Civil Society Participation as a Tool for Formulating Social Policy at the Local Level

This paper seeks to emphasize that civil society participation is a participatory process whereby consensus-building, open dialogue and the promotion of an active participation are all key ingredients to spur the transformation that can result in long-term sustainable development. Given the importance of forming consensus, there is a strong need to create and build the capacity of those within a community to forge their own development strategies and to have an active debate regarding the central tenets. This issue is especially relevant in the age of globalization, which provides new challenges for sustainable development. Globalization offers new opportunities, albeit within the framework of open, participatory and transparent processes that are essential for long-term growth.