Northern Ireland

From 2004 to 2006, the Civil Society Index was implemented in Northern Ireland by Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), with the international coordination of CIVICUS. This implementation led to the publication of an analytical country report, presenting the results of the CSI initiative in the country.

Civil Society in Northern Ireland: a new beginning?

A new beginning?, the subtitle for the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) report for Northern Ireland, refers to the new phase for Northern Irish civil society, as well as to the new challenges and opportunities for its vibrant civil society sector. Led by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), the CSI project was the first-ever attempt to put the civil society concept into practice in Northern Ireland.

The project has given the fuzzy concept of civil society real meaning in the context of Northern Ireland, though, of course, strong sectoral identities, such as trade unions and the voluntary and community sector remain. In the context of a still divided society, civil society faces many challenges, ranging from promoting collective citizen action to advocating for a functioning political environment, so that civil society can flourish. However, as the country report points out, civil society has a key role to play in shaping the new society, where deep divisions and conflicts between social groups will hopefully become an issue of the past.

CSI Country Reports in Northern Ireland