The SPA Medal of Honour was delivered on March 8th in Coimbra, by the President of the cooperative, José Jorge Letria, to Manuel Machado, President of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities and of the Coimbra Chamber, during the municipal convention that marked the passage of the 40 years of local democratic power.
The President of the SPA stressed the importance of autarchic power as a school of democracy and proximity and also as a fundamental support of our democratic experience, which is enriched with the work of authors of all disciplines. Both chambers and parish councils are essential supporters of this cultural activity that creates wealth, jobs, tax revenue and national and international attractiveness.
The President of National Association of Portuguese Municipalities underlined the importance of the role of SPA and its contribution to national cultural life.
During the closing ceremony of the convention, Paulo de Carvalho premiered the anthem “Para Bem de Portugal”, written by José Jorge Letria and music by Tozé Brito, who created it gracefully as an act of homage to local democratic power and also to the National Association Of Portuguese Municipalities. Paulo de Carvalho was accompanied live by the April 12 Philharmonic Band of Águeda, receiving an ovation from the audience.
By this gesture SPA wanted to further strengthen the cooperative’s strong cooperation with the chambers and parishes throughout the country.
In his speech, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, congratulated SPA for this act of homage to the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities and mentioned how the text of the the anthem sums up what is essential in the service provided during four decades by chambers and parishes to the populations of the whole country by creating structures, habits and mentalities that have made collective life better.
The anthem will be edited on CD and hence be able to circulate throughout the country. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made an important political intervention having as starting point his experience as mayor during these four decades and emphasizing the contribution of local power to vitalize Portuguese democratic life and giving the people the goods and services to which they are entitled in the framework of a dynamic citizenship.
Lisbon, December 12, 2016
