Edmonton Social Planning Council - Making Good Society

Making Good Society

Making Good Society: Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in the UK and Ireland. Released March 2010 by the Carnegie UK Trust.

Life savings and jobs disappear due to apparent financial mismanagement and even crime. Climate change is affecting the world, but politicians and corporations seem to be slow to respond. Voter turnout nears historic lows in many places. To many, it appears that existing political and economic infrastructure is not working, or at least not working for the average person.

In the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, the Carnegie UK Trust set out to explore whether civil society could help address this challenge. “Every community hosts an extraordinary array of civil society activity including sports clubs, care for family members or local residents, homework clubs and support networks” (Foreword). Could civil society associations be strengthened in the UK and Ireland? Can people, through these associations, strengthen the ability of government, corporations and the associations themselves to meet not just financial and economic goals, but also the social and environment aspirations of individuals and the collective?

Making Good Society tackles these questions using a three-fold definition of civil society: the coming together of people for actions beyond the mandates of government or private businesses, the type of society we want to live in, and the places where people and organizations discuss common interests, find solutions to challenges or reconcile differences peacefully.

The Commission of Inquiry explored threats, opportunities and potential policies and practices to enhance the economic, environmental, media and democratic roles of civil society associations. In addition, it researched numerous examples of innovative approaches that have already been taken in all four areas. This makes the report an excellent resource for any organization or government.

The report provides suggestions for changes within civil associations and by government to facilitate “greater engagement by civil society associations in fields where they are now relatively marginal” (p.5). Many of those flow easily from present conditions, such as the call for organizations to ensure that their money-generating activities, whether charitable, environmental or educational, do not conflict with their primary goals. Some, like the recommendation for better measurement of growth that includes social and environmental factors, have been heard elsewhere. Others, such as the call to build greater diversity of business models, including cooperatives and social enterprises, hearken back to successes of the past. A few ideas, such as refashioning parliaments to allow more citizen involvement in dialogue and debate and mandatory corporate reporting of the social and environmental impacts of investments, are more radical.

Many of the suggestions, and the concept of greater involvement of civil organizations in the economy, media or political discussion, require significant change in public attitudes and political beliefs. For example, with regard to creating a low carbon economy, one of commission report noted the need to “‘reorient people away from failed gratification through consumption to more rewarding lives based on stronger relationships and mutual support’” (p.70). Aside from the judgments and values inherent in this statement, it is a call for cultural change. Organizations (such as those listed in the report’s foreword) must be convinced that the actions proposed are the right, proper and beneficial things to do. The cultural shift must occur among large numbers of people and within the organizations that constitute the social, political and economic infrastructure of our society. The report is relatively quiet on this aspect of creating change, and on the time it takes.

Notwithstanding this criticism, the report contains concrete ideas to help civil society associations achieve their goals in areas as diverse as improved financial regulation, environmental responsiveness or political involvement by citizens. Governments will find emerging ideas they will likely need to respond to in the future. Corporations and financial managers will find a gentle reminder that financial matters affect people, the environment, the organizations they serve and society, and that civil society associations are increasingly aware of this.

That is the real strength of this report: it is a reminder that everything in the world is connected, and that the 20th century practice of isolating activities and sectors from one another does not reflect current reality. Readers may not agree with all the actions the commission advocates, but it is difficult to disagree with the call for all of us to recognize the integrated nature of our world and adjust our actions to reflect this integration.