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Good Neighbours Project

Date started: 
2 January 2009
Public Launch date: 
2 January 2009
Last updated: Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Related initiatives: 
Pombal em Transição
Related Transition Stage: 
Deepening

Website

http://coisasdovizinho.ning.com/
Contact Project
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Project Aim

 Why do we exist?

The Good Neighbours Project exists because we believe that contributing towards the creation and development of sustainable local communities is a positive and proactive way to address the challenges we face in the pursuit of happiness, the redefinition of the concept of wealth - its creation and fairer distribution, the promotion of less energy-consuming lifestyles, the preservation of the Planet and the duty to leave it for future generations.

 

Video

Watch video
Coisas do Vizinho na RTP

Further details

We began with the Neighbour’s Things Shop, a space for exchanging second hand goods, a space where each Neighbour shopkeeper becomes a transformer agent in a better world. A space where, in the strictest sense, the exchange of second hand goods is facilitated, where these goods acquire a new look, where they are reborn in the life of a new neighbour who preserves their usefulness and extends their worth and where those who supply the goods are united  with those who choose and buy them. It is a space which promotes everything that is created, recycled,produced locally, inverting as a result, the dominant economy which saps the vitality of communities by accumulating and transferring wealth to the power centres that every day show us how unsustainable they and we are.

 

Mission

 

To help unleash the power of each local community enabling it to become more sustainable and happy by facilitating the exchange of second hand goods  and stimulating the production of goods and services locally.

Inspiration

What other Principles inspire us? We have adopted the principles of Permaculture: Earth care, people care, fair share The Good Neighbours project helps to look after the planet. We believe that it is necessary to recognize that we are part of the natural world and are dependent on it. The present level of spending in our societies is unsustainable for the Planet. By promoting the reutilization of goods and local trade, we are making our contribution to the environment and towards a constructive future in which we appeal to our neighbours’ sense of responsibility as defenders of the ecosystems which support us. The Good Neighbours project promotes the caring of people. Caring of people through the example of neighbourliness that each shop fosters with its neighbours; caring of people by facilitating the exchange of goods, extending their useful life and contributing towards their transformation into items of worth. The Good Neighbours project seeks to share fairly. On the one hand we use as a reference the 50% for each part whenever there is a transaction and on the other, the project has one objective – to become economically sustainable - not just to maximize profits.

Outcomes so far

A huge visibility in the community. We already are financially sustainable.

Unexpected outcomes

The national portuguese media attention.

Contacts

Primary point of contact: 
Joao Leitao
Media point of contact: 
Joao Leitao
Web point of contact: 
Joao Leitao
Volunteer point of contact: 
hanac
Themes: 
Education
Themes: 
Food
Themes: 
Inner Transition
Themes: 
Business & Economics
Themes: 
Energy

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