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Community participation represents a voluntary action carried out by community members who participate with each other in different kinds of work to achieve desired goals. Participation includes people's involvement in decision-making, in implementing programs, sharing in the benefits of development programs and their involvement in efforts to evaluate such programs. (Cohen, D. and Prusak). According to Muhammad, community participation, known locally as nafeer or fazaa, is a deeply rooted ancient phenomenon in the Sudanese culture and has been common especially among traditional people in rural areas and villages, where it is usually men's domain (Muhammad, 1975). Community participation is affected by religious beliefs, ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as laws, political environment, economic situation. Social relations (social capital), history and age of the neighborhood. The present paper discusses community participation in Umbadda, Harra 14, a newly planned poor neighborhood in Greater Khartoum the capital of Sudan, which has a population of 5.5 million inhabitants growing at an annual rate of 5.6% per year. Data collection was based on a filed research carried out by the author in the summer of 2002 through intensive interviews with community leaders, and a structured household questionnaire.

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