Abstract

Community Network Dialogues are decision-making processes inspired by relational approach in social work. Community Network Dialogues state that is better to involve community members in facing their problems. This promotes social innovation and the possibility to define innovative and relational strategies to cope with community difficulties. Community Network Dialogues allow public services to implement a welfare society in order to support communities’ autonomy and self-regulation. According to relational subsidiarity, through a Community Network Dialogue a public service urges civil society to reflect on its resources and allows the common good to emerge also starting from the contributions of citizens. After a brief theoretical reflection on the concepts of participation and community social work, the paper presents the development phases of a Community Network Dialogue and analyzes an experience in the context of a community development project and community care