Participatory Governance, Social Work and Social Policy in Times of AI Voices That Matter

Introduction

Sergei Zelenev and Antonio López Peláez

Part I. Participation, Digital Innovation, and Social Services: Global Dynamics and Future Challenges

1. The Fundamentals of Participation in the Context of New Developments 

Sergei Zelenev and Antonio López Peláez

2. ProSocial AI as a Catalyst for Social Welfare and Participation: A Multidimensional Perspective

Cornelia C. Walther

3. Children, Social Protection, and AI Bias: An Empirical Study of Intra-Country Disparities through a Citizen Participation Lens

Enrique Delamónica

4. Participatory Green Social Work and Living Knowledge Labs: Inclusive Nature-Based Solutions and Ethical AI in Socio-Ecological Transitions

Jose Luis Fernández-Pacheco Sáez and Antonio López-Peláez

5. Shaping Territorial Priorities through Citizen Participation 

Marta Lora-Tamayo Vallvé

6. AI Public Governance and Data Capitalism: New Challenges and Old Victims 

Chaime Marcuello Servós

7. Co-design, Participation and Social Welfare: Redefining Social Services in AI Societies

Raquel Pelta Resano

8. From Welfare State to Welfare Society: New Roles for Citizen Participation and Digital Technologies 

Sang-Mok Suh

9. Using AI for Social Good: How AI Can Support Social Protection Systems

Gloria Kirwan

Part II. Participatory Governance, AI, and Social Services: Country Cases

10. Pathways to Full and Equal Participation in Social Welfare in Finland

Ronald Wiman

11. The Social and Solidarity Economy in Morocco: A Lever for Promoting Social Justice 

Driss Guerraoui

12. Embedding Participation in Mental Health Policy and Practice: A Case Study from Ireland

Nicola Byrne

13. Participation, Social Work, and Service Delivery in Thailand’s Social Policy Landscape 

Mahesh Chougule, Kritsada Theerakosonphong and Auchala Chalayonnavin

14. AI, Participation and Social Welfare in Northeast Asia: A Political Economy Analysis 

Fen-ling Chen

15. Local Engagement and Social Welfare in Indonesia: Participatory Governance and Institutional Practice in the Age of AI 

Laila Refiana Said

16. Participation and Social Welfare in Spain: How to Achieve Social Innovation through Participation

Joaquín Castillo de Mesa and Gonzalo Cavero Cano

17. Reimagining Community Engagement and Participatory Governance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Reflections from the Global South 

P.K. Shajahan and Nidhin K.P.

18. Community Organising in Sweden: A Local Initiative in Times of Transformation 

Larisa Lacatus

Part III. Global Organizations, AI, and Social Participation

19. Participation and Well-being: Perspectives from the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)

Joachim Cuthbert Mumba

20. AI, Participation, and Social Work Education: The IASSW Viewpoint

Antoinette Lombard

21. Participation at the Crossroads of Social Welfare: The ICSW Perspective

Sergei Zelenev

22. Summing Up

Sergei Zelenev and Antonio López Peláez

Annex I. Ronda Declaration 2025 On Meaningful Participation, Inclusive Social Welfare, and Democratic Local Governance

Biography

Sergei Zelenev is President of the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW). A social scientist, his work focuses on intergenerational relations, digital transformation, integrated social policy, and social welfare. He served as Executive Director of ICSW from 2012 to 2019. Prior to this, he spent nearly three decades with the United Nations, working at United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York and in field missions in Africa and the Caribbean. He has also served as a visiting professor in several countries, teaching socio-economic development and policy.

Antonio López Peláez is Professor of Social Work and Social Services at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), Spain. Since 2020, he has served as Executive Director of ICSW. He is Director of the Chair in Innovation in Social Services and Dependency (UNED/City Council of Fuenlabrada) and co-director of The Participatory Group.

"This volume provides a comprehensive examination of participation as a foundational principle of democratic governance and social welfare in the context of digital transformation. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, it highlights the role of participatory processes in enhancing policy legitimacy, social cohesion, and institutional responsiveness. The contributions analyze the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence for inclusion, accountability, and power distribution. In an era of technological disruption, this book offers an illuminating framework for rethinking the role of citizens in advancing equitable and sustainable social development."

Neil Gilbert, Milton and Gertrude Chernin Chair in Social Welfare, Distinguished Professor of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

"The forthcoming edited volume Participatory Governance, Social Work and Social Policy in Times of AI offers a timely and intellectually compelling examination of how technological transformation can be aligned with social justice, democratic governance, and the protection of human rights. By addressing both the promises of digital innovation and the risks of exclusion, surveillance, and widening inequalities, the volume makes an important contribution to contemporary debates on the ethical and equitable governance of emerging technologies. It is a highly valuable resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking pathways to ensure that the benefits of AI and digital transformation are shared broadly and serve the public good."

Leila Patel, President of the International Consortium for Social Development, Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), University of Johannesburg

"This is collaborative work, the result of a joint effort by international social work leaders in the era of AI. Artificial intelligence brings both hope and fear. In an uncertain world with limited natural resources and increasing human conflicts, we need both wisdom and knowledge to live and work together peacefully. The book is an inspiring, innovative, and international exploration of optimal governance with citizen participation in the AI era. It lights our path to the future with opportunities and choices. If there is one book to engage with in the coming months, this is a compelling and timely choice."

Ming-sum Tsui, Professor of Social Work, Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong of Social Sciences, Saint Francis University (SFU), Hong Kong, Co-Chief Editor, International Social Work

"Participatory Governance, Social Work and Social Policy in Times of AI offers an authoritative reflection on how digitalization and AI are reshaping welfare systems, social work, civic engagement, and democratic accountability. It provides in-depth insights into some of the most urgent debates in contemporary social work and social policy: at the core of welfare governance in the AI era lies the question of participation, that is how it is realized and whether it meaningfully shapes decision-making. Participation, rather than technology itself, is a prerequisite for ethical, legitimate, and inclusive social services.

Grounded in the Ronda Declaration and drawing on comparative country cases, this book is an essential reading for students, scholars, and professionals concerned with the future of social work and social policy in the digital age."

Honglin CHEN, Professor of Gerontological Social Work, University of Eastern, Finland

"Participatory Governance, Social Work and Social Policy in Times of AI explores how artificial intelligence is transforming welfare systems, governance, and social work practice. The volume argues that meaningful participation is essential to ensure that technological innovation strengthens, rather than undermines, democracy and social justice. Combining theoretical insights and global case studies, it highlights both the opportunities and risks of AI, particularly in relation to inequality and social exclusion. In a historical moment marked by rapid digital transformation, growing inequalities, and declining trust in institutions, this book is both timely and indispensable, offering critical tools to navigate evolving social and policy challenges. Bringing together diverse perspectives from scholars, practitioners, and international organizations, it will be of particular value to researchers, policymakers, social workers, and students interested in shaping inclusive, ethical, and resilient welfare systems in the age of AI."

Annamaria Campanini, Past President, International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), Retired Prof. Phd. in Social Work, Università Milano Bicocca

"This timely, thought-provoking, and globally relevant volume explores how AI is reshaping participation, governance, and social welfare. Through diverse international perspectives, it offers a critical and hopeful vision for building more inclusive, ethical, and people-centred social policies and social work practices in the digital age."

Badri Narayan Tiwari, Professor and Vice-Chancellor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences