Mar 29, 2015
Civil Society: Going where governments can’t go.
Lisa McElherron, Policy Development ManagerNICVA
Northern Ireland Conflict
• Over 300 years old• Ireland divided into Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland in 1921• Most recent conflict began in 1970s – late 1990s• Good Friday Agreement in 1998 established a
devolved NI Assembly.• Was disbanded in 2004 but re-established in
May 2007
Society in Northern Ireland
Dealing with the legacy of the conflict• 3,500 dead, hundreds thousands injured.• Chronic under investment in infrastructure and
the economy• Culture of sectarianism, mistrust and division• Trauma, mental and physical ill health• Separate communities: education, housing,
culture and leisure
Society in Northern Ireland: stable government?
Society in Northern Ireland: physical renewal
Society in Northern Ireland: economic growth
Society in Northern Ireland: beating England!
Society in Northern Ireland: Deeply divided
Society in Northern Ireland: Inequalities in income
£0
£100
£200
£300
£400
£500
£600
£700
1990 1995 2000 2003 2005
Gross weekly pay, all adults
Top 10%
Bottom 10%
Society in Northern Ireland: inequalities in health
Society in Northern Ireland: inequalities in housing
Homelessness and new housing starts
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
22,000
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06
Homeless
New starts
Society in Northern Ireland: poverty
• 56% of children live in poor households
• Since 2000, more than 1,500 people over 65 have died in winter because they cant heat their homes
Definition of civil society
Everything outside government.
Employers
organisations
Trade UnionsChurches
Voluntary and community organisations
Special role of civil society
Democracy representative (NI, UK, EU political structures) participatory (civil society)
Likely to be tensions, especially in newer democracies; need to work through them, to be mature and to respect the different but complementary roles of both parties:
• Government/parliament passes laws, allocates budgets, offers protection, guarantees rights etc
• Civil society seeks to influence all of these; speaks on behalf of disadvantaged
What can civil society do?
GenerallyBig range of activities: self-help, services,
campaigning, running centres and services
Wide range of interests, child welfare, the environment, education and training, health, community arts, sport, older people, human rights, equality and many more
• Offer education and training (confidence, skills, focus on the learning poor) – local and informal
• Encourage community development
• Provide affordable housing (next slide)
• Healthy living
• Advice on financial matters such as debt
• Benefit take-up
• Promote volunteering eg VDA
• Run social enterprises (eg credit unions, housing associations)
• Provide networks eg women, older people, environment
Civil Society : essential for building peace and reconciliation.
How do we make it happen?• We approach it from different directions eg older people, children,
fuel poverty, food poverty, education, health• We network; although there are a lot of NGOs (4,500) we co-
ordinate quite well• We actively lobby government and public bodies• We know what we’re talking about eg advice agencies and welfare
bodies deal with poverty and debt; community groups know the socially disadvantaged
• We are active in solving problems (housing, credit)
In short, expertise, experience, energy and enthusiasm
Civil Society in action: Anti-poverty campaign
• Government policy had failed for 13 years• New policy offered nothing new• Sector got organised:
– Said No to the consultation– Planned a way forward – worked together– Pooled our expertise and contacts– Used the media and press– Meet with politicans and key decisons
Was it a success?• We persuaded government to issue good anti-poverty strategy
• Tackling poverty and social exclusion was central to government
• Special fund to tackle poverty among children and young people
• Assembly unanimous on need to fight child and fuel poverty
• Government takes us seriously (Ministers keen to meet)
But…• Still no commitment from the Executive to the anti-poverty strategy,
only words
• No new policy initiatives or funding to make the strategy real
• Still awaiting targets (with milestones) and deadlines
• Many social problems continue such as low levels of literacy, community conflict and some more…
Linking up with othersConcordia: Voluntary and community, trade unions, employers, farmers – we try to work together. Useful – last year the head of the CBI devoted most of his speech to poverty. But it has limits eg minimum wage
Counterparts in Britain and Ireland and globally (CIVICUS)
European links, Europe direct and Missing Link
Joint Forum with government and Ministerial Forum on Poverty
Civil Society can’t do it alone• Ministers and other politicians must recognise that civil society is a
resource for good, not a threat
• They must accept that people on the ground want action fast and always want more than government can deliver
• Governments and parliaments must develop machinery to hear the views of civil society through meetings, joint forums, evidence to committees and so on
• Government needs to support community development and promote volunteering; the job needs money, support, training and empowerment.
“Never doubt that collective action can change the world. In fact it is the only thing that ever has”
Margaret Mead
For more information:
• www.nicva.org• www.communityni.org