We bring people
together in each federal electorate (150 electorates around
Australia) to work locally in engaging our communities and our
representatives in a non-party, neither-left-nor-right
agenda of empowerment of ordinary people.
CLICK HERE to join us.
SELF-DIRECTED
SERVICES AND PERSONAL BUDGETS
You can take charge of your social support, education and health
care through a personal budget.
CLICK HERE
for further information.
AGM SEASON
Making a difference in our not-for-profits.
CLICK HERE
for further information.
STREET BY STREET
Linking
up people who live in the same
street or nearby to build community through practical helping
tasks - on a national scale. CLICK HERE
for further information.
COMMUNITY BUILDING NATIONAL NETWORK
CLICK HERE
to participate in the
Network.
LEFT AND RIGHT?
"The Left and Right have been as bad as each other. The Left has
allowed its distrust of markets and endless faith in government
to obscure the importance of civil society. The Right has been
so focused on replacing the state with markets that it has
forgotten how to cultivate a trusting society.
This is the politics of the absurd. The Left identifies with the
good society but rarely talks about the mutualism and trust
between people. The Right recognises the importance of moral
obligation but gives the impression of trusting market
transactions more than civil society.
Few things seem to happen anymore
without a government law or market transaction to guide
them. This is how record levels of GDP in Australia now sit
alongside record levels of crime, social stress and family
breakdown. The political balance needs to swing back towards
civil society.
This task, in fact, requires a new type of politics."
Mark Latham, Mutualism: A Third Way for Australia," 1999.
CLICK HEREto read more.
SURVEYS
If you are the proprietor of
a small business, please send us your thoughts on how we can support
small businesses through our
Neighbourhood Supported Living Networks are a successful model of social inclusion for
people with disabilities, people with mental illnesses, vulnerable young people
and others in need of supported living.
A Network consists of ten houses or flats in the same neighbourhood, within
walking distance of each other. The tenth home is a residence for a Network
Volunteer or Worker who lives in the same neighbourhood and acts as an anchor
for the group. In exchange for free rent and utilities the Network Volunteer or
Worker provides the group with support on a part-time or flexible basis. This
arrangement enables the Network to build layers of support around the network
members and with others in the neighbourhood.
Networks of this kind are a successful model originating in the UK and
are gradually being developed in Australia.
We would like to see 50 Networks up and running around Australia very
soon. Though sharing information and contacts, and working together, we can
achieve this goal.
Bronia Holyoak from Perth
describes the value of working together:
§"I am working
in Perth, WA and I am about to embark on a project to develop the first
Network here in WA. I have been informally connecting with a colleague
who is a coordinator of a similar concept in Melbourne to tap into their
resources and knowledge. It would be wonderful to have everyone who has
experience of developing up a network across Australia come
together to support the development of the networks and support and
learn from each other. Setting up a new programme is a daunting prospect
from new, to have a network of connections that have been through the
process to support new initiatives get off the ground would be
invaluable…I hope that this is something that can be coordinated from a
central point, and engage with all key stakeholders.”
We would like to hear from individuals and organisations around the country interested in
participating in a Network, or in supporting the
development of a Network.
Further information will be posted in the members
section of the Community Building National Network,
including resources and contacts for people sharing this interest and wanting to
work together.
Register your interest in participating by using the
form below.
TRANSFORMING OUR
SCHOOLS
CLICK HEREfor
details of our campaign for a Real Education Revolution.
CLICK HEREfor info on the National
Federation of Parents, Families and Carers.
STREET BY STREET
Information Workshops
Brisbane 1 September Sydney 3 September
Melbourne 10 September
CLICK HERE for details.
CORPORATE
WELFARE WATCH
Latest Handout Tally
$6.4b Car manufacturers subsidies
$2b Commercial property construction industry
$3.9b Free emission permits to coal-fired electricity generators
$2b Car dealer finance guarantee
$149m GMH 4 cylinder car
CLICK HEREfor further information.
THIRD WAY FORUM Communitarianism,
Mutualism, Third Way Thinking CLICK HERE
to find out more.
MAKING IT PERSONAL
Charlie Leadbeater, Jamie
Bartlett and Niamh Gallagher have authored this highly
influential Demos Report on Self-Directed Services
and Personal Budgets.
CLICK HEREto read
Making It Personal.
RESPECT
EMPOWER
INCLUDE
Participate in our five-point
non-party-political campaign to empower ordinary people.
CLICK HERE
to join us and to express an interest in Convening in your
electorate.
SUBSCRIBE
To SUBSCRIBE to our FREE
email news bulletin, enter your email address here.
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
CAMPAIGNSand POLICIES
we would like you to comment on
.
Use the SEARCH
button to find items of interest; or the
WRITE
button to send us your comments and suggestions.
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problems navigating, there are additional links at the
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And don't forget to
visit again soon to see our website - and our ideas, campaigns
and policies - evolve. We value your contribution.