The recent DCLG White Paper Communities in Control has a real focus on how to get people engaged and active in their communities. (an NCVO briefing is also available)Whilst the government does recognise the value of communities of interest in the white paper, there is without a doubt a focus on geographically based communities. The white paper builds on the work of Sherry Arnstein and discusses a ‘ladder’ or ‘spectrum’ of opportunities for community engagement as, from individual acts of good neighbourliness through to taking on formal civic responsibility.
This raises many questions about the relationship between participative and representative democracy. NCVO, with the LGA, have recently published a collection of essays looking at the nature of this relationship. Votes and Voices. These essays bring together a wide range of views and perspectives on local democracy from across local government, the voluntary sector and academia. It is important to understand and acknowledge the value of participation and engagement in and of itself – it might not always lead to civic engagement but getting involved and participating can and does strengthen civil society. We plan to use these essays to help us to better understand the relationship between participation and representation and to inform our work in this area as we move forward.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
The recent DCLG White Paper Communities in Control has a real focus on how to get people engaged and active in their communities. (an NCVO briefing is also available)Whilst the government does recognise the value of communities of interest in the white paper, there is without a doubt a focus on geographically based communities. The white paper builds on the work of Sherry Arnstein and discusses a ‘ladder’ or ‘spectrum’ of opportunities for community engagement as, from individual acts of good neighbourliness through to taking on formal civic responsibility.
This raises many questions about the relationship between participative and representative democracy. NCVO, with the LGA, have recently published a collection of essays looking at the nature of this relationship. Votes and Voices. These essays bring together a wide range of views and perspectives on local democracy from across local government, the voluntary sector and academia. It is important to understand and acknowledge the value of participation and engagement in and of itself – it might not always lead to civic engagement but getting involved and participating can and does strengthen civil society. We plan to use these essays to help us to better understand the relationship between participation and representation and to inform our work in this area as we move forward.