| dc.description.abstract | This report presents the results of the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) in Turkey
carried out from January 2004 to December 2005 as part of the international CSI
project coordinated by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and currently
implemented in more than 50 countries.
The CSI is a participatory action-research project assessing the state of civil society
in countries around the world. The project links this assessment with a reflection and
action-planning process by civil society stakeholders, aiming to strengthen civil society
in those areas where weaknesses or challenges are detected. By seeking to combine
valid assessment, broad-based reflection and joint action, the CSI attempts to make a
contribution to the perennial debate on how research can inform policy and practice.
In each country a National Coordinating Organization (NCO) implements the CSI,
with support from the CSI project team at CIVICUS and guidance of a National
Advisory Group (NAG). The NCO – TUSEV in Turkey - collected and synthesized data
and information on civil society from a variety of primary and secondary sources.5
This information was then employed by the NAG to score the 74 CSI indicators,
which together provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of civil society. The
findings were then discussed at a National Forum, where civil society stakeholders
identified specific strengths and weaknesses of civil society, as well as developed
recommendations on how to strengthen civil society. The international CSI project
team at CIVICUS provided training, technical assistance and quality control
throughout implementation.
The CSI is an international comparative project currently involving more than 54
countries from around the world. It was conceived with two specific objectives: (1)
providing useful knowledge on civil society and (2) increasing the commitment of
stakeholders to strengthen civil society. The first objective inherits a certain tension
between country-specific knowledge and knowledge comparable cross-nationally on
a global scale. CIVICUS sought to resolve this tension by making it possible to adapt
the methodology and the set of more than 70 indicators to country-specific factors.
While TUSEV made use of this option to some extent, the overall project framework
remained unchanged.
This project was the first comprehensive and internationally comparative research
initiative on civil society to be undertaken in Turkey. As such, this was a particularly
important exercise in compiling existing (albeit quite limited) information available
about civil society, and collecting new data on perceptions and actions. The interactive
and participatory nature of the project allowed TUSEV to convene a relatively broad
base of stakeholders and draw on different perspectives regarding civil society in
Turkey. This comprehensive country report presents findings with a view to future
action and how to further strengthen the sector. | en_US |
