Abstract

TOTH, Mariann; MERTENS, Frédéric  and  MAKIUCHI, Maria de Fátima Rodrigues. Novos espaços de participação social no contexto do desenvolvimento sustentável: as contribuições da Educomunicação. Ambient. soc. [online]. 2012, vol.15, n.2, pp. 113-132. ISSN 1809-4422.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1414-753X2012000200007.

This article analyses the contribution of Educommunication to encourage social participation in environmental issues. The text presents the major challenges of social participation in the context of sustainable development and examines the proposals of Educommunication to mobilize individuals and groups to social participation by promoting homogeneous relations of power, increasing the potential of expression; motivating participation, and formulating new spaces for participation. The theoretical proposals are illustrated with the analysis of projects applied in Brazil. It is concluded that Educommunication has significant potential in promoting alternatives to the challenges of participation, particularly in the dimensions of the amplification of creative expression and the creation of new spaces for participation.

Keywords : Social participation; sustainable development; Educommunication; social mobilization.