Edward Gibbon said of the ancient Athenians, "when the freedom they
wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased
to be free."
America is the longest-lived democracy in the history of the world,
but there are signs that our own extraordinary system faces a
similar peril. A vibrant civil society, characterized by active
citizen participation, is essential to a strong democracy, argues
Brian O'Connell, and in his new book he offers a citizen's guide to
this concept of civil society -- what it is, how it functions, its
limitations and potential, and most importantly, what individuals
can do to nurture and support it. It is designed to provide
practical understanding and foster action among community and
national leaders, including mayors, civic leaders, school boards,
public administrators, independent sector leaders, scholars, and
teachers.
Civil Society explores the idea and the reality of citizen
participation, including government's essential responsibility to
preserve the freedoms that allow and encourage it. It also traces
the contemporary weakening of this tradition as a result of
indifference, selfishness, loss of confidence in government,
governmental limits on citizen participation, the influence of
special interests on elected officials, separation between the
haves and have nots, intolerance and incivility.
Founding president of INDEPENDENT SECTOR and first chairman of
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Brian O'Connell
draws on his extensive practical experience of civil society to
outline concrete actions that can improve the prospects of an
enduring democracy, including:
- increasing the role of education in preparing students for the
rights and responsibilities of citizenship;
- reorienting public administrators towards a greater receptivity
of citizen involvement;
- expanding research into and conducting regular evaluations of the
state of civil society itself;
- developing a concerted effort to share and apply what we already
know about passing on to future generations the nation's traditions
of service and generosity.
In Civil Society, Brian O'Connell has created a practical handbook
for elected officials, community leaders, and ordinary citizens who
seek to nurture and expand this crucial dimension of a democratic
society.
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