Areas of Concern
Updated 18/1/10
Follow the trail
This section
Every voluntary organisation is concerned with some issue or another, whether they are providing services to members, campaigning or working with the disadvantaged. We can't possibly list every useful contact and idea for the wide spectrum covered by the sector. So we try to give an idea of good places to start, concentrating on web sites with a range of useful info. Their contact details should only be a click away.
We have used the following groupings:
- Welfare, Rights, Health including Social Inclusion, Employment.
- Communities and Social Groupings such as Elderly, Refugees, Rural, Youth.
- Economy, Environment, Development including Corporate Responsibility.
- Housing, regeneration, plus urban, planning, transport.
- Leisure, Culture, Education, Animals including Arts and Heritage.
- Self-help groups / mutual support networks for individuals.
- Taking Action Personally. Some starting points.
Topic Reviews for more in-depth coverage of
- Social Economy.
- Aid and Development Resources.
- Local Community Resources.
This page
Miscellaneous- Direct Action/Web Activism.
- Government, democracy, media.
- (International) Civil Society, including UN.
- Conflict and Peace.
Apologies for the crude categories - anything more sophisticated would need more complex software and longer downloads!
Elsewhere
Other sources of links:
- Support bodies page, for organisations working in a subject area.
- Local organisations may be best located via the community web sites under Local Contacts. Europe-wide networks are generally on European Contacts page.
- We have tried to list organisations on the most relevant page (and not repeat all over the place). Try the site search facilities if you can't follow our logic.
- See Information Sources page for charity directories and the like. If you know the name or registration number of a registered charity (England or Wales), you should be able to find it on the Charity Commission's web site.
Direct Action/Web Activism
- