"Throughout the current legislative period, the Bento de Góis youth mobility programme covered 5000 youngsters," stated the Regional Director for Youth on the sidelines of a visit made yesterday to the participants of the "EurOutdoors" exchange programme who are staying at Lagoa Youth Hostel.

The "EurOutdoors" initiative is integrated in the European programme "Youth in Action" and is being promoted by the São Francisco Xavier School Club.

Bruno Pacheco said that the Regional Government is committed to co-fund this type of initiatives and provide technical advice among national and European institutions.

With regard to the encouragement of youth mobility, the Regional Director explained that the "Bento de Góis" programme, promoted by the Azorean Government, through the Regional Directorate for Youth, has already funded exchange and mobility projects in the national territory as well as in international territories, such as Canada, USA, Brazil and Uruguay.

Programmes such as "Bento de Góis" and "Youth in Action" "are important as they allow Azorean youngsters to become acquainted with other European realities, thus contributing to raise awareness for a European consciousness. These initiatives are also a way of promoting the Azores indirectly," said Bruno Pacheco.

However, the Regional Director warned that the Government does not limit its strategy to encourage youth mobility to European projects. "It is important that Azorean youngsters know our reality and, for that reason, we have launched the Interjovem Card and the Bento de Góis programme, which also aims to promote regional mobility," stated Bruno Pacheco.

"EurOutdoors" is an initiative that is currently taking place on place on the island of São Miguel with youngsters from Sardinia. This is a bilateral exchange between Portugal (Azores) and Italy (Sardinia) and has as main objective the exchange of experiences. In this specific case, it is promoting the exchange of experiences in outdoor and nature sports.

Seven projects under the European programme "Youth in Action are being developed by Azorean youngsters in the archipelago from May until September this year.

Bruno Pacheco believes that "all the investments made in the area of youth mobility will have a positive impact in addition to contributing the knowledge of our identity."