Civil Society review reveals NI profile

The report, entitled “Civil Society in Northern Ireland: A new beginning?” was presented at a three day workshop organised by CIVICUS as part of their World Assembly in Glasgow and discussed with members from other national teams. The project, with participation from over 50 countries over the past two years, uses a comprehensive index of the state of civil society to produce a diamond to represent a score (0-3) on four main dimensions: Structure, Environment, Values and Impact.

The key findings from the report indicate that:

• most of the elements of civil society’s structure in NI are well developed but that there is quite low participation in collective community and non-partisan political actions;
• the environment for support of civil society is well developed but that tolerance of difference within society is relatively low and constitutes an area of weakness;
• civil society values within NI are quite strong but that practices and campaigns to support and promote these values are lacking;
• civil society organisations are quite active in society but that they do not have a great impact on the national budgeting process and are weak when it comes to holding the state and private corporations accountable.

These key findings were also discussed at the last NICVA AGM with a range of civil society practitioners. There are several other outputs resulting from the CSI project including a Background Country Data Report, a review of Corporate Social Giving (included in the State of the Sector IV report) and the first ever Media Review of the impact of civil society in Northern Ireland. The Background Country Data Report used a wide range of data sources to assess the state of civil society in Northern Ireland including a comprehensive attitudinal survey developed as part of the European Social Survey (ESS).

For further information on this research contact

JJ McCarron

028 9087 7777

Gordon McCullough

028 9087 7777