21st CEFEC Conference
26 - 27 June 2008, LISBON, Portugal

SOCIAL FIRMS, EMPLOYMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE: COMMON STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION IN EUROPE

We are pleased to announce that CEFEC, together with ARIA, are the organisers of this year’s CEFEC Conference, which will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from 26 - 27 June 2008.

Each year the CEFEC Conference is organised by a different European country and this year we are delighted that it is the Portugal’s turn. The conference brings together employees (users of mental health services), members, mental health professionals and managers to exchange views and practices on social issues, the promotion of community awareness, the employment of people with psychosocial problems, and the organisation, management and financial issues of Social Firms and social co-operatives.

ARIA
Associação de Reabilitação e Integração Ajuda, is a non-profit Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) that works with people with mental health disabilities in psychosocial disadvantage. It was created in 1991, by a group of mental health providers.

The main objective is the promotion of the acquisition of social and economic autonomy, where the development of social and professional skills that promote integration as citizens is a requisite. According this aim, in 2005 ARIA created a social firm in the area of gardening.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
This year's conference is called Employment and Quality of Life in Europe: Common Strategies for Social Inclusion. The main proposed topics are:

• Employment as a Strategy to Social Inclusion
• Highlighting Good Practice in Social Firms in Europe
• Relevance of employment in the recovery of people in psychosocial disadvantage
• Growing the Social Firm Movement

We intend to improve employment programmes for people in disadvantage:

• Increase the visibility of CEFEC as a useful organisation in this field in Portugal;
• Create the opportunity for CEFEC members to have an overview of the present situation in Portugal in the field of employment initiatives;
  
• Discuss the role of Social Firms and other alternative forms of work integration in Europe;
  
• Cover the traditional issues associated with CEFEC conferences, followed by a discussion about the specific needs of people in disadvantage.
  

We hope you will find the conference of interest.
More information are available at: www.cefec.org and www.aria.com.pt but in the meantime, please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Athena Frangouli
Secretary General of CEFEC

Paulo Mendes
Chairperson of CEFEC