1. What is Active Citizenship? Julia Fiehn Project Manager Post-16 Citizenship Development Programme

2. The Vision n ‘We aim at no less than a change in the political culture of this country both nationally and locally: for people to think of themselves as active citizens, willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life…’

3. The need  Ignorance and apathy are a threat to democracy (‘don’t know and don’t care’)  Young people are often cynical about being able to influence things (’what’s the point?’)  Feelings of exclusion in some communities lead to alienation  Complex social issues are over-simplified by the mass media

4. Being a ‘good’ citizen  A good citizen obeys the law  A good citizen minimises offence to others (for example, is considerate in relation to noise, litter etc.)  A good citizen recognises responsibilities and rights of him/herself and others, and helps others  It is possible to be a ‘good citizen’ in an autocratic AND in a democratic society  We NEED the majority of people to be good citizens if society is to function

5. Being an ‘active’ citizen  A ‘good’ citizen becomes an ‘active’ citizen when he/she feels the need to try to change things, to make a difference,alone or with others  From ancient times, citizenship has meant the right to take part in public debate and shape (directly or indirectly) the laws and decisions of state.

6. Being an ‘active’ citizen continued  The law should be obeyed, but future citizens should discuss the difference between law and justice.  Active citizens need the skills to change laws in a peaceful manner  Active citizens rock boats, are sometimes critical and are prepared to whistle-blow

7. The three strands of ‘effective education for citizenship’  Social and moral responsibility (essential precondition of citizenship, beginning in families and primary schools)  Community involvement: -getting involved in the local community, including volunteering -having a say in the school/college/training organisation/workplace/youth group  Political literacy (knowledge and skills required to influence decisions in formal and informal groups, locally and nationally)

8. Volunteering and community involvement  An important and necessary part of our democracy  Volunteering alone is not sufficient. It is vital that young people learn FROM such activity (knowledge, skills and values)  Learning occurs through refection and review

9. Representation and having a say  May involve a change of ethos in the organisation  Student/worker committees, project advisory groups,Youth Councils, all promote greater involvement in decision-making processes  But how to encourage all to get involved, not just the articulate few? We need to find new forms of involvement

10. Political literacy  Democracy requires its members to know about and understand certain concepts: fairness, justice, freedom, power and authority, the rule of law  Young people will also need to know how to find out about processes and structures  They will need the skills required to engage with others, to negotiate and to represent peers  But most important is the willingness to engage in political activity and to believe they have a right and a duty to engage

11. Reflection and review  In a post-16 context, much of citizenship activity is individual  We need to find manageable ways of allowing for reflection and review of the activity  The right questions need to be put: Why is this issue a problem? What needs to be done? Who could make a difference? How could we help? What does this tell us about society?

12. Some suggestions  Involve the young adults in the planning of the programme, consult them, ask them to set up steering groups  Work with them to run awareness-raising events (conferences, speakers, debates etc.) and extend political literacy through enrichment programmes, or existing courses  Plan for real meaningful activity, in and out of the organisation  Build in reflection and review as part of the process