About CDC

Tags: Civil Society Building

The Civic Driven Change Initiative is a process of thinking, writing and debating to arrive at and communicate a perspective of change in societies that stems from citizens rather than states or markets. It is supported by a number of Dutch non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that value the potential of creating a strong civic narrative which extends beyond local conditions and circumstances. The narrative in the form of a publication as well as policy briefs were presented during a seminar which took place on 15 October and was hosted by ISS. Also The Broker published a review of the initiative in its October issue and on its website.

The Civic Driven Change Initiative stems from a conviction that the problems facing societies everywhere cannot be understood or addressed by dominant narratives of states and markets. In fact, this dominance is largely responsible for the relative powerlessness of people, communities and even nations. Such a condition is reflected in the diminution of common men and women around the world and a devaluing of the human person.

Countering this context requires critical, self-reflexive civic agency and energy that enhances people's control over their lives. It calls for attention to the multiple connections between people, acknowledgement of the uncertain ways in which change in societies takes place for good and ill, and honest recognition of the fact that change is a product of both harmony and conflict of interests and power.

Addressing issues of poverty, inequity, global warming, terrorisms, exclusion, volatile economic growth and other dynamics of interdependence also calls for the multiplication and linking of talents and capacities beyond the current dominant paradigms of expert-based and market-driven solutions.

There is an accumulating body of real world knowledge about what works and what does not work that needs to be gathered and projected into public debate and civic action in and beyond international aid. Wisdom about change is distributed among those who are its actors. The lived reality must gain voice and a rightful place in how the future evolves.

Within this broad rationale, the CDC Initiative is a process of thinking, writing and debating, to arrive at and communicate a perspective of change in societies that stems from citizens rather than states or markets. It is initiated by a number of Dutch non-governmental development agencies that value the potential of creating a strong civic narrative - one which extends beyond local conditions and cirumstances.