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CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Erik Amnå YeS – Youth & Society Örebro University, Sweden erik.amna@oru.se. WORK PACKAGE # 10 Civil society’s role in promoting citizenship among non EU-citizens Good practices from Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy. THE STUDY.
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CIVIC CULTURES AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATIONErik AmnåYeS – Youth & SocietyÖrebro University, Swedenerik.amna@oru.se
WORK PACKAGE # 10Civil society’s role in promoting citizenship among non EU-citizensGood practices from Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy
THE STUDY • Inteviews with 23 NGOs • Two policy fields • Anti-discrimination • Refugees and asylum seekers • Different political contexts/welfare regimes • Sweden • Great Britain • The Netherlands • Italy • ”Good practices” – ordinary organisations´ experiences
Delivered societal utilities • Services • Health care, legal aid, information, employment, networks, education, pronounced rights • Watch dog • Advocacy, representing non EU-citizens • Opinion formation • Review and critique, information, unofficial statistics, voice to marginalized groups • Mediation • Individuals – authorities • Between authorities
Preconditions • Financial resources • Personell resources • Organisational 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 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 resources • Target 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 policies • 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 implications • Create more participatory opportunities! • Be aware of diversity among NGOs – and across political contexts! • How can locked relationships where states and NGOs get stuck on each other be changed and altered? • 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? • Public institutions influence NGOs and civic culture – not only the other way around!