The Regional Directorate for Culture, through the Angra do Heroísmo Museum, promotes the workshop on "Philosophy, Research and Dialogue" from October 22. It is addressed at children aged between 5 and 10, who will be distributed by two working groups to be organised according to their age.
 
This initiative is intended to promote cognitive, affective and behavioural skills in order to promote the development of critical, creative and evaluative thinking. It will be conducted by Ana Lúcia Ribeiro, who holds a degree in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Lisbon and a post-graduate degree in Risk Behaviour and Philosophy for Children from the University of the Azores.
 
The philosophy workshop for children will take place once a month from October to December, always on a Saturday morning, each session lasts approximately 45 minutes.
 
Participation in this workshop requires previous registration, which can be made by telephone 295 240 800 or at the email [email protected]. There is a registration fee of five Euros per child.
 
"Philosophy for Children"  emerged in the 1960s in New Jersey, USA, with Matthew Lipman, who defended the need to prepare children to deal with ambiguity. He believed that they are able to think critically and in a reasoned manner.
 
In this regard, the initiative has developed a school curriculum that comprises several levels, from preschool to adult education, focusing on the premise of "thinking well" in a space designated as the "Research Community/Philosophical Dialogue."
 
The three sessions included in this workshop are designed to instil in children the power to decide on the topics and the themes to be discussed from a stimulus provided by the facilitator. They may address the meaning of life, actions, thought, emotions, power, responsibility and art.
 
The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of the CulturAçores Portal at the address:www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.