Pedro Amaro Santos: "we still need to conquer the rights that are in between the lines"
Pedro Amaro Santos has always been involved in social causes and aware of the world around him. But it was in 2015 that the migration crisis made him feel the calling to defend human rights, leading him to move to Greece for a year. Upon his return, unable to put this purpose aside, he sought to learn more. The Interdisciplinary Post-Graduation in Human Rights of the Católica emerged as the "perfect match", presenting a comprehensive and transversal knowledge.
Today, aged 30, the Católica alumni is CEO and co-founder of the NGO MEERU and Director of Communication, Innovation and Development at the Padre António Vieira Institute - IPAV. A path dedicated to the defence of the rights of everyone, which according to Pedro was only possible thanks to the period spent at the Porto Regional Centre of Católica. "The post-graduation was, without a doubt, the most complete and solid programme in which I participated and which greatly marks what my work is".
Of the Católica programme, which he describes as the "perfect cocktail of various people with very different backgrounds, but absolutely determined to learn about human rights", he highlights the openness of all the participants and "the richness of the conversations and debates".
It was in this context that MEERU Abrir Caminho was born, with a project that focuses on the integration of migrant or refugee families, created by Pedro and Isabel Martins Silva, a fellow student. Pedro says that from the very first moment they encountered "a great receptivity from all the professors," regarding this project.
"I feel that the post-graduation gave a really big and solid contribution in what was the development of Meeru, in some way it validated our crazy ideas, in other ways it also questioned many of the ideas we had, provoking and developing," he shares.
Pedro believes that the post-graduation offered him several practical tools, of which he highlights "project management and development" and "everything related to the areas of law." All of which he uses daily in the work he conducts in institutions such as Meeru and IPAV.
The activist also recalls the approach of the teaching staff, a group that he has been part of since the 2nd edition of the Programme, by teaching, with his colleague Isabel, the Module Migrations and Refugees - contributions of psychology and law.
His history and dedication to the defence of human rights makes him believe that "we still have to conquer the rights or the validity of the rights that are in between the lines." For which there are no obvious answers, "but which ultimately affect the dignity of a human being."
Pedro presents the example closest to him: the "situation of refugee people". Despite the growing debate, the activist warns: the "people in refugee situations, victims for example of the consequences of climate change, the so-called climate refugees," remain in the shadow of the law.
So he advises all those who are now joining the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Degree in Human Rights at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa to face it "as a golden time" and "get as involved as possible" in what is the "perfect formula to make the world move forward".