The world is changing fast. Technology, politics, the economy, the constitution and even the climate are shifting in ways that humanity has only lived through on a handful of occasions. Against that backdrop, it’s time for English civil society to take a moment to consider how we organise ourselves: to ask ourselves the big questions we’ve long pushed to the back of our minds, no matter how difficult.
Of course, civil society covers a vast range of different groups, but everyone in the sector has two things in common: we work with others because we care about something bigger than ourselves; and we will either respond to and steer the change that’s happening in our society, or we will be replaced by those who do.
I am chairing Civil Society Futures, the independent inquiry into the future of civil society in England. We see this as a once in a generation chance to look at how we organise ourselves when we wish to make things better in the world, and question how to adapt for the future.
Based on our preliminary report, we know dramatic changes are unfolding fast, from a fall in trust for NGOs to shifts in the nature of the economy. To determine how civil society might respond, we’re facilitating public debate about a range of issues, including whether we really do bring communities together, or divide them; how we will respond to the challenge of automation and unemployment; what secular groups can learn from faith traditions; whether we need to take more of an active role in shaping the economy; and whether England’s age-old charity model is appropriate for the new era.
We’ve spoken to local bodies to see what their experience can tell us about the country as a whole. In Peckham, London, we have talked to community groups trying keep up with the pace of gentrification. In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, we have met the welcome committee that supports and integrates newcomers to the area – whether they’re from Warsaw or Wiltshire. In Shirebrook, Derbyshire, we have found social enterprises piecing the community back together a generation after the closure of their coal mine and a decade after Sports Direct set up its warehouse. In Barking, London, we heard how key organising spaces have disappeared in recent years.
We’ve spoken with trusts and foundations about whether their boards are diverse enough to reflect the communities they serve, and whether the power they have as key funders distorts the sector. We’ve spoken to key figures from the private sector about their challenges and fears in interacting with civil society. We’ve had input from LGBT activists in Northern Ireland about the need to mobilise the anger of young people, not squash it. And we’ve spent time with African feminist organisers, who spoke about the importance of memorialising our champions, and of accepting we have a place in political discourse.
But a key part of our process is hearing from you. If you are in any way involved in helping others – whether with your local mother and toddler group or by working for a national not-for-profit; by doing fundraising runs or as a trade union shop steward; by volunteering through a local community group; or by organising protests against an injustice you are determined to change, this inquiry is for you.
Perhaps you think that major funders need to do something different, or that the laws which govern an organisation you’re involved with need to change. Maybe you believe we need to find and start new kinds of organisation, or that there needs to be a huge shift in our civil society culture. Whatever your story, please fill in our call for contributions. We have a wonderful opportunity to think about how we organise ourselves to change our country and the world. But we need your perspective.
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