Fostering participation in community development as a social-pedagogical approach

It is widely acknowledged that local participation is a crucial element for achieving human and sustainable development in community projects, grounded in the capacities of local actors and responsiveness to the needs of the territories where projects are implemented. At the same time, participatory activities enable socio-pedagogical interventions to provide unique opportunities for lifelong learning. Empirical evidence and literature highlight a growing conceptual and practical interest in understanding participation in community development projects, as demonstrated by several recent studies aiming to synthesize extensive indications regarding the impacts of participation. However, it is in the interest of socio-pedagogical intervention to understand the processes and dynamics that can achieve more meaningful and impactful participation, able to generate learning. In this article, we discuss how Social Pedagogy presents a duality of participation. On the one hand, the desirable civic participation with the democratic engagement of all local actors, and on the other hand, the opportunity to create meaningful pedagogical interventions, grounded in hospitality, mediation, and human relationships. Finally, we propose guidelines for socio-pedagogical interventions that prioritize participation by local actors. We emphasize the importance of understanding their motivations, needs and expectations, particularly in vulnerable groups. There is also emphasis placed on the need to promote moments of dialogue and discussion, ethically mediated, aimed to achieve responsible decisions and participations, and able to foster meaningful educational experiences.