CSI and Social Justice advocacy: What are you afraid of? Indicators of serious social investment Presentation by Mark Heywood, Director, SECTION27 Tshikululu, Serious Social Investing workshop, 14 March 2013

Overview + The state of the nation + The constitutional imperative for advocacy and the NDP + How serious is serious social investing? + CSI practice in A case study of the outcomes of advocacy in education: + The Limpopo text books ‘saga’ and its aftermath + Civil society, advocacy and social justice: what and who are we talking about? + Building social fabric and accountability + Achievements/impact of civil society + What is serious social investing?

South Africa at 19

The Constitution + Preamble: + Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; + Founding Provisions: + Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. + Bill of Rights: + Applies to all, including “juristic persons” + Freedom of expression + Assembly, demonstration and petition + Freedom of association + Political rights – Right to campaign for a political party or cause

The National Development Plan, Citizens active in their own development: + “active citizenry and social activism is necessary for democracy and development to flourish.” NDP, Executive Summary p 27

How does social investment relate to the Constitutional vision? + According to the CSI handbook, 15 th edition, 2012: + Total CSI in 2012 = R6.9 bn, 5.4% increase after inflation adjustment (broad definition; narrow definition limited to expenditure =5.1bn) + R2.9bn or 40% of the overall spend is on education; education is supported by 93% of companies + Health has dropped from 68% to 40% of companies + “the shift towards education comes largely at the expense of health expenditure, which at 12% of CSI expenditure in 2012 has shown a significant decline over the past three years (spending on health and HIV/Aids accounted for 19% of CSI expenditure in 2009).” (p 36)

Safe social investment? + Corporates contribute almost ¼ of NPO funding, while govt approx 20% + Trialogue’s CSI research in 2012 showed that whilst 9% of NPOs engage in advocacy, just over 40% of corporate will not fund it + Foreign donors contribute 1/5 of funding of NGOs surveyed (but 90% when it comes to advocacy) + TAC + SECTION27

EFFECTIVE SOCIAL INVESTMENT? In 2012 R2.9bn was invested in education.. What were the results?

Progressive deterioration in numeracy Grade% above 50 % 177% 268% 336% 426% 516% 611% 92% Learners start off in the system fairly well. But as they progress in the education system their performance declines drastically. Source: Equal Education Grade * Source: ANA, 2012 report

Learner retention : Percentage of young people who enter the school system and leave it with an employable qualification Source: Equal Education

Sensory deprivation: Learners shut out of the modern world + Schools, 2009: + 69% of schools had a maths teacher + Less than 25% had a library + Only 53% had a computer + 15% had access to or the internet + In the community: 35% had access to a library, 31% access to a computer and 20% access to the internet

“Many school environments are not conducive to learning.” NDP Photos: SECTION27

Effects of civil society advocacy + In 2012 SECTION27 invested: + One attorney + One research fellow + One advocate + A lot of energy and ingenuity + Less than R2m

What were the results? + 1,2 million text books delivered to grades 1,2,3,10 + Recommendations of a Presidential enquiry + Books delivered largely on time in 2013 nationally + Agreement with S27 on a furniture provision plan and toilet and sanitation renovation plan + National political focus on education & growing social pressure

Yet declining investment in NPO sector Source: CSI Handbook, 2013

Who is civil society & what is its interest in social justice? Opponents ….Friends … “Counter-revolutionaries; neo- liberals; anti-majoritarians”

Impact: If it was not for activism... + Two million people would not be on ARVs + The Umtata medicines depot would have collapsed in ,2 million text books would not have been delivered in 2013 in Limpopo + An R60m plan for school toilets would not be being implemented in Limpopo + Corruption Watch would not exist

What is serious social investing? + Investment in social goods and accountability + Building social fabric not just providing social goods + Bravery in investment decisions + Innovation + Risk taking

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