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The Centre for Civil Society is a think tank of a different kind. Most think
tanks in Australia and overseas are formed by organisations on the Right or the
Left who have money to spend commissioning and then publishing opinion pieces
which are intended to advance the interests of their backers. Big business,
trade unions, and left-leaning universities sponsor and fund most think tanks,
and they do so with money that is usually not their own (big business uses
shareholders's money, trade unions use their members' money, and universities
use taxpayers' money).
The Centre for Civil Society has been established to
promote an agenda of empowerment for people with little money or influence. That
makes it a different creature from every other think tank in the country. It
conducts events and publishes papers, but it also organises in a practical way
(bringing together citizens with common interests to take initiatives, or to
further social innovation).
The core unit of our organising is the
FEDERAL ELECTORATE ASSEMBLY (FEA). In each
federal electorate (150 around Australia) we will appoint a Convenor to bring
together people who wish to work locally to influence policy and opinion.
Disability, mental health and family carer issues
are the immediate (but not exclusive) focus of each FEA. Participants will
organise local initiatives, events, lobbying and media activity to effect a
sea-change in public policy on disability, carer and mental health issues and to
advance our agenda of empowerment.
Applications for appointment as an FEA Convenor should be made to the Director -
vern@civilsociety.org.au
The Board of Trustees of the Centre is also able to authorise the establishment of
Campaign Groups of participants around various activities or interests.
A
CAMPAIGN GROUP may form to work on a campaign in a local council, a credit union,
a not-for-profit that has lost its way, a public company, or may work to develop
an empowerment agenda in a sector or field or industry. anything else. It may be initiated by
citizens who approach the Centre, and it must work to a charter approved by the Board
of Trustees.
Applications for approval of Campaign Groups should be made to the Director -
vern@civilsociety.org.au
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