Dr. Michael Bürsch, Member of the German Bundestag
Chairman of the Study Commission on
the Future of Civic Activity
"Civil Society and Activating State -
Key Elements for a New Social Contract"
"The better a state's constitution,
the more effectively matters of public concern
triumph over private matters in the minds of its
citizens."
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
I. Starting position
"Civic activity is an indispensable parameter for the cohesion of society" - this was the recent statement made by the German Bundestag when forming a Study Commission charged, over the next two years, with conducting an in-depth examination of the future of civic activity in Germany and with elaborating recommendations for political action. The debate to date on voluntary work in Germany has been characterised by an approach that focuses on the individual players in the field of voluntary work. Attention has in particular centred on the motivation of individuals to commit themselves to such work, and on framework conditions to encourage greater personal propensity to become involved in voluntary work. Such framework conditions include regulations on dispensation from regular work duties, expense allowances, questions of liability and insurance, debureaucratisation, etc. Recently, emphasis has been placed on a fundamental change in the motives of citizens. This can be summarised as follows: "from the old to a new form of voluntary work", "from sacrifice to activity limited in time and fact", from obligation to a free choice", and above all: "enhancement of personal interests and needs" (cf. Evers 1998). Social commitment is depicted as part of a large "market of opportunities", and this market is significantly larger and considerably more varied than conventional forms of voluntary work and traditional organisations.
It goes without saying that changes in motivation must play a significant role in the discussion on civic activity, since future proposals to promote civic activity must be geared towards such new motives. Another important factor, but one which is given too little attention in public discussion, is the evaluation of civic activity in terms of requirements in society and differing ideas on the future structuring of civil society.
A starting point for all reflections on the future of civic activity in Germany is given by the results of two key scientific studies that reveal the extent and the potential of activity. Firstly, they show that around 34% of German citizens are involved in civic activity. This is the finding of an extensive study published by the Federal Ministry of Families at the end of 1999 (cf. Rosenbladt/Picot 1999). Expressed in absolute figures, this means that around 22 million people (over the age of 14) are undertaking voluntary activities in associations, projects, action groups, institutions, etc. Secondly, research reveals considerable potential for civic activity (cf. Klages 1998, 34). In addition to those already actively engaged in voluntary work, several million citizens would apparently be prepared to commit themselves to such work if appropriate opportunities were made available.
Based on such a potential of 30-35 million people, it is possible to envisage civic activity in Germany forming a central cornerstone in a blueprint for a "new social contract". Under such a vision, democratic and social structures are brought to life, changed and tailored to future social needs by citizens actively engaged in work within the community.
In contrast to assumptions that are commonly made, it is not a question of mobilising people to act as surety against actual or supposed deficits on the part of the state, the economy or society. The approach chosen here is fundamentally different: the numerous changes in the welfare state, the pressing problems on the employment market and the oft-quoted "disenchantment with democracy" on the part of many citizens means that the current debate on the "state versus the market" is oversimplified: the principles of market and competition are no panacea for the "failure of the state". Nor is it, however, appropriate for a democratic civil society to place all responsibility for social security and justice on the state.
What has been omitted from this debate is everything that lies between the two sectors of the market and the state. This is the third sector, i.e. non-profit-making organisations such as associations and action groups on the one hand, and also the informal sphere of families and neighbourly help on the other - in other words, the enormous potential of "welfare-related goods" that are produced in various spheres as a result of civic activity, among others.
Looking forward to future social developments, it will be necessary to describe Germany's "civil infrastructure", to analyse its composition and the opportunities it presents, and to formulate recommendations for political action on this basis. Both sides - namely citizens on the one hand and institutions on the other - should be encouraged and activated to show greater propensity to civic activity. After all, the willingness of citizens to engage in civic activity is in direct interaction with the opportunities for civic activity as offered by organisations.
II. Three key socio-political considerations
The subjects of "crisis on the employment market", "crisis in the welfare state" and "disenchantment with democracy" feature prominently in current socio-political debates. Although it is difficult to make a clear distinction between these different areas of discussion, it is useful to attempt some differentiation in order to formulate clear questions that can be easily analysed and subsequently brought together. The discussion on civic activity can thus be broken down as follows:
- Civic activity and civil society
- Civic activity and remunerative employment
- Civic activity and the welfare state
A. Civic activity and civil society
The first area of discussion deals with the question of how civil society can be strengthened through civic activity. Here, it is important to examine the wide variety of themes and forms emerging as a result of interaction between citizens in the spheres that exist "beyond the market and the state". The main focus here is on the third sector, i.e. the rich system of associations in Germany. It is important to consider not only the "traditional" organisations such as churches, parties, trade unions or sports associations, but also in particular newer initiatives and projects, voluntary agencies, hospice groups or even Agenda 21 projects that could show the way for civic activity in Germany in the future.
