About us | Europlural Project

About us:

EuroPlural Project, equal rights and equity in a plural world to foster health and education for all.

EuroPlural Project is an association aimed at promoting equal rights and equity in health and education. We work inclusively and affirmatively, embracing diversity in ethnicity/race, gender, sexuality, relationships, expressions, and abilities.

What we do:
EuroPlural Project is a global hub for mental health care, education, and advocacy. Our mission is to advance diversity in ethnicity/race, gender, sexuality, relationships, expressions, and abilities throughout Europe, striving to achieve equal rights and equity in health and education. Join us in shaping a world that is not only inclusive but empowers every individual to thrive.

Joao Alves Neto

History

With a career spanning over 30 years of professional experience in the fields of mental health and education, the founder and team of EuroPlural gave birth to this organization, primarily driven by the inequalities and inequities suffered by LGBTQIAPN+ individuals in healthcare and education systems.

In 2019, our founder, João Alves Neto, while pursuing advanced studies at the Institute of Education at the University of Minho in Braga, Portugal, conducted research titled "LGBTQ in Inclusive Sexuality Education: Potentialities of Co-constructed Training for Education and Health Professionals." This research led to the development of training for healthcare and education professionals, accredited by the Scientific-Pedagogical Council for Continuous Training in Portugal. It highlighted the presence of high levels of prejudice and stigma among professionals in the school population.

In 2020, Joao embarked on a circuit of lectures, workshops, classes, and training sessions with organizations such as professional schools, associations, institutes, and universities in Portugal, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Latvia, England, Brazil, and Uruguay, focusing on education and health.

From 2021 to 2023, he has been integrating work teams in Erasmus+ projects in various areas, emphasizing gender, sexual, relational, ethnic, and capability diversity. These projects focus on ageing and dementia, human development, learning, technology, citizenship, human rights, mental health, and well-being.

In the face of the still-existing context of prejudices and discrimination in Europe, the founder, along with partners from various fields, decided to institutionalize the movement that began in 2019 based on post-doctoral research, leading to the development of the EuroPlural Project. The organization emerged from the voluntary work of the EuroPlural Project (EPP) Team, comprising professionals of diverse nationalities, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and capabilities, including technical experts, specialists, doctors, and students in the fields of health, communication, art, and education.

Our team actively participates in and develops educational programs, lectures, workshops, socio-educational events, research, and content production in the health and education domains to promote equal rights and equity for minority populations in gender, sex, expressions, and relationships. These efforts intersect with issues of ethnicity, nationality, and capabilities.

Team

João Alves

Fundador

With over three decades dedicated to the mental health field, Joao brings a wealth of expertise that spans teaching, research, and public health. As a psychiatrist with a PhD in psychology and post-PhD in education, he's not only a seasoned clinician but also a professor in higher education, covering health, humanities, and education. Joao's diverse experience extends to clinical psychiatry, individual psychotherapy, family dynamics, and intimate relationships. He delves into crucial areas such as human rights, public policies in mental health, and the intersections of gender, sex, and relationships with ethnicity, nationality, and capacity diversity.As a published author of books, book chapters, and scientific articles, Joao has gained international recognition for his contributions to scientific research. His work also extends to continuous education initiatives, particularly addressing inclusive sexuality for the LGBTQIAPN+ community. His efforts have not only been acknowledged in Portugal and Brazil but have also received endorsement from the Portuguese Ministry of Education. Proficient in project management across healthcare, education, and research, Joao has overseen mental health services, postgraduate programs, and scientific studies. His role as a proud member of UNESCO's Global Health and Education chair reflects his commitment to making an impact nationally and internationally. He actively contributes to events and projects across South America, the United States, and Europe. Joao's dedication revolves around advancing health and education, particularly within the intricate intersections of gender diversity, relationships, and expressions. He remains aware of the interplay with issues of ethnicity, nationality, and capacity, embodying a holistic and inclusive approach in his professional endeavours.

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Rubielson Medeiros

Through dance, he has seamlessly integrated projects aimed at helping diverse communities, including children who are victims of violence and abandonment, individuals with disabilities and pathologies, prison populations, and marginalized communities in Brazil. His commitment extends globally, engaging in social inclusion projects across different countries, focusing his research on Dance Education and Dance and Health.

With a background in audiovisual production and cinema, he holds a postgraduate degree in dance and a master's degree in Cultural Heritage. His multifaceted career includes roles as a public manager, cultural producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, choreographer, dancer, and performer at national and international cultural festivals.

Since 2022, he has been an active member of the International Dance Committee (CID), the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance worldwide, reporting to UNESCO. His recent endeavor, the artistic intervention "Tons em Movimento," celebrates the 50th anniversary of World Dance Day and is set to tour multiple countries.

In Portugal, he has produced children's plays and spearheaded projects for the community, collaborating with Colegios Leonardo Da Vinci and Externato Paulo VI in Braga. His productions grace prestigious stages such as Altice Fórum, Espaço Vita, and Favo das Artes.

His artistic journey began with the Pequenos Cantores group at La Salle University in Rio Grande do Sul, where he studied singing and dancing for six years. He co-founded the now-extinct Projeto Canta Brasil, recognized by UNESCO in 2003 for its art education and inclusion programs.

Collaborating with renowned artists like Roger Waters, Gilberto Gil, and Daniela Mercury, he has been part of shows and projects with multinational companies, Consulates, and Embassies in Germany and Brazil. Notably, one of his choreographies was shared on social media by Fado singer Mariza in December 2023.

His global reach encompasses presentations, performances, workshops, and exchanges in countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Greece, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. He underwent an Artistic Residency through the Dance Partners Program in New York, mentored by pianist William Engle.

Together with his mentor, he created the show "Collaboração Companheiros da Dança," showcased at the Indy Fringe Festival in Indianapolis and theaters in Brazil. He directed documentaries, including "A Senhora da Bicicleta" and "Lugar Comum," the latter focusing on the experience of Associação Musa with public schools, immigrants, and sociocultural inclusion.

On Brazilian television, he produced and presented the show "Cidadão Legal" and contributed to the cultural program "Sou Cult." His involvement in campaigns, such as Projeto Acolher da Natura and Wall Mart Brasil, reflects his commitment to various social causes.

Choreographing shows for large audiences in football stadiums and participating in events like the mega-spectacle Natal Luz in Gramado, RS, showcase his versatility. In Portugal, he teaches performing arts subjects and earned recognition as a finalist for "Trainer of the Year" in the "Plataforma Forma-te."

As a member of a project in the Erasmus+ Program, he collaborates with representatives from different European Union countries and is part of Mosaico, a platform for inclusive artistic and educational projects in Braga, Portugal. Additionally, he collaborates with the NGO Partners of the Americas in Indiana, United States.

In December 2023, he co-founded the Europlural Project Association with Dr. João Alves, focusing on projects and actions in the field of Mental Health, Art Therapy, and the LGBTQIA+ population in the European Union.

Gustavo Maria Barros Rangel da Gama Lobo

Gustavo has a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Minho. He was Vice-President of the Study Center of the International Relations Course (CECRI) in the 2020/2021 term. He worked in the Republic of Ireland as a Waiter in 2022 and 2023 At the moment he is a member of the Board of Directors of the EuroPlural Project Association

Partners