Citizens At The Centre

Based on years of practical experience in small towns, Carrel argues for municipal autonomy—for turning what are now ‘colonies’ of the federal and provincial orders of government into independent, mature, and fully democratic entities. For Carrel, the citizen is the sole legitimate source of political power, and the best tool for citizen empowerment is the controversial tool of the referendum. This is the story of how a small municipality broke the rules of local government. It also recounts the author’s irreverence for the status quo and his ideas on the rebuilding of citizenship at the community level.

In Citizens Plus, Alan Cairns unravels the historical record to clarify the current impasse in negotiations between Aboriginal peoples and the state. He considers the assimilationist policy assumptions of the imperial era, examines more recent government initiatives, and analyzes the emergence of the nation-to-nation paradigm given massive support by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. We are battered by contending visions, he argues - a revised assimilation policy that finds its support in the Canadian Alliance Party is countered by the nation-to-nation vision, which frames our future as coexisting solitudes. Citizens Plus stakes out a middle ground with its support for constitutional and institutional arrangements which will simultaneously recognize Aboriginal difference and reinforce a solidarity which binds us together in common citizenship. Selected as a BC Book for Everybody

This book explores the ways in which governments are putting citizens first in their policy-making endeavours. Making citizens the focus of policy interventions and involving them in the delivery and design is for many governments a normative ideal; it is a worthy objective and sounds easy to achieve. But the reality is that putting citizens at the centre of policy-making is hard and confronting. Are governments really serious in their ambitions to put citizens first? Are they prepared for the challenges and demands such an approach will demand? Are they prepared to commit the time and resources to ensure genuine engagement takes place and that citizens' interests are considered foremost? And, more importantly, are governments prepared for the trade-offs, risks and loss of control such citizen-centric approaches will inevitably involve?

Based on in-depth research and 50 interviews with senior officials. Examines recent innovations: structural change to separate policy and operational functions; total quality management principles; performance targets, service standards and client assessment; partnership and single window/one stop shopping techniques.

This publication gathers contributions to understand better and further develop the European Citizens’ Initiative. This participatory and agenda-setting tool introduced into the Treaty of Lisbon has not yet reached its full potential of citizen engagement, nor has it driven the significant policy changes initially expected. Bearing this in mind, the project ECI: From A to Z aimed to promote the knowledge and use of the European Citizens’ Initiative within the higher education arena by engaging investigators and students from four different Universities (University of Coimbra; Georg-August University of Göttingen; Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi and the University of Vigo) to work together to share their concerns and common views on the European Union role and policies. This publication describes the methodology followed and results reached under the project, but more than that, it is a practical toolkit for all who wish to know more about the European Citizens’ Initiative and how to put it in motion.

The Citizenship and Governance Toolkit draws on the lessons generated from learning projects and case studies supported under the Citizens and Governance Program of the Commonwealth Foundation. It offers practical guidance on how to promote the participation of citizens in governance. The contents of this Toolkit (print and CD-ROM media) include: _ the meaning of inclusive governance _ ways for citizens to organize and engage in governance _ strategies for multi-sectoral partnerships _ key themes that emerge in governance, such as conflict, gender, and power _ suggestions for participatory methods in governance, including learning circles, popular theatre, and role play _ methods of building capacities--of citizens, intermediaries and government officials--for inclusive governance. A training manual is also in preparation, which will include role plays, exercises and other training materials. The Toolkit is a fantastic resource bank for policymakers, practitioners, facilitators in government departments and agencies, and other change agents working in local communities.

This report provides a corporate, prioritized roadmap to help guide how we manage our resources (people and money), based on a long-term vision. It assesses the emerging trends and the associated opportunities and challenges for the B.C. government.