In this connection, one must ask the fundamental question as to how one might envisage a new relationship between the state and civil society. Obviously, extremely varied, as the novel aspect is that the state cannot and does not wish to regulate everything on high from the outset. A great deal must be negotiated at the local level, in dialogue with municipal institutions and committed action groups. However, a few key points can be outlined, indicating the direction in which the future of local democracy and civic activity lies.
This direction also incorporates the idea of the activating state, establishing a new division of responsibility between the state and society and greater citizen orientation in terms of central objectives. This generates a number of interfaces between modernisation of the state and civic activity:
- "User friendliness" of law and administration: One of the state's strengths consists in establishing legal provisions that safeguard civic activity and give all citizens equal access to social services. However, if completing an application form to receive assistance for a project takes more time than the project itself, the law becomes a hindrance rather than a help. Regulations must therefore be standardised, simplified, and examined as to their compatibility with civic activity.
- In addition to legal parameters, one must also consider
"opportunity structures": the "enabling state" (cf.
Gilbert/Gilbert 1989: Evers/Leggewie 1999) creates an
infrastructure and thus opportunities for civic activity. It
supports initiatives that emerge from civil society. This applies,
for example, to self-help groups in the field of health or to
citizens' action groups and citizen participation within the
municipal environment.
Museums represent a further characteristic example. There are several museums - particularly small museums at municipal level - where committed citizens not only give guided tours, but also undertake all duties in terms of management and organisation. To a far greater extent than it has done in the past, the state should consider such institutions as a nucleus of integration within civil society and promote the foundation of new museums by citizens. The state can provide initial financing and support important areas of independently organised cultural public activity simply by assuming day-to-day running costs or expenditure on materials by the associations concerned. Here, it can be said that the more remote a museum's organisation is from the state, the more receptive it is to civic activity (cf. Zimmer 1997, 110).
- The state as a moderator. The Federal Government, the Federal Länder and in particular local government bodies play an important role of moderator, setting the parameters for cooperation, mediating in conflicts and assembling possible partners around a table, without however pre-determining the results. Networking, alliances and "round tables" are methods of generating a "welfare mix" through regulated cooperation between state institutes, private suppliers and civic initiatives.
- The activating state not only facilitates, it also makes demands. A state that creates opportunities for activity can also demand the contribution of individuals, of local initiatives and associations. Demanding co-responsibility for the community represents an appeal to civic obligations and also a self-assured strategy of enabling: If opportunities for activity with autonomous responsibility are available in a civil society, there will be committed citizens who use such opportunities.
- If citizens are included in responsibility, they must also be able to have a say in matters. A key task in modernising the state is the development of decision-making forms and discussion forums that take the responsibility of civil society seriously. Citizen participation must not end where power is exercised and decisions are made. The state must be prepared to step back and relinquish power, without withdrawing from its share of social responsibility. To name just one example: there are now several schools that are enhancing their image with the help of civic activity: greater decision-making autonomy, a development association in which parents play an active, co-determining role, and cooperation with initiatives and associations in the vicinity are components for a school "welfare mix" that anchors the school in the neighbourhood and creates additional services - such as care services or working groups in the afternoon - that state education policy could never have made available in such a flexible form.
Politics itself represents a further interface between civil society and civic activity - particularly when carried out on a voluntary basis at municipal level. Here, it is important to create framework conditions that encourage young people in particular to become politically active. The expansion of political participation rights for citizens, such as through people's action groups and referenda, can also play a decisive role in strengthening civil society.
B. Civic activity and remunerative employment
The second area of discussion involves determining what correlations exist between civic activity and remunerative employment and in particular what correlations could be developed. Here, the main focus is on the first sector, i.e. the market economy and business enterprise. Here, we are less interested in the oft-discussed model of "civic employment" that played a key role in connection with the report of the Commission of the Länder of Bavaria and Saxony on Questions Relating to the Future (cf. Commission for Future Questions, 1997). This model primarily aims at reducing the demand for remunerative employment through "civic employment", thereby also reducing unemployment at the same time. The question as to how economy and society can cooperate in the field of civic activity and what we can learn from models that have already become an integral part of cultural life in the Netherlands, the USA or Great Britain (cf. Janning/Bartjes 1999) would appear to hold greater socio-political relevance.
The examples shown by these countries reveal that companies can be important players and partners in terms of civic activity, and that this role is vastly underestimated in Germany. For many employees, generous dispensation rules are a prerequisite for any commitment to voluntary work in addition to their paid work. However, the USA, Great Britain and the Netherlands have numerous examples of enterprising activities in the field of civic activity where companies themselves engage in civic activity. Two examples:
- In the USA, many companies participate in a "Day of Caring": a company's entire workforce receives one day's special paid holiday and participates in charitable projects within the municipality. This enhances the sense of community spirit among employees and emphasises the company's responsibility for its local environment.
- Another possible partnership between the first and third sector exists in the form of "secondment" programmes where managers from the world of business are "loaned out" to non-profit-making organisations for a certain time so that they can make their know-how available.
