We have lost what it means to be a community in developed countries, says a social work educator from Charles Sturt University (CSU).

Dr Manohar Pawar believes modern societies have something to learn from traditional communities - and it is possible to resurrect the best elements of these communities and emulate them.

"The time has come to realise and recognise the strengths of community life and go back and embrace them," said Dr Pawar, a key researcher at CSU's Centre for Rural Social Research and organiser of an international workshop next week that will look at ways developed and developing countries can adopt some aspects of traditional communities.

"The aim of this project is to develop mutual understanding of diverse and innovative community informal care and welfare systems, which enhance the well-being of people, particularly the marginalised and disadvantaged in Asia-Pacific countries," Dr Pawar said.

Dr Pawar said we need to build stronger communities in Western societies by taking the best elements of traditional communities so that suffering and want can be taken care of by communities themselves.

Dr Pawar suggested the idea of community living appeals to almost everyone.

"Who does not like self-help, self-reliance, mutual support, friendly neighbours, fearless walks on safe and clean streets, peers for children and the elderly, community involvement in individual and family crises and mutually sharing and caring partnerships?"

These sound aspects of the community are not new to people, Dr Pawar said, though societies have gradually and completely alienated themselves from such valuable community practices and community life over a long period.

Dr Pawar said current government policies of mutual obligation emphasise the rebuilding of strong communities, and taking advantage of this climate may help to identify and develop the best elements of traditional community practices.

But he said the message "mutual obligation" appeared to convey blame and warned this approach was self-destructive.

"If we want to build stronger communities and bind people with self-help and trust, our policies must respect people and treat them with worth and dignity," he said.

Titled Documenting Community Informal Care and Welfare Systems in Asia-Pacific Countries, the workshop is funded by the Japan Foundation Asia Centre grant.

It will be held at CSU's Wagga Wagga Campus from Monday 12 to Friday 16 February and attended by 14 social science researchers and field practitioners from Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Dr Pawar added the workshop also aims to develop a training manual for non-government organisation grassroot workers to identify, preserve and practise community informal care and welfare systems with individuals, families and communities.