What can civil society do to ensure citizens’ voices are being heard?
3. What can civil society do to ensure citizens’ voices are being heard?
The civil society organizations should:
- Avoid top-down ways of working and develop organizational cultures of working with people.
- Be open to multiple ways of working in order to be more inclusive of people who are disadvantaged.
- Ensure that they support the participation of people from all walks of life and create opportunities for stakeholders to hold them to account.
- Embody the values that underpin democracy – such as dialogue and respect – and play a role in familiarizing people with democratic processes.
- Conduct diversity reviews and ensure boards are representative of communities and, in particular, new communities.
- Where relevant to their mission, participate in advancing Ireland’s international commitments – such as fulfilling human rights and mitigating the climate crisis.
- Be open to an objective review of the efficacy of their work and to considering radical organizational changes where these would increase participation.
