CIVIC CULTURES AND CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATIONDEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Erik AmnåYeS – Youth & Society

Örebro University, Swedenerik.amna@oru.se

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!