Faced with a large shortage of instruments and opportunities for the inhabitants of Mértola to participate and exercise active citizenship in decision-making processes, a group of citizens decided to create a Forum (online and in person) to inform, empower and debate the problems, challenges and opportunities facing the future of the area and its people in a very broad manner, and to draw up contributions and proposals for public policies for local development. Operating since January, it held monthly sessions with an average of 100 participants, but these were interrupted during the period of the local elections.