A feature common to both these approaches is that it is not only the charitable organisations that benefit, but also the companies: employees who undertake work within the community learn about other aspects of life and gain valuable experience that can be applied in a professional capacity. The companies themselves secure a profile that embraces social and municipal responsibility and they also improve their market chances, not least because of this enhanced image.
Such a corporate culture is significantly more widespread and generally accepted in other countries than in Germany. We must encourage German companies, too, to show an interest in civic activity and participate in pilot projects.
C. Civic activity and the welfare state
The third area of discussion concerns the question as to what role civic activity can play in the remodelling of the welfare state: to what extent can duties such as safeguarding and providing for society be assumed by institutes organised independently on the basis of community responsibility without merely "privatising" the social responsibility incumbent upon the state? Here, I should like to re-emphasise one particular aspect: services by society should augment, not replace services of the welfare state. Even today, many facets of this complementary relationship are already evident, but are not sufficiently registered as such by the public. One example is the large number of employment programmes in Eastern Germany that are promoted and co-financed by the state, but which are implemented by independent and non-profit-making organisations with a high level of autonomy (cf. Braun 2000). Allow me to mention two further examples:
- Self-help groups have today become an integral part of the municipal health system. As with unsalaried nursing staff, they have also been included in the Act on Nursing Care Insurance (Gesetz zur Pflegeversicherung). Self-help groups provide knowledge and expertise, they establish contact between persons who have had similar experiences and represent their interests. A great deal can be achieved here through specific support in the form of money, premises, infrastructure or, for example, the subsidising of a self-help contact point networking various groups at the local level.
The transition from participation in a self-help group to civic activity is easy and fluid: passing on skills acquired to other people who have had similar experiences, organising events oneself is a natural step to take by citizens with increased self-awareness who have taken responsibility for their health into their own hands. By way of example, studies on civic activity among senior citizens reveal that satisfaction with life and quality of life - two important prerequisites for health - increase in persons involved in civic activity. In this respect, promoting civic activity represents a genuine health policy measure (cf. Braun/Bischoff 1999).
- A second important aspect is the role of civic activity between the state and the market, between institutions of the welfare state and commercial suppliers of healthcare and nursing services. During the debate on rationalisation and quality assurance in healthcare, the commitment of citizens is often ignored. And yet there is a long tradition of voluntary work in caring for the elderly in Germany, particularly on the part of the churches (cv. Evers/Rauch/Stitz 2000).
- Building on this tradition would be the duty of independent organisations under a system of welfare pluralism. This allocation of duties is appropriate and adequate to the extent that civic activity can exploit resources that are not available to the market: flexible planning of time, local networks, relationships of trust and last but not least the idealism of those involved in civic activity. These resources could form the basis of a specific profile in terms of supply and quality for which there is undoubtedly a need and which should be able to rely on state support. (cf. Evers 2000, 37).
The examples show the multitude of ways in which civic activity can help shape state institutions more effectively and with a more citizen-oriented approach. Particularly at municipal level, we must foster imagination, develop appropriate "structures for opportunity" in various sectors. Without encumbering local government bodies with any additional burdens, it is imperative that we focus on the municipal level, for this is where we can find many models that point the way to the future, this is where civic activity finds most starting points and most points of friction.
V. New relationship between the state, society and the individual
Any mention of a strengthening of civil society, greater independent responsibility on the part of citizens or the remodelling of the welfare state always evokes a suspicion that the state plans to evade its social responsibility. According to the critics, the term civic activity is quite simply fancy packaging designed to disguise the ugly contents: savings, privatisation, social services only for those who can afford it. However, independent initiatives based on need cannot create social justice for all. The neoliberal programme of making civil society act as surety where the duties of the state cannot be delegated to private service providers is not tenable: civic activity requires assistance and an infrastructure that can only be provided by the state, and citizens will be more committed to working for the common good if they can rely on a well-functioning social network.
The aspired relationship between the state and civil society must not be a relationship of competition. It must be seen as a relationship of enhancement: The challenge for the future is not more or less state intervention, but an activating, enabling state that establishes the framework for an appropriate mixture of civic activity and state support. Market elements also have a place in this "welfare pluralism" (Evers/Olk 1996).
Thus, a whole project is outlined. The future of civic activity lies in a "new social contract", in a new relationship between state, society and the individual. Here, the connecting piece between state and the market - the third sector - assumes a particular significance: those organisations and initiatives that create a dense network of communication and cooperation relationships between citizens on the one hand and the state on the other hand. This is where civic activity finds both its requirements and its environment.
"A society that fails to give people any reason to look after each other cannot maintain its legitimation for long" - this statement by the American sociologist Richard Sennet is particularly applicable to Germany, where rifts still exist between East and West ten years after the fall of the Wall and where inner unity has still not been achieved.
Thus, civic activity will have a decisive influence on how our society, how the relationship between old and young, men and women, foreigners, immigrants and Germans develops over the coming years.
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