a new generation of leaders who are revitalizing the rural world
Driven by:
Why does the Re.Rural journey make sense?
We believe the future flourishes in rural landscapes.
While cities face ecological overload and loneliness, rural territories hold something essential: space to restore the balance between people, land, and ways of life.
However, we are facing a real danger — that of seeing the rural world transformed into merely a resource for the cities.
But we also have a unique opportunity before us: to reconnect our species with the landscape, and to discover places to live with quality and harmony.
A program that aims to care for territories.
The Re.Rural Program was born from the desire to rejuvenate rural communities and inspire healthy ways of living and working with nature.
It is a movement that unites young people, farmers, educators and dreamers, all committed to ecological, social, economic and cultural regeneration.
Participating means entering a living network of collaboration: an ecosystem that learns from nature and creates real impact — from the soil to human relationships.
The time is now!
More and more young people are seeking purpose, choosing to positively impact the planet and take care of their well-being.
The municipalities in the interior need new ideas to revitalize villages and create a future.
And it's already happening: regenerative lifestyles, healthy eating, and community-based learning are gaining momentum every day.
European policy supports this transition:
✔ Ruralization
✔ Youth training
✔ Climate resilience
Empower yourself to regenerate territories and reimagine the rural future.
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A jornada Re.Rural é um programa de capacitação cria da pelo Centro de Aprendizagem
Rural Co.Re em colaboração com o ecossistema Re.Rural, e co-financiada pelo programa europeu DEAR.
Ao longo de 5 meses, vais mergulhar num processo de aprendizagem transformador— desenvolvendo competências
práticas, explorando ideias inovadoras e co-criando novas oportunidades de vida mais saudável.
Podes aplicar o que aprendes na tua aldeia, vila, no teu terreno, o teu próprio projeto, na tua comunidade ou em novas
formas de trabalho regenerativo.
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A quem se destina?
Este programa é para jovens entre os 18 e os 35 anos com vontade de aprender, cuidar e reativar territórios.
Se sonhas com uma vida mais alinhada com a natureza, queres revitalizar uma quinta, aldeia, vila,
zona em transição, ou simplesmente descobrir um modo de vida com propósito, este é o teu lugar.
Aqui vais encontrar:
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Um espaço vivo de aprendizagem e regeneração;
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Uma comunidade que te acolhe e inspira;
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E um exemplo real de que é possível voltar ao rural e criar uma vida que faz sentido.
Vem co.aprender connosco na aldeia de. São. Luís, um território vibrante no
Sudoeste Alentejano, acompanhado por uma equipa de facilitadores e
mentores com experiência em regeneração, liderança e inovação social.
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Porquê participar?
Porque o futuro precisa de ti.
e começa onde a terra e as pessoas se voltam a encontrar.
No programa Re.Rural vais:
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Aprender competências práticas:
Agroecologia, economia colaborativa, liderança regenetativa e facilitação comunitária; -
Fazer parte de uma rede nacional e europeia de jovens com propósito;
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Criar projetos com impacto social, ecológico, cultural e económico;
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Redescobrir o sentido de pertença, propósito e comunidade.
(Limitado a 30 participantes)
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The history of the place that hosts this journey.
and that makes this path more congruent
They are
Louis
In the golden hills of Southwest Alentejo, where the Mira River meanders through cork oak forests and ancient paths, lies São LuÃs — a village shaped by deep ecology, resilience, and ancestral wisdom.
For generations, life followed the rhythm of the seasons: wheat, olive trees, arbutus berries, and cork sustained communities rooted in mutual aid and hospitality.
This rhythm was interrupted — by monocultures, industrial agriculture, and rural exodus.
But São LuÃs resists.
Not as a relic of the past, but as a beacon of the rural regenerative movement.
Today, this bioregion pulsates with renewal.
Farmers, educators, artists, and young people return to the land, reactivating its memory and potential.
Agroecology restores vitality to the soil, and dozens of cultural, artistic, and community organizations make São LuÃs a true living laboratory.
The Alentejo singing tradition continues to echo through the fields, blending with new voices and learning experiences.
And this landscape invites us not only to visit — but to learn, collaborate, and co-create the futures we need.
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Active projects centered in São LuÃs
Immersive Journey for Facilitators
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November 27th to December 1st
12/13/14/15/ of February
March 12/13/14/15
14/15/16/17 May
June 18/19/20/21
Re.Rural Immersion
Before you begin your journey, come and feel.
An immersive weekend in the village of São LuÃs
Module 1.2
Regenerative Leadership:
Our role in this world.
Develop the ability to lead with empathy and a systemic vision.
→ Tools for personal development and self-discovery
Module 2.2
Territorial Planning: Landscape Reading and Ecological Design
Participatory planning, mapping, ecology of place, regenerative design.
Module 3.2
Structuring Projects and Financing
Turning ideas into concrete plans.
→ Tools for planning, applications, budgeting and regenerative management.
Module 4.2
Village Assembly: participatory culture in practice
Practice assemblies, neighborhood networks, and regenerative communication .
→ Collaborative processes, community art, celebration, and regenerative media.
Module 1.1
Purpose in the ecosystem:
Listen, observe, and discover my place.
→ Tools for personal development and self-discovery
Module 2.1
Listening to the Earth: agricultural practices and deep ecology
Learning by doing — soil, water, forest and syntropic agroecology.
→ Ecological restoration, regenerative techniques.
Module 3.1
Cultivating New Economies: Eco-social entrepreneurship.
Cooperative models and local impact businesses.
→ Local value chains, solidarity-based exchanges, rural innovation.
Module 4.1
Bioregional Governance: Autonomous and Collaborative Communities
Understanding how living territories are organized.
→ Tools for facilitation, mediation, and collective intelligence.
Special invitation
Re.Rural Meeting presentation.
