A participatory governance model toward the inclusion of ethnic minorities: an action research experience in Italy

The objectives of this paper are twofold: on the one hand to identify a participatory governance model capable of meeting the goal of the inclusion of marginalized and excluded groups; on the other hand to explain how and to what extent the participation of some individuals, belonging to social excluded groups, can effectively improve the design of policies egarding crucial issues for them and for the society as a whole. Accordingly, after a critical review of concepts such as governance and participatory governance, the paper presents strengths and limitations of a participatory governance model, applied in Italy between 2009 and 2010, which pursued the involvement of Roma people – one of the most excluded groups in Europe – in the design of initiatives and actions addressing them. The advantage of this model is the actual participation of beneficiaries in the planning of actions regarding them.