Moving beyond social exclusion through dialogue

The Dialogic Inclusion Contract (DIC) makes it possible to build a dialogue between the international scientific community and the knowledge derived from the experiences of social agents. This article presents the theoretical underpinnings and the process of developing and implementing the DIC. A case study of a primary school in a disadvantaged area illustrates how the DIC helped transform an isolated and impoverished neighbourhood into one with more hope and prospects. In this case, the DIC led to the implementation of successful actions that improved students' academic achievement and school attendance as well as relationships between students and between the school and the community. Now, given the very positive results of the DIC in the school, the community around it has decided to transform the entire neighbourhood following the same approach. Evidence from this school indicates that all voices must be included in any effort to overcome ghettos.