Service providers need to connect with groups protesting on the streets

The audience at The Wheel’s summit held in Croke Park on May 28 asked: How can we strengthen our advocacy, particularly when people are still afraid to stand up, even in a healthy democracy, and especially when there are pressing and urgent issues, like the situation in Gaza, where there has not been enough action?

Alexandrina Najmowicz, secretary general of the European Civil Society Forum, replied by urging service providers to connect with groups protesting on the streets. She said:

“There are diverse organisations that play roles inside civil society. We have advocacy groups, human rights defenders, service providers, and bold actors that are taking to the streets and organising social movements. I think all these forms are complementary. I think they need more connection.

“In my network, for example, we pay a lot of attention of connecting traditional forms of organisation of civil society with unorganised groups like social movements.

“I think it’s really important to have both, you know, issue work and to stay strong within the silos, but also have a more systemic approach. Because I think the most important thing is to keep our ability to bring change, not to constantly be running to cope with the changes happening around us. And in order to do so, we really need to be better organised, and in solidarity among ourselves,” she said.