News and Events

Civil Society: Enabling Dissent

20 May 2009, Dublin

This event is being held to inform the work of the Carnegie Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in the UK and Ireland, in collaboration with Atlantic Philanthropies. The event will explore the role of civil society associations in creating and supporting spaces for dissenting voices, both in Ireland and globally.

The event will be chaired by Susan McKay (journalist, commentator, and Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland).

The report, written by Professor Gary Craig, explores how civil society associations (CSAs) understand and operationalise the concept of social justice and in addition, it considers what distinguishes CSAs from organisations in the public and private sectors and the obstacles civil society associations encounter in operating as social justice organisations.

The Carnegie UK Trust Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society is holding an event next month to explore the role of civil society in enhancing social justice in both the UK and globally, Creating a climate for a just society.

Despite considerable economic growth over the past 30 years, huge disparities in income and wealth, social mobility, health and education not only persist, but have widened. This interactive event will focus on the roles of civil society associations in enabling social justice, the barriers to realising a wider social justice framework and how such barriers might be overcome.

During May 2009 Kumi Naidoo will be speaking at three events in conjunction with the Carnegie Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society.

Kumi is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Carnegie UK Trust along with his roles as Honorary President of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty campaign.

The Carnegie UK Trust Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in the UK and Ireland has launched a survey on the theme of the Marginalisation of Dissent in order to gain further insight into how dissent is perceived both in the UK and Ireland, and globally.

The Carnegie UK Trust is pleased to announce that it is supporting the Convention on Modern Liberty. The convention is a call to all concerned with the erosion of civil liberties in the UK. Events are being held in London and across the UK on 28 February 2009. Please visit the convention website for further information.

The Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society has been invited to hold a session at the NCVO Annual Conference, "Civil Society, building trust in uncertain times". The Chair of the Inquiry, Geoff Mulgan, will speak at this session on the opportunities for voluntary and community associations and for wider civil society presented by the current economic crisis.

The Carnegie UK Trust (CUKT) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) are looking for participants for a joint feasibility project, to examine if and how an improved understanding of power  can increase organisations’ ability to influence change on issues of social concern.

A more civil society

4:00- 5:30pm, 13 January 2009, London

This seminar is the final in the series on 'bridging' social capital organised by NCVO  and the Carnegie UK Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society.