Adílio Câmara, executive director of the Carmo Social and Parish Center – Casa São José, states that a lack of courage is the main obstacle to a paradigm shift in Madeira's Social Economy.
Câmara advocates for this sector to evolve from a welfare-based model to an economy that actively and continuously contributes to improving people's lives. This idea is central to the 5th edition of the Mais Social Congress, held in Câmara de Lobos under the theme "Social Economy versus Impact Economy".
For change to occur, "political courage" and the willingness of organizations to abandon traditional models are necessary. Adílio Câmara suggests that social institutions should go beyond responding to immediate needs, also focusing on prevention and promoting autonomy, as seen with the elderly population and homeless individuals.
Funding and the evaluation of organizations also need rethinking. Câmara calls for the creation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure real impact, which could alter resource distribution. Casa São José, for instance, is already diversifying its revenue streams through a social responsibility program, currently supporting around 300 people with various social services.
