Civil society how to survive and thrive in closing societies

• In Event: Networking for sustained education reform: lessons from the network of education policy centers

Proposal

Start and Hovland (2004) proposed four different ways through which institutions can seek policy impact, based on whether the work is based on evidence or interest and whether institutions are located inside or outside of the policy track. How an institution operates through this framework is dynamic and due to change as the political ecosystem shifts. As we live through the deterioration of liberal democracies across the world, pro-government civil society organizations are finding more room for growth and impact while others are readjusting their modus operandi, if they are lucky enough to survive at all. Those civil society organizations under pressure need to explore a more diverse toolbox, one with an emphasis on building and bonding social capital (Putnam, 2001).
This presentation will focus on the experiences of one particular institution as a showcase for the above-mentioned framework. Education Reform Initiative (ERI), a non-governmental think-and-do-tank in education was established in 2003 shortly after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in Turkey. Between 2003 and 2011, education policy scene in Turkey got more participatory, the range of civil society organization diversified and more emphasis were placed on using evidence. This was a period during which ERI also matured as a reputable voice on education policy. However, education policy had not been exempt from the overall decline of democracy after the 2011 elections, during which the policy agenda was dictated by politics to a large extent. This period also proved to be challenging for ERI, as the institution had to adopt its modus operandi to changes in the policy ecosystem. Engaging in change at the grassroots level was one of the new ways forward.

Putnam, R. (2000) Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, New York, Simon & Schuster.
Start, D. and Hovland, I. 2004. Tools for Policy Impact: A Handbook for Researchers. Overseas Development Institute.

Author

• Batuhan Aydagul, Education Reform Initiative