Civil Society Australia

Civil Society comprises the relationships and activities that make up our life at grass-roots levels of society, in families, communities and voluntary associations, independent of both government and the corporate world.

These are the relationships and groups that shape our identity, our sense of belonging, and our capacity to live connected and meaningful lives.

Yet civil society is under threat in Australia. Centralised states and concentrated markets are corroding civil society and contracting the space available for it. Voluntary and relational components of social life are being colonised by both corporations and governments.

The social fabric is fraying. The family is shrinking. We have an epidemic of loneliness. 45% of Australians live in a single person households, which means they eat and sleep alone. Spending on services to fill the space where we once had communities is blowing out and driving up debt. Volunteering is dying with the passing of our oldest generation.

Civil Society Australia is a response to this threat to civil society. It was formed in 2018 and has been reactivated to counter our disappearing social fabric and the invisibility of civil society in Australian public life.

It aims to represent and empower civil society and provide a voice for civil society in public conversation and policy making.

We invite you to join Civil Society Australia. Membership comprises individuals, associations, family businesses, and communities who together make up the relationships and activities of civil society.

Join us today.

Civil Society comprises eight key segments

Family, kinship and friendship networks
Household or domestic economies
Neighbourhoods and informal social supports
Voluntary associations, self-help and support groups
NGOs and charities
Social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals
Family farms, family enterprises, small businesses
Religion, faith and spirituality*

These diverse social forms have three features in common:

Relational – they are defined by relationships
Associational – they are shaped by formal or informal group life
Voluntary – they are formed without compulsion

The term ‘civil society’ does not refer to ‘politeness’ or ‘civility’ in public life, as important as this is. It refers to that part of society that is not part of the state, hence the term ‘civilian‘ when used to distinguish a person in civil society from military personnel or state officials, or a civil offence in law which is an offence between persons in civil society rather than a criminal matter. Civil society is made up of the things we do as civilians, freely and voluntarily, outside the state and the market.

Civil Society Australia is a membership organisation, a peak body of civil society. It is not a consultancy business. Nor is it a service delivery contractor for government. It is neutral in relation to party politics.

CSA networks its members by fields of interest and locality, develops mutual supports by sector, and generate projects in representation and empowerment.

It is organised through Chapters (linking individuals and groups in localities) and Projects (operating nationally to achieve important social goals).

Chapter activities:

Shared meals and social opportunities
Shared digital-free times and spaces
Sharing home-grown and home-made produce
Conversation practice in English and other languages
Voice for local volunteers
Book club and study circles
Public forums

Projects:

Freeing community organisations from service delivery contracting
Community leadership in natural disaster prevention and response
Helping everyone achieve self-directed care
Healthy living and illness prevention
Making every school independent

Join us today and become involved.

_{* We are not interested in any one particular religion or faith; we are interested in the social relationships generated by religions and faith.}