CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Erik Amnå...
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Transcript of CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Erik Amnå...
CIVIC CULTURES AND CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATIONDEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
Erik AmnåYeS – Youth & Society
Örebro University, [email protected]
WORK PACKAGE # 10WORK PACKAGE # 10
Civil society’s role in promoting Civil society’s role in promoting citizenship among non EU-citizenship among non EU-citizenscitizensGood practices from Sweden, Great Good practices from Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands and ItalyBritain, the Netherlands and Italy
THE STUDYTHE STUDYInteviews with 23 NGOsTwo policy fields
◦Anti-discrimination ◦Refugees and asylum seekers
Different political contexts/welfare regimes◦Sweden◦Great Britain ◦The Netherlands ◦ Italy
”Good practices” – ordinary organisations´ experiences
SE GB NL IT
Anti-discrimination
Humanitas
Young Against Racism
Newham Monitor Project
Meldpunkt Dicriminatie Amsterdam
BDHMH
Cospe
SOS Razzismo
Atas
RefugeesAsylum seekers
SIOSRed Cross
Simba
Rosen-grenska
Ethiopian Community Center
Roma Support Group
Race Equality Foundation
North of England Refugee Service
Mira Media
Pharos
UAF – The Foundation for Refugee Students
Amsterdam Solidariteits Komitee Vluchtelingen
Cestim
Associazione Studi Giuridici sull’ Immigrazione
Delivered societal utilitiesDelivered societal utilities1. Services
Health care, legal aid, information, employment, networks, education, pronounced rights
2. Watch dog Advocacy, representing non EU-citizens
3. Opinion formation Review and critique, information, unofficial
statistics, voice to marginalized groups
4. Mediation Individuals – authorities Between authorities
Preconditions Preconditions
Financial resourcesPersonell resourcesOrganisational resources
Financial resources
Lack of funds – greatest NGO weakness
National and local public funding Most important NGO income Promotes cooperation with governments Legitimizes and de-legitimizes NGOs
EU funding Genereal weak contacts with EU institutions Primarily an option for large NGOs
Organisational resourcesOrganisational resources
• Inter-organisational learning Smaller organisations, less attention• Importing strengths from each other
◦NGO adaptation and flexibility facilitated through network organization Cooperation with national
governments and the EU
Personell resourcesPersonell resourcesTarget groups
Receiver of aid – experts and assistants
Volunteers More directly crucial for smaller NGOs
Members Ambigious role (due to selection of NGOs?)
Professionals Important for big as well as small NGOs
External key persons Politicians, experts
Reflections on NGO Reflections on NGO policiespolicies
Diversity of civil society Challenges and strengthens European
standardization?
Financing Ear-marked funding may jeopardize NGOs’
internal work and priorities EU funding perceived as complicated• European funding favours strong NGOs
NGO as policy initiator & implementator Uncritical self-understanding in GB & NL Doubtful attitude in SE
Policy implicationsPolicy implications1. Create more participatory opportunities!2. Be aware of diversity among NGOs – and
across political contexts!3. How can locked relationships where states
and NGOs get stuck on each other be changed and altered?
4. Is the ’Active Citizen’ Policy of EU and its member states trustworthy as long as they hand over the realisation of basic citizen rights to NGO´s of various capacities?
5. Public institutions influence NGOs and civic culture – not only the other way around!