Northern Ireland CSI Report: Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf [63 KB]
Northern Ireland CSI Report: Full Report. Downloadable in pdf [782 KB
Project Evaluation for Northern Ireland: Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf[120KB]

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.