What is civil society? How does it relate to formal systems of governance? How important is leadership in maintaining and developing civil society, and how can we learn from each other in improving the quality and impact of leadership? We live in an increasingly interdependent world in which the opportunities to learn from each other and to share experiences have never been greater. It is also a world in which formal politics and systems of government appear to have less capacity to influence outcomes, and in which less formal social and civil institutions and organisations seem to matter more and more. This seminar draws upon the experiences of Scotland and the creation of its devolved parliament in 1999 to explore the key role of civil society in helping to bring about social and political change. The Scottish situation provides a dynamic case whereby civil society was largely instrumental in generating peaceful constitutional outcomes, an experiment which is not only new but continuing. Using Scotland as a focus, the seminar explores the wider, global importance of leadership in this process of change, and is a unique opportunity for participants from around the world to share experiences and learn from each other. The main topics include: - examining the Scottish case in which civil society has lead to constitutional change
- the role of leadership of and within civil society
- identifying systems and mechanisms for supporting the growth and development of civil society
- studying the relationship between civil society and formal systems of government in collaboration with the private and voluntary sectors with particular emphasis on partnerships and co-operation.
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