Relationship between Social Participation and Social Asset in Imam Khomeini's Thought

This paper asserts that social participation (especially in voluntary form) plays an important role in the accumulation of the social asset. Meanwhile, social asset provides the main ground for participation. In fact, social asset is like the spirit while participation is the embodiment of social and political behavior. Participation is the tangible aspect while social asset is intangible aspect of national wealth. Accumulation and release of this force will guarantee social, political, cultural, and economic development as well as psychological and social security in various levels. The main question of this paper is whether social participation, especially in its voluntary form, and social asset have any place in Imam Khomeini’s thought. It is assumed that social participation, affects people’s sense of belonging to the society. Imam Khomeini had frequently tried to incite people’s voluntary participation in social affairs, on the one hand, while on the other hand, emphasizing on the idea that “the country belongs to you” in order to promote the sense of belonging among the Iranian people.