1.its not fair!

2. Can a big society ever be a fair society? 3. its like 500 people applied for the same job and only like three vacancies... so its really hard.When you know theres only three going and theres like 500 people applying, and then youre thinking, yeah, its not likely. Oxfam research on poverty in Bradford 4. The context: the cuts

civil society institutions under threat

welfare cuts WILL hurt the poorest

the private economy will get worse before it gets better

5. Big Society: the aspiration 6. at its core, the big society is an attempt to connect the civic institutions that lie between the individual and the state... our centralised state has become too big, too bureaucratic and just too distant to support many of those most in need of help. Ian Birrell, speechwriter for David Cameron 7. The Big Society agenda

redesign public services to put users first

strengthen civil society institutions and encourage voluntarism

localism: decisions should be taken as closely as possible to those they affect

8. Big Society: the critique 9. the Big Society idea is strong on empowerment but weak on equality. By equality we mean everyone having an equal chance in life so that, regardless of circumstance, they can contribute to society, fulfil their potential and live a satisfying life. Anna Coote, new economics foundation 10. Can we tell what it is yet?

critique 1: its a cover for cuts

critique 2: its a rightwing ideological agenda

critique 3: its vacuous nonsense

critique 4: should the state be telling us how to construct civil society anyway?

11. Big Society: the opportunity 12. the really helpful things will not be done from the centre; they cannot be done by big organisations; but they can be done by the people themselves. E F Schumacher,Small is Beautiful 13. hard times demandhard thinking

opportunity 1: subsidiarity is intelligent

opportunity 2: co-production is more effective

opportunity 3: resilience is learned, not programmed - ecology, not just economy

opportunity 4: reduced resources require innovation

opportunity 5: civil society may be the only show in town

14. So is a big society fair? 15. all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. George Orwell,Animal Farm 16. hard thinking about fairness

question 1: does fairness equal universality?

question 2: is diversity unfair?

question 3: do we have a shared view of fairness?

question 4: if we all believe in it, how come we dont vote for it?

17. Making the most of it 18. it is not only possible for one human being to make a real and lasting difference to another; it is often, in the most difficult circumstances, the only thing that ever does. David Robinson,Out of the Ordinary 19. Five ways forward

1: build on community development values

2: recognise and share learning

3: create new connections

4: critique, conversation, collaboration

5: create the mainstream from the margins

20. From Big Societyto Our Society

Big Society is the governments story....

....Our Society could be our story