Cross-sectoral campaigning
CLAIMING OUR FUTURE DECEMBER 2016
Introduction Claiming our Future was built on the idea of cross sectoral action for social change. From its inaugural event it sought to forge a stronger civil society through cross-sectoral approaches that broken down the disempowerment of fragmentation and replaced it with the potential of a civil society united behind change agendas for a more equal and environmentally sustainable Ireland. This goal and perspective proved challenging throughout the life of Claiming Our Future. While it was inherent in the structures and operations of Claiming Our Future, we aimed to test out and make real our approach to build strong and strategic cross sectoral action through various campaigns and actions, in particular the campaign for a Financial Transactions Tax. This work made it possible for us to draw in different actors, facilitate cross sectoral dialogue, and ďŹ nd common actions and messages. It helped us narrow down, make concrete and real some of the alternatives that we sought to propose. Cross sectoral action was also a focus in our deliberations, most particularly in the 2016 ‘Broken Politics’ event.
Diverse Initiatives Early campaigns in 2010 and 2011 focused on defending the minimum wage, securing gender quotas in politics and the introduction of a wealth tax. These campaigns were cross sectoral in that a range of civil society sectors promoted them. They were confined to online efforts to show support for these positions. Claiming Our Future convened a meeting of organisations involved in issues of economic equality in 2013 to explore shared concerns, messages and policy priorities. This evolved into an Economic Equality Steering Group that met regularly to coordination action in this field with varying success. It involved organisations such as Congress, NERI, TASC, Basic Income Ireland, Social Justice Ireland, NWCI Cap the Gap was a training course which sought to build a community of activists on economic equality from across different civil society sectors. The idea was to enable a wider spread of activists to speak up on the issue of economic equality. A community of activists did emerge from the training course and continued to meet. The Declaration for a Future Ireland initiative sought participation from individuals and groups from all over Ireland and across civil society to help
draft a Declaration for a Future Ireland to mark the centenary of the 1916 Proclamation. Such an initiative could only work on the basis of cross sectoral participation and was an important attempt in developing a shared agenda.
Campaign Initiative Financial Transactions Tax Campaign – A Robin Hood Tax A Financial Transactions Tax is a tax on trading in bonds, shares, derivatives and credit default swaps. Given the scale of these transactions even a small tax would raise significant and much needed exchequer revenue. Ten Euro zone countries agreed to progress a financial transactions tax on derivatives and shares through what is called an enhanced cooperation procedure. Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain were involved, but not Ireland. The European Commission had proposed a tax rate of 0.1 percent on share and bond trades and 0.01 percent on derivatives trades. The Nevin Economic Research Institute estimated a net gain of some 350 million Euro each year to the Irish exchequer were Ireland to participate. A Financial Transactions Tax would not only raise important revenue, it would curb speculative trading and provide
a new and important transparency to the financial sector. It could be used to invest in the transitions we need to mitigate and adapt to climate change after Paris agreement in Paris, to meet the target of reducing poverty by half, that Ireland signed up to under the Sustainable Development Goals, to reinforce our international support for global equality, and to repair our badly diminished public services.
The two years were well spent in developing a cross sectoral working group to lead the campaign. A cross sectoral group of organisations were recruited into the campaign, consisting of members from SIPTU, ICTU, the European Anti Poverty Network, the Equality Rights Alliance (ERA), Attac Ireland, the NEVIN Economic Research Institute, Trocaire, Social Justice Ireland and individual members.
The origins of the campaign lie in a November 2013 meeting convened by Claiming our Future to meet with Theresa Marshall of Public Services International who was involved in the international campaign for a Financial Transactions Tax. A broad group of organisations were represented at the meeting from across civil society. This was clearly an ideal issue for cross sectoral work given the focus on tax justice and the benefits that could accrue across a range of issues.
Public debates were organised to discuss the pros and cons of a Financial Transactions Tax. Social media debate was developed on the issue. Political lobbying began on the issue with briefings provided to all parties. Pressure was brought to bear on the Minister of Finance through correspondence and Dail questions. We made strong links with and secured valuable support from the European wide campaign, in particular the campaign in Britain which provide expert support and funding.
All present were interested in exploring shared actions to seek a commitment from Ireland to enter the enhanced cooperation procedure for the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax. This meeting was the start of building a cross sectoral campaign. Some two years later it was launched as the Robin Hood Tax campaign, with a website and 42 Alliance members, a cross section of global justice, community, trade union, and environmental groups.
