ENGAGING THE CITIZEN - Futures For Civil Society

ENGAGING THE CITIZEN Futures For Civil Society The Rt Hon George Reid

The Drivers of Change

The Challenge of Politics

“ The development of a dynamic and responsive strategy for outreach and public engagement ”

“ We must try to accept that we have a shared past and try to learn from it. “ The differences in our societies must cease to be barriers between us. “ We must learn to live together – not only to be supportive of our respective individual diversities but indeed to be champions of respect and tolerance of others”

N.I. CHALLENGES

Promotion of Vision and Values

Division on Religious Boundaries

Tolerance of Difference

Collective Campaigns

Trust in|from the Assembly

Dependency on State Funding

Clear unifying Agenda

GOALS OF INQUIRY

Explore threats and opportunities

Identify how policy and practice can be enhanced

Improve ability of civil society to meet future challenges

WHAT IS CIVIL SOCIETY?

Associational Life

The ‘good’ society

Arenas for public deliberation

“ Civil Society is a goal to aim for, a means to achieve it and a framework for engaging with each other about ends and means”

FUTURES THINKING “ The purpose of looking at the future is to disturb the present”

PLEASE, NO CONSULTANT SPEAK!

FAULT LINES

Challenge of Sustainability

Isolation of the Poorest

Social Cohesion under Pressure

Shifting Activism and increasing obstacles to engaging with civil society

FAULT LINES

Application of Technology

Voluntary & Community Organisations lose their Distinctiveness

Diminishing Areas for Public Deliberation

Marginalisation of Dissent

LOCAL LIFE

DIVERSITY WARS

ATHENIAN VOICES

GLOBAL COMPACT

WHAT NEXT?

Social Justice and Climate Change

Financial Industry

The Media

The Deliberative Process

Marginalisation of Dissent

ANOTHER FAULT LINE

Devolution as a Driver of Change

State no longer sole source of authority

Responsibility for Civil Society largely devolved

QUESTION 1 Is Devolution Decentralisation, power handed down from the Centre? Or is Devolution a dynamic process, power rising up from the People?

QUESTION 2 Does the Northern Ireland Assembly practise Representative Democracy? Or does the Northern Ireland Assembly practise Participative Democracy?

COMPARISONS

Architecture

Accessibility

Accountability

Equal Opportunities

Sharing of Power

“ The development of a dynamic and responsive strategy for outreach and public engagement ”

A People’s Parliament

Politics too important to leave to the politicians

Let the People in

Let the People have their say

Let the People change law

“ We must learn to live together – not only to be supportive of our respective individual diversities but indeed to be champions of respect and tolerance of others”

A Civic Agenda?

Decide Representative or Participative Democracy

Decide Decentralisation or Devolution

A Futures Agenda

Think Needs not Positions

Consult with Civic Society

Open the Assembly to the People

Agree a Petitions System

Stand for Election

“ Look to the Future. Accept the Challenges. Society fails if the citizen is not engaged. “ Setting an agenda for change is not a burden. It’s a responsibility. And an opportunity to change for good ”