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If you are the proprietor of a small business, please send us your thoughts on how we can support small businesses through our

SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY
 
If you are caring for an ill or disabled family member at home, please click here to participate in our

 Family  CarERS  SURVEY

 

 

 
       
Centre for Civil Society

The Centre for Civil Society is a public policy and social innovation think tank. We are committed to strengthening civil society and empowering people in families, communities, associations and small enterprises. We are the only think tank in Australia committed to a wide-ranging agenda of empowerment of ordinary people.

We run events, publish resources and organise change-makers to empower the following key groups of people:

  • families (the foundation of society but unrepresented by any broad, mainstream movement)

  • consumers (our two political parties represent employers and employees, but not consumers)

  • people with disabilities, chronic and mental illnesses and their families/carers (the most invisible and vulnerable Australians)

  • the aged (regarded as not glamorous, important or productive in our culture)

  • volunteers in communities (who are the glue in society but are unrepresented in any of our halls
     of power)

  • small businesses and independent owners (the backbone of our economy and employment but overlooked by governments)

  • individuals and communities who practice self-help (whose voices are rarely heard )

These people are the forgotten people in Australian decision-making, ignored by the Two Establishments in our country - the Establishment of the Right (the big end of town, corporate power) and the Establishment of the Left (public sector managers, bureaucrats, union officials).

Australians have disengaged from public decision-making on a massive scale. Our politicians are drawn almost entirely from the ranks of lawyers, trade union officials, and staffers for other politicians. Public policy is decided by vested interest pressure groups, media giants, provider and business interests, and career politicians. These groups have filled the vacuum in public citizenship.       
                    
                 
Where are the mechanics, the nurses, the social

entrepreneurs, the community workers, the home makers, the families, and consumers in these processes? The powerful have their think tanks to help them - we need our think tank to help us.

The term 'civil society' refers to the relationships and associations that make up our life at grass-roots levels of society, independent of government (in families, neighbourhoods and voluntary associations).

The Centre for Civil Society is dedicated to empowering ordinary Australians in their roles as citizens, consumers, parents and carers, owners of assets, small business proprietors, and members of communities.

We use the term 'people power' to signify this agenda of empowerment.* We welcome people from all political parties, and people who are members of none.

We want to strengthen civil society and curtail the power of elites, media moguls, bureaucrats, the big end of town, service providers and vested interest lobby groups.

Click here
to read our Parents and Schools - A Call to Action.

Click here to see our Small Business Manifesto. 
Click here
to read our Charter for National Action. 

Our core values are:

ü

self-help

ü empowerment
ü community
ü smaller government
ü inclusion
ü relationships and social capital
ü ethical conduct

We invite Australians from all walks of life to exercise people power to renew our social traditions of working together, looking out for neighbours and strangers, offering a hand up rather than a hand out for those who need it, unpretentiousness, and inclusive, convivial community. 

*
The term 'people power' is not to be confused with People Power Inc, a small political party in Victoria with which we are not associated).


© Centre for Civil Society 2007

PARENTS
FAMILIES AND CARERS
CLICK HERE for further information. 
In Control EOI sought

CLICK HERE for details.
COMMUNITY BUILDING
CLICK HERE for further information.
VOLUNTEERS UNION
CLICK HERE for further information. 
THIRD WAY FORUM
CLICK HERE for further information.

FEDERAL ELECTORATE ASSEMBLY

The Centre brings together people in each federal electorate (150 electorates around Australia) to work locally in influencing policy and opinion.

CLICK HERE to participate and to express an interest in Convening an FEA in your electorate.
DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH
Charter for National Action

CLICK HERE for details of our National Campaign.
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Family Carers
There are 2.7million family carers of people with a disability, a chronic or mental illness, or aged frailty in Australia. They are invisible to politicians and policy makers. Read more...
Standing Up to Telstra and the Big Four Banks
Help us create a voice for consumers.  Read more...
How to Use this Website
If you are visiting this website for the first time, please note that there are two sets of links - one at the top of each page; and a second on the left hand side.
Click on the links on the top of the page for information on the Centre for Civil Society - including an overview of our current CAMPAIGNS and  POLICIES we would like you to comment on .
Click on the links on the left to JOIN, VOLUNTEER or make a DONATION; or to participate in one of our DISCUSSION forums. 
Use the SEARCH button to find items of interest; or the WRITE button to send us your comments and suggestions.
If you are having problems navigating, there are additional  links at the bottom of each page. Or click here for our PLAIN TEXT version (ideal for printing).
For those with reading difficulties, this website has been designed so you can click on 'Text Size' in your 'View' menu to enlarge the font.
If you need more assistance, feel free to send a message to our WEBMASTER.
And don't forget to visit again soon to see our website - and our ideas, campaigns and policies - evolve.  We value your contribution.
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