Mediation in Local Educational Governance: The Educating Cities Movement in a Portuguese Town

Educational processes have had to deal with the significant changes that have been occurring throughout the world, at different levels, in the last few decades. The Educating Cities movement, which has been followed by cities from all over the world — from Rwanda to Denmark, through Mexico, Canada, Australia, South Korea and Italy — is an attempt to deal with such changes. The movement defines the deepening of the practice of democratic values as the greatest challenge of the twenty-first century. This article explores the role of social and educational mediation in the Educating Cities movement. Its empirical focus is on some of the experiences of the cities that belong to this network, with a special emphasis on the city of Porto, Portugal.