The Social Network and Local Development: Social Partnerships and Participatory Planning

Abstract

New ways of learning, new looks, new measures of politics, new ways of doing, or as Isabel Guerra (2001: 64) refers to "new ways of living together" and to reflect local problems and needs, we see combining in the fight against poverty and social exclusion, with a view to sustainable development. The Social Network Programme that this article intends to describe, is one of the relevant contributions in this sense. The focus is on two fundamental axes: the development of partnership structures, in which municipalities play a central role and promote local social development by introducing participatory strategic planning dynamics. Although briefly, the possible reflections around some of the already visible results are also outlined.