Micheal Collins from the NEVIN Economic Research Institute, a member of the working group, developed a detailed briefing paper identifying the usefulness of the tax and calculating the potential revenue. A special event was hosted in 2016 to present this research and to give further impetus to the campaign. This work provided invaluable evidence for an ongoing political lobby since then. The manifesto period before the election and the period after the election were used to
engage the parties. The budget 2017 negotiations were used to further push the issue on a political level. Rory Hearne from TASC initiated an open letter addressed to Minister Noonan requesting him to join the EU enhanced cooperation initiative and introduce a Financial Transactions Tax that was signed by 19 economists. At the end of 2016 the Financial Transactions Tax has official support from The Green Party, People before Profit and five Independent TDs. Other parties are engaging openly in the dialogue. The Robin Hood Tax Campaign will continue into 2017, with a strong working group and funding for campaigning activities secured.
Deliberation Initiative - Broken Politics - Civil society’s role in creating real change In late 2015 Claiming Our Future invited a broad cross sectoral range of groups to a meeting to initiate dialogue on our role as civil society in creating transformative change. The attendance of the meeting exceeded our expectations and we felt we had hit a nerve. This meeting led a national deliberative event held in Dublin in June
2016 on ‘Broken Politics – Civil Society’s role in creating real change’. This had a specific strand of deliberation focused on connections and collaboration in civil society. The deliberation explored issues of fragmentation, making links, and the means for generating connections. Fragmentation within civil society was seen to have increased as a result of austerity. A lack of networking between sectors of civil society and between local, regional and national levels was identified. Participants agreed it can be difficult to move beyond our own agendas. Support structures for collaboration and cooperation were identified as being needed at local, national and transnational levels. Achieving a cross pollination between civil society sectors and groups also needed new types of organising. Links were required between the local and national and global level actions. Clarity of purpose helps make connections but explicit shared core values, such as equality and human rights were viewed as providing a more effective framework. More opportunities to come together, develop new types of communication to build shared consciousness, and mobilise people at local level if we are to achieve connection and collaboration were seen as being needed. The conclusions to the event stressed the need for a space around which
civil society organisations could remain connected. Civil society also need a means of connecting whether through developing our own media or establishing a digital networking. New structures, in particular at local level, could serve as a means of connecting and cooperating. Public space could be reclaimed to create possibilities for connecting and collaborating. This included physical spaces in urban and rural areas. The media is another such public space that needs to be challenged. We could further develop our own media. A shared long-term vision could be developed as a source of connecting and collaborating. This could build on the Claiming Our Future Declaration.
we found that it was not always so easy to find a shared agenda. While there was openness and agreement on the main values that a future society should be based on, as soon as organisations started talking about the specifics of policy, differences can open up between the difference sectors. In the Robin Hood Campaign we were able to make real the opportunity that comes with bringing diverse voice together and agreeing on a main agenda.
Working together
What we learned
Fragmentation increased as a result of austerity. Reduced resources since the crisis meant that it can be difficult for organisations to move beyond their own agendas. New ways of organising us were needed.
Claiming our Future was respected and accepted as being a space where cross sectoral dialogue could happen. We managed to bring a wide spectrum of civil society sectors together including community, global solidarity, social justice, academic, the trade unions, environment, and cultural sectors. We learned a lot on the way.
There was a challenge of providing leadership for collaboration in some of our cross sectoral initiatives. At times it was difficult to galvanize people. After an initial interest and commitment, sustaining campaigns was never easy as people got caught up in their own organisation’s work and had limited resources to contribute.
Values and agendas The five values identified for Claiming Our Future at the inaugural event provided a clear framework for collaboration. This helped. However,
There were gaps to be bridged between activists and academics, between paid workers and unpaid activists, between local action and national action, between those working for change within the system and those working outside the system, and between tactics of activism
and tactics of dialogue. An openness to dealing with these differences, and an honesty about them was important to make collaborative actions work. Ownership can be a real challenge in cross sectoral work. Organisation’s individual profiles ‘disappear’ behind a bigger goal. For the work on the Financial Transaction Tax we were presenting in the public and media as the Robin Hood Tax Campaign, not as staff members of individual organisations. Individuals and organisations had to take off their own hat and build relationships and partnership approaches. Any reluctance to do so can lead to the work slowing down.
Solidarity with other campaigns Existing relationships enable a solidarity to shape cross sectoral collaboration. This solidarity enabled initiatives such as the initiative on economic equality. It allowed organisations to contribute to each other’s campaigns. This solidarity was evident in the deliberations at the Broken Politics event. It is clear that light and accessible structures are important to enable this to happen. It can be more difficult to turn this solidarity into commitment to one overarching campaign. There appeared to be more potential in identifying the campaigns that we were able to connect around and to support each other in these whenever possible.
Conclusion Creating the space for individuals and organsiations from across civil society to get together was a strength of Claiming our Future. We need to continue to overcome our small differences, identify our commonalities, and develop shared actions. Shared frameworks such as the Claiming Our Future values or the Declaration for a Future Ireland could assist in this.
This pamphlet was drafted by Nina Sachau and Anna Visser. The publication of this pamphlet was made possible by support from St Stephen’s Green Trust Fund and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.