Every year, the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic (Parliament) awards a Human Rights Prize. The 2023 award went to PAJE – Plataforma de Apoio a Jovens (Ex)acolhidos! Under the auspices of the Institute of Cognitive Psychology and Human and Social Development – ​​University of Coimbra, PAJE (the Support Platform for (Formerly) Fostered Young People) was created, which aims to promote the social and labor inclusion of young adults, providing support in everyday and complex situations, with the help of a multidisciplinary team. PAJE also proposes to provide support (psychological, legal, counseling, etc.) in an informal way, placing the knowledge of volunteer professionals at the service of those who were not blessed by luck at an early stage in life. (www.paje.pt)

João Pedro Gaspar is a member of INTRAC and the President of the Board of PAJE.

The following citation is provided on the Portuguese government website:

The 2023 Human Rights Prize is awarded ex-aequo to two organizations that, on the ground, have worked in the area of ​​child protection: PAJE – Support Platform for Formerly Hosted Young People, for its work promoting social and labor inclusion of young adults who lived in children’s homes, supporting them in everyday bureaucratic situations and psychological and legal support, through the knowledge and experience of volunteer professionals, and ProChild – Collaborative Laboratory, for its work in combating poverty and social exclusion in childhood and to contribute to public policies to defend children’s rights, through a transdisciplinary scientific approach and the articulation of the public and private sectors. 

A big congratulations to PAJE, and to João and his team. João writes, “We believe it is for the cause we advocate and for all the individuals who tirelessly fight for it every day.”

A big congratulations to PAJE, and to João and his team for their pioneering work with care-leavers in Portugal!