Publications

The LEADER initiative is widely regarded as one of Europe's most successful regeneration programmes.  Established since the early 1990's, it is no longer a pilot scheme for bottom up rural development- but has now been integrated into mainstream rural development policy.  It is now an approach to the delivery of Rural Development Programmes throughout Europe. 

Making good society, the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society, argues that civil society has been pushed to the margins in key areas including politics, finance and the media and that this must change. The report explores how civil society activity can help: grow a more civil economy; enable a rapid and just transition to a low carbon economy; democratise media ownership and content; and grow participatory and deliberative democracy.

by Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre

The production and circulation of independent, quality news is a hallmark of democratic societies. The demise of traditional media business models in the UK and Ireland demands a critical consideration of what the public wants news for and how it can be delivered.

by Suw Charman-Anderson

Over 70% of UK civil society organisations use social media — websites, services and applications that allow users to engage in social behaviours online or on a mobile phone — but research shows it is not always being used effectively. Poor web design, a lack of stakeholder engagement and common misconceptions about user groups are some issues. Resistance to new technology by management and trustees is also causing problems. In this report, Suw Charman-Anderson combines extensive research and analysis of current trends with a vision for the future that envisages how developments in social technologies will shape the social web and society.

by the Open University

Civil society associations can run businesses and they can run organisations that aim to influence businesses. Together, these two sorts of association help to grow a civil economy. This paper, written by the Open University, reviews the history of the civil economy and looks ahead to how it may come to have a greater influence in the future.

by Dr Karl Dayson, Community Finance Solutions, University of Salford

The freedom granted to the financial sector in the latter half of the 20th century has not delivered either prosperity for all or stability of the system. We now have a nation where both the people and the state are in debt, with no obvious means to pay it off. The credit crunch was as much of a moral and sociological failure as an economic and financial one. In this think piece, Dr Karl Dayson explores the role of civil society associations in growing a more civil economy for the 21st century.

Carnegie UK Trust has long championed the work of rural communities across the UK and Ireland.  Our report, A Charter for Rural Communities was published in June 2007.  This new publication, A Manifesto for Rural Communities, builds upon the vision provided in the Charter but acknowledges the accelerating pace of economic and social change.  Here we set out some very positive opportunities for rural communities (and indeed communities everywhere) to survive and thrive during what are proving to be turbulent times. 

by Professor Gary Craig

This report explores how civil society associations (CSAs) understand and operationalise the concept of social justice. In addition, it considers what distinguishes CSAs from organisations in the public and private sectors and the obstacles civil society associations encounter in operating as social justice organsations.

There is also a summary of this report available below.