A gestão democrática em debate: O programa LEADER e a sua relação com a sociedade civil local

This article discusses the European Union LEADER Program for rural regions, analyzing whether, in the case of Portugal, local autonomy in the definition of strategies and projects has been positive for local territories or whether this has benefited only some actors in these territories by not giving enough stress to the guiding principles of this program, through practices of inclusion of more needy and unorganized groups. This reflection on the LEADER Program can be extrapolated to other local contexts. In general terms, if on the one hand practices of participatory democracy can contribute to the development of local populations, particularly the most needy and unorganized, on the other hand it is also evident that the argument of democracy and development is often used to reproduce local practices of social domination and inequality