'How can Scotland's civil society contribute to the debates about the global economy'
Student paper submitted as part of the NTNU/SCVO Internship Research Project. The paper is the product of a five month internship research project conducted at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organizations by a student in the MSc programme in Globalization ? Politics and Culture at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). This project attempted to answer two main questions: 1) Can civil society organizations in Scotland agree on a shared vision on what kind of economy we want, and launch some initiative together? 2) In the current context in Scotland, is there an opportunity for civil society to participate in the debates with this agenda, and be heard? The information was collected mainly through interviews of key figures from civil society organizations, people from public and private sector, an academic and a politician. Discussion group was used as a complimentary data collection method. Based on resource mobilization theory and political opportunity theory, the research focused on factors that can contribute to the success of collective action in the Scottish context. Key findings: The majority of respondents agreed that: ? Civil society can and should agree on a shared vision on the economy, and that civil society organizations should work together on this. ? Shared vision should be articulated, because so far it has not happened, and there have only been assumptions about what the shared vision would be. ? The economic crisis has opened up opportunities for change and for alternative economic policies. The crisis of 2008 is a particular type of crisis, but civil society must act now, because the alternative is unacceptable. ? Civil society must challenge the current economic orthodoxy, and provide an alternative. ? We need radical aspirations for a different kind of economy, and that civil society should drive forward thinking about this ? There is a need for long-term goals, and for an overarching narrative that makes all the messages fit together. Organizations should work towards one goal. ? Civil society should create a forum, and a framework in which the discussions could take place.
