Democracy,Cities and Drugs Conference

The working methods adopted by these projects also vary greatly. Some are more traditionally service-oriented (client/provider approach), while others are based on peer work. All of them, however, share the objective of involving users and consulting their target-groups about the definition and implementation of activities.

Another common characteristic is networking with different stakeholders in the field and also at a distance through internet, training sessions and meetings with colleagues of other regions and countries.

One of the most interesting achievements of these projects is that they all have been able to successfully cooperate with the relevant stakeholders and to secure the commitment and support of political officials. This is not an easy task, and our experience shows that many projects fail because they lack that kind of support. The strength of these partnerships, which are key to the sustainability of these projects, needs to be confirmed in the long run. Equally interesting will be to see if political leaders will learn from these projects, and ensure their dissemination.

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Abstract of M. Reynders and S. Neuforge