Training Kit on Community Participation and Social Capital
The spread of a high proportion of degrees of cultural, social and political awareness among the ranks of the members of society's bodies is a factor of great importance, not only with regard to the extent of participation, but in the quality and direction of participation.
Community Participation
It is the process of mobilising and organising the efforts of members of society and its groups to work with formal and informal bodies to raise society economically and socially, so that the individual comes to play, through it, a role in the political and social life of his society, and has the opportunity to participate in setting general goals, as well as the best means of achieving and accomplishing these goals.
The Importance of Community Participation
Participation is a fundamental principle of community development.
Citizens learn, through participation, how to solve their problems.
It leads to citizens' involvement in development processes.
Citizens in society are usually considered more sensitive than others to what is good for their society.
Societal problems have become numerous, making them difficult to discover and work to solve through professional workers alone.
Popular participation is a real support for government spending.
The government cannot carry out all works and services, and the role of popular participation is a supporting and complementary role to the government's role; it is necessary and essential for achieving the plan.
Processes of popular participation increase the people's social awareness, since those in charge of them must continually explain the services and projects, for the purpose of raising money and urging the rest of the citizens to join in and contribute.
Community development practitioners, the non-profit sector, and local decision-makers.