What is civil dialogue?

“Civil” refers to civil society organisations – NGOs, community groups, non profit organisations, think tanks: everything that is not either the part of the State or the commercial institutions of market.

“Dialogue” refers to meaningful discussion with decision makers.

Civil dialogue is sign of healthy democracy, because the expertise, experience and energy of engaged citizens is absorbed into the processes of government.

There are many reasons why it is beneficial to have civil society organisations involved in processes of designing, implementing and reviewing policies, particularly though not limited to the social field. These organisations have a great deal of expertise in their particular field, gained from the research and the activities they carry out, and not least from their day-to-day activities at ground level and with real people. They mobilise people around particular issues and problems, and this experience is very relevant to decision makers when they are at the stage of designing policies to reach particular social objectives.

The fact that civil society organisations are directly rooted in communities has several advantages. This proximity to citizens means that they are in touch with real issues and concerns. Given that they are frequently working with people who may be marginalised from mainstream forms of democratic representation, including those experiencing poverty, ethnic, sexual and other minorities, and people in a fragile situation, CSOs are one of the means through which the voices of these groups can find expression in the public sphere. What’s more, since these organisations are locally rooted, and since many carry out projects and activities which touch the lives of citizens from all social groups, they are a key actor in implementing policies too. If they have a sense of ownership of the policy, through participating in its design and feeling that their views and expertise have been useful, then they will be all the more effective in pushing the policy forward and working for its success.

Civil dialogue can and should take place at all levels of government, from the town hall to regional and national authorities, right up to the European level. In fact, as far as the EU is concerned, Article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty acknowledges the right of civil society to be involved. It requires the EU institutions to give ‘citizens and representative associations the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views [regarding] all areas of EU action’. It also requires ‘an open, transparent and regular dialogue [to take place] with representative associations and civil society.’

For over 20 years, CEDAG has been active in promoting civil dialogue both at European and at national level. In our database you will find many documents relating to the state of advancement of participatory democracy. Some of our most recent work in the field includes:

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