Community development as a vehicle for social cohesion, participation and democracy

Theme of the outcome

Others and/or Cross-thematic

Description of the outcome

- Taking into account that across Europe there is an increase in poverty, a lack of real citizen participation and that many groups are excluded from shaping the future of their community;

- Taking into account that community development is a practice and a process through which one or more communities are empowered to develop themselves according to their own interests, wishes and potentialities and thus cooperate and organise together;

- Taking into account that community development is a proven vehicle towards social cohesion, participation and democracy;


The Combined European Bureau for Social Development (CEBSD) and the Central and Eastern Citizenship Network (CEE-CN):

- Call on the European Union and the Council of Europe to recognize, support and provide increased resources to promote Community Development as well as Citizen Participation in order to strengthen civil society and improve local communities

- Call on national, regional and local governments to include community development and increased citizen participation in developing and then implementing upcoming plans and strategies.

- Encourage the connection and synergies between those working in the field of community development as well as citizen participation in order to have a greater global impact in addition to increasing their local impact.

- Invite anyone in ESF to join us in participating in Citizen Participation Week (every year, the last week of September, re: www.ceecn.net) as well as in the implementation of the Budapest Declaration (re: www.cebsd.org/index.html)