On Friday 2 September in Johannesburg, CIVICUS will launch our new report on the health of civil society, Bridging the Gaps: citizens, organisations and dissociation. The report comes at the end of a mammoth three year research project, the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI). Literally thousands of people have been involved in this: between 2008 and 2011, the CSI sought the views of over 45,000 members of the public, over 4,000 CSO representatives and over 1,000 external experts on civil society to build up a comprehensive picture of the strengths and weaknesses of, and the challenges and opportunities for civil society. The CSI drew its data from thirty-eight countries across the world, and many partner organisations, and indeed past and present members of CIVICUS staff, have contributed to the successful completion of the project.
Bridging the Gaps is the summary report of this entire endeavour and our attempt to cram thousands of pages of fresh knowledge and new insight into one accessible 56 page document. We think it says something critical about the current shape of the sector and the ways in which civil society needs to change and grow, which needs to be heard by governments, donors, and CSOs themselves.
The report will be available to download from civicus.org from 2 September and will be shared widely with CIVICUS members and partners, including at the CIVICUS World Assembly next. Look out for more following the launch.
If you are in Johannesburg and would like to attend the launch, please find the details here.