At the beginning of the year, the first partnership of the The Government of Us All programme was launched between the IHC and the municipality of Proença-a-Nova. The city in the Beira Baixa region took up the challenge launched by the IHC in November last year, given that the central theme of its activity plan for 2026 is the 50th anniversary of democratic local government. ‘This convergence of interests created a unique opportunity for collaboration. The municipality immediately showed great willingness and enthusiasm to work with us on this project, recognising the importance of celebrating and studying this fundamental milestone in our democracy. It was, therefore, a natural meeting between the IHC’s priorities and the municipality’s objectives for this year of celebrations,’ says Joana Dias Pereira, one of the coordinators of the History in the Public Sphere Programme.

The collaboration between the IHC and the municipality will take shape through a diverse set of activities. First, we will organise an exhibition dedicated to the process of democratisation of local power, similar to the work already carried out with the municipality of Amadora in 2024. Joana Dias Pereira tells us that ‘the curatorship will require a bibliographic and documentary survey of national and municipal archives, as well as the collection of personal archives. We are considering the possibility of adopting a travelling format to ensure maximum dissemination’. A local oral archive will also be built, through the collection of testimonies from protagonists involved in the process — social movement activists, members of administrative committees, and first elected officials. Finally, there are also plans to promote a cultural programme associated with the results of the project, through public sessions, including lectures with local history experts, public interviews with protagonists and round tables that will promote encounters between protagonists and researchers.

The partnership was presented during the 11th Meeting of Associations of the Municipality of Proença-a-Nova in Vale de Água, allowing for the presentation of the collaborative project The Government of Us All — 50 Years of Democratic Local Power in Proença-a-Nova and ensuring the active involvement of the community from the outset, which is essential to the success of the initiative. The event brought together representatives from local associations, as well as all members of the municipal executive. Joana Dias Pereira presented the overall project and Gil Gonçalves, responsible for implementing the project at the local level, explained the collaborative methodology to be implemented.

This IHC programme was designed in the context of a double anniversary: 2026 marks 50 years since the approval of the 1976 Constitution, which enshrines the decentralisation and democratisation of local power, but also 50 years since the first local elections in democracy. ‘The IHC decided to launch this programme because it recognises that these are crucial historical processes for understanding the construction of democratic Portugal, which still need to be uncovered and valued,’ concludes Joana Dias Pereira.

Interested entities may contact us at historiapublica.ihc@fcsh.unl.pt in order to receive a methodological proposal tailored to their requirements. All information about this initiative can be found at this link (in Portuguese).

Photo: Gil Gonçalves at the 11th Meeting of Associations of the Municipality of Proença-a-Nova (Credit: Joana Dias Pereira)