in depth topics such as education, sexuality, ethnicity, violence, gender and citizenship. In this process they build their knowledge, critical sense, self-esteem, social and political awareness and become agents of change in their own settings. After taking part in CRIA's activities, adolescents can continue in the organisation, acting as assistants or monitors and supervising activities, thus ensuring CRIA's professional self-sustainability.