Some organisations shy away from fully acknowledging their lack of diversity. They pay lip service but are reluctant to even publish data about their cultural make up for fear of being criticised.
Tag: identity
Civil society for fun
It is important that we manage to retain the balance between civil society in response to need, and civil society for fun: civil society is not only good for society, but also good for the people who take part.
A more welcoming Mansfield?
Do all divides and tensions reflect deeper social issues which affect everyone - like education, housing, employment and safety? Maybe if we could make these things better, attitudes and integration would follow.
Mansfield as it (actually) is
Only by telling a new story will Mansfield put the Brexit narrative to bed -- but that story is yet unwritten
What’s Pointless about Epsom? Reclaiming heritage for a contemporary sense of place
If you’ve seen the TV game show Pointless, you’ll know that – like in civil society – common assumptions are often a veneer. The most illuminating way to understand a community is to seek out the Pointless answers...
Division and unity in Sunderland
As the British economy has moved away from manufacturing and toward financial services, growing numbers in the city are unemployed, underemployed or in precarious employment, and the use of food banks is on the rise. Inequality has increased, with life expectancy as much as 14 years lower for residents in areas of Sunderland like Hendon, than it is for people outside the city in rural Northumbria.
Extremists won’t stop if you ban their content – they need to hear an alternative message
On February 13th Amber Rudd announced the creation of a new tool to remove extremist content from the internet. However, to focus too much on content removal and takedowns would be a grave error. We are losing sight of the fact that the online space is not just a breeding ground for extremism; it can also be turned against violent extremist groups to reach vulnerable individuals and change their paths. This is why, over the past six months, I’ve run a programme which takes a different approach.
Anti-racist solidarity is the cornerstone of our freedoms
Recognising that the ongoing systemic injustice of the global War on Terror demands a transnational, civil society response, organisers and advocacy groups from the UK, the US and France, came together in Warsaw in October 2017 to form the Transatlantic Coordination Against Racism and Repression. Two of its participants discuss aspects of the historical and …
Identity-based forms of organising in civil society: good or bad?
Gay, lesbian, old, young, black, white, disabled… we often organise around distinct identities. But are these really helping us – or will they hold us back unless we adapt? Of course, they’re not bad very often. People organise, campaign, volunteer and donate to reduce the inequality endured by particular identity groups all the time. Much …
VIDEO: What became of the Big Society?
Who remembers the Big Society? Launched to great fanfare at the start of 2010, the Big Society was David Cameron’s big idea to create more social action, empower communities and open up public services. Seven years on, what is the legacy of the Big Society agenda, and what impact has it had in communities? In Sunderland, …