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The Centre for Civil Society is a public policy and social
innovation think tank. Our aim is to generate ideas and organise change-makers
to empower the little people and strengthen civil society. We aim to empower
those who are invisible in public policy and political debate:
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families
(the foundation of society but unrepresented by any broad, mainstream movement)
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consumers
(our two main parties represent employers and employees, but not consumers)
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people with disabilities, chronic and mental illnesses and their families/carers
(the most invisible and vulnerable Australians)
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the aged
(regarded as being not glamorous, important or productive in our culture)
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volunteers in communities
(who are the glue in society but are unrepresented in any of our halls of power)
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small
businesses and independent owners
(the backbone of our economy and employment but overlooked by governments)
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individuals and communities who practice self-help
(whose voice is rarely heard)
OUR VALUES
Self-help, empowerment, community, smaller government, inclusion, social capital, and ethical conduct.
Our Principles
Government and public policy should be built around:
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Person-centred arrangements
(services and institutions should be tailored to meet the personalized needs of individuals and their families - the 'one size fits all' model belongs in
the dustbin of history)
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Empowerment of individuals and families
(transferring resources and power to individuals, families and their agents, enabling them to grow in community and capacity, not isolation and
powerlessness)
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Choice
(individualised funding arrangements should become the norm throughout social and community services so that people can build the lives they want)
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Subsidiarity
(devolution of authority to the lowest level of practical decision-making)
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Dispersal of ownership
(the widest possible distribution of economic ownership amongst individuals, families and communities)
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Inclusion of people across racial, cultural, religious and ability boundaries (ethnic, cultural and disability-based separatism is to be discouraged)
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Openness and transparency in public institutions
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Environmental sustainability
(initiatives and programs of government should aim to enhance - or at least not harm - environmental sustainability)
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Protection of civil society (initiatives and programs of government should strengthen - or at least not harm - relationships and institutions in civil society)
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Neither Left nor Right but 'bottom up' |
The Centre for Civil Society is not aligned
with any political party. Our ideas and values place us in the ‘centre’ of the political spectrum, between Labor and Liberal.
We are neither Left nor Right, but ‘bottom up’. The terms Left and Right belong to an era of top-down, authoritarian politics which is now redundant as we move into a new era of decentralization,
community, choice, voluntary engagement in the service of others, global information distribution and communication.
CLICK HERE for a map of Left and Right which may help you locate our
ideas and values and our 'people power' agenda. CLICK HERE to download and print a copy.
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©
Centre for Civil Society 2007 |
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PARENTS
FAMILIES AND CARERS |
CLICK HERE
for further information.
In Control EOI sought
CLICK HERE
for details. |
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COMMUNITY BUILDING |
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CLICK
HERE for further information. |
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VOLUNTEERS UNION |
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CLICK HERE
for further information. |
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THIRD WAY FORUM |
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CLICK HERE for further
information. |
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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. |
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DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH |
Charter for National Action
CLICK
HERE for details of our National Campaign. |
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SUBSCRIBE |
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To SUBSCRIBE to our FREE
email news bulletin, enter your email address here. |
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Family Carers
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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... |
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Standing Up to Telstra and
the Big Four Banks |
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Help us create a
voice for consumers.
Read more... |
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How to Use this Website
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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.
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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
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Click on the links
on the left to
JOIN,
VOLUNTEER
or make a
DONATION; or to participate in one of our
DISCUSSION forums.
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Use the
SEARCH
button to find items of interest; or the
WRITE
button to send us your comments and suggestions.
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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).
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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.
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If you need more
assistance, feel free to send a message to our
WEBMASTER.
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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.
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