Changes on a global scale dominate our everyday lives – they appear to be unstoppable. Is there anything that can be done at a local level that would actively and constructively help shape these developments? The 3rd International Congress «Community Development: Local and Global Challenges» is looking at this issue and posing highly pertinent questions. Is the bottom-up, participative approach of community development an appropriate response to the challenges of global and local transformation processes? Do social relationships and communicative networks provide a way out of the growing loss of identity we are experiencing and the break-up of our global community? Is societal cohesion at a local level required in order to achieve sustainable developments on a much larger scale? At what stage are we at with Europe’s development, and are there any international experiences out there that we can draw on for inspiration? Should we be resorting to the virtual world? Is the answer total (and virtual) networking, or is the whole globalisation debate just another illusion – an expression of worldwide powerlessness?
The 3rd International Congress provides a link to the earlier Bordeaux (2003) and São Paulo (2005) congresses and puts forward critical, practice-oriented questions related to global and local development. Concrete projects illustrate the challenges in both urban and rural areas alike, and international comparisons give rise to opportunities for exchange and fascinating dialogues. This can really help enrich and enhance our academic or practice-oriented work. The key question concerns the role played by, and significance of, community development, a concept formed by relation to values such as social justice and societal integration. Each of the three days of the congress is devoted to a theme.
Worldwide professionals from theory and practice are invited to the congress; it is possible to sign up for the congress since the beginning of January 2007. If you want to be informed about the congress please click here..