Civil Society: Going where governments cant go. Lisa McElherron, Policy Development Manager NICVA

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Civil Society Going where governments cant
go.Lisa McElherron, Policy Development
ManagerNICVA
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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

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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

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Society in Northern Ireland stable government?
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Society in Northern Ireland physical renewal
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Society in Northern Ireland economic growth
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Society in Northern Ireland beating England!
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Society in Northern Ireland Deeply divided
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Society in Northern Ireland Inequalities in
income
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Society in Northern Ireland inequalities in
health
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Society in Northern Ireland inequalities in
housing
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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

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Definition of civil society

• Everything outside government.

Trade Unions
Employers organisations
Churches
Voluntary and community organisations
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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

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What can civil society do?

• Generally
• Big 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

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• 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

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Civil Society essential for building peace and
reconciliation.
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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 were 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

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Civil Society in action Anti-poverty campaign
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• 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

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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)

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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

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Linking up with others

• Concordia 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

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Civil Society cant 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.

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• Never doubt that collective action can change
  the world. In fact it is the only thing that ever
  has
• Margaret Mead

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For more information

• www.nicva.org
• www.communityni.org