On Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12, 2025, Aden, the capital city, hosted a dialogue workshop for “local community representatives and decision-makers.” This workshop was part of the “Strengthening Local Community Participation” project, implemented by the Afaq Youth Foundation (ASF) in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).

The workshop aimed to discuss mechanisms for community participation, assess their effectiveness in promoting local engagement, and review the most prominent challenges facing local communities, proposing practical solutions to strengthen them.

The sessions included research presentations on community participation mechanisms and related challenges, along with interventions from representatives of ministries, government institutions, civil society organizations, community activists, and local leaders.

The workshop also featured group work sessions that addressed assessing the current state of community participation, identifying gaps and needs, and formulating strategies to enhance the effective participation of various community groups, including women and youth. The workshop concluded with a number of practical recommendations that emphasized the importance of building effective communication channels between the local community and decision-makers, and enhancing community participation in planning and decision-making, as a fundamental step towards achieving sustainable local development.