To be decided.
12/13/14/15/ of February
March 12/13/14/15
14/15/16/17 May
June 18/19/20/21
This journey includes:
Mentoring
Online mentoring and seminars with our Re.Rural mentors.
Specialized teaching staff
Guest mentors in each module (experts in regeneration, leadership, social economy, and bioregional governance).
NETWORK
Joining a support network - (National network of young Rural Facilitators)
who are going through a similar process to yours.
Agroecology in practice
Development of an agroecological garden during the educational process.
Our methodology:
We apply the principles of non-formal education, guiding experiential learning activities.
We engage with the local community, landscape, and culture, fostering spaces for peer learning and personal growth.
We always strive for a balance between:
Head Heart Hands
Our mentors
José Donado Lopez
Social architect and co-founder of the Co.Re Center, he nurtures the growth of rural communities through cultures of cooperation and regeneration.
Rafaela Leal
Community facilitator and co-founder of the Co.Re Center.
It is dedicated to strengthening the connection between nature and humankind, promoting regenerative practices and community participation in rural contexts.
Miguel Encarnação
Agronomist with a master's degree in Agroecology and experience in developing sustainable local food systems. Works on the integration of agricultural production, the environment, and rural communities, promoting practices that strengthen food sovereignty and territorial resilience.
Sara Serrão
An archaeologist and founder of the Regenerar Odemira project, which has inspired dozens of young people to settle in rural areas.
A facilitator of non-formal education and a community artist, she is dedicated to the regeneration of landscapes, memories, and communities.
Helena Marújo
Associate Professor at ISCSP – University of Lisbon and PhD in Psychology. Specialist in positive psychology, well-being and education for peace, she coordinates the UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Global Peace. A renowned author and speaker, she dedicates her research to public happiness, resilience and organizational compassion.
Marta Cortegano
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A Forestry Engineer with a Master's degree in Management and Conservation of Natural Resources, she works as an innovation broker in rural development. In Mértola, she dedicates herself to creating collective strategies to reveal the abundance in semi-arid territories. Co-founder of the Terra Sintrópica Association, she participates in national and international networks in the areas of innovation, agriculture, and sustainability.
Antonio Coelho
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Farmer with 14 years of experience in the production of aromatic, horticultural and fruit plants. Co-creator of Terra Sintrópica and responsible for syntropic production at Horta da Malhadinha, in Mértola. Integrates organic, biointensive, natural, biodynamic and syntropic farming practices, with experience also as a trainer in the agricultural sector.
Neighbor André
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André Vizinho holds a PhD in adapting Mediterranean agriculture and forestry to climate change, a Master's degree in the economic viability of sustainable management of the montado (cork oak woodland), and is an environmental engineer. At Regenerativa Cooperativa Integral, he coordinates the Odemira Local Food System project and the ReMontado initiative. He also works as a facilitator, consultant, and project coordinator, notably at the European Commission's EIP Agri service and at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.
Jorge Gonçalves
Economist with a PhD from the Technical University of Berlin. Economist and co-founder of the Minga Integral Cooperative, dedicated to the development of cooperative models and local economic systems. Works as a consultant and facilitator in community governance and innovation processes.
Barbara Lion
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Xana Piteira
Marta Cabral
An ecologist at heart, Bárbara is the co-founder of several environmental organizations and has over 15 years of experience in regeneration and impact investing. With a PhD in conscious consumption, she is dedicated to transforming the national regenerative ecosystem and currently manages the first women-led impact fund in Portugal, combining Deep Ecology, Marketing, and Impact Finance.
Facilitator, trainer, and consultant in the field of Eco-Social Regeneration, with a degree in Educational Psychology. For over 15 years, she has worked with group dynamics and collaborative practices, supporting communities in developing forms of governance rooted in territory and collective resilience. She engages in facilitation as a living investigation into non-violent and regenerative social change.
Co-founder of Rota Vicentina. Visionary. Specialist in bioregional networks and strategies — connecting people, territories, and regenerative projects.
Your investment in the future.
Participating in the Re.Rural Program is also an act of caring for the future – yours, the future of the communities, and the future of the territories we want to regenerate.
Thanks to co-financing from the European DEAR Programme, we have made it possible to offer the gift economy model, which allows each participant to contribute the value they feel and can offer for their registration — every contribution is welcome, even if it doesn't involve money.
More than a financial gesture, this choice represents a commitment to the experience, an act of shared responsibility and care for the collective that we make possible together.
This contribution helps cover the costs of training, accommodation, online seminars, and support throughout the course.
The gift economy reflects our commitment to keeping this experience accessible, inclusive, and regenerative, open to all young people who wish to be part of this transformation.
During the in-person immersion residencies, each participant will be responsible for their own meals. Group meals will be organized, offering local, nutritious options at fair prices, strengthening regional producers and the village's circular economy.
We believe that money is like water:
When it flows, it nourishes, connects, and makes life grow around it.
By choosing to participate consciously and responsibly, you are becoming part of this flow of abundance — sustaining the collective and contributing to a more regenerative future.
Weekend
Immersive Re.Rural
Feel, understand, and be inspired before beginning the journey.
We invite you to experience an immersive weekend in the vibrant village of São LuÃs, the living heart of our ecosystem.
An opportunity for you to experience the territory, the group, and the purpose that give life to the Re.Rural movement.
Immersion Objectives:
Reconnect with your personal purpose, in direct contact with the Earth and the community.
To meet other young people who are already leading rural regeneration in Portugal.
Join the Re.Rural Ecosystem, a learning and mutual support network between young people and organizations that care for rural areas in Portugal and Europe.
Explore the Re.Rural Journey more closely — ideal if you're still deciding whether to apply and want to experience the energy of the project.
Developed by:
Partners:
Co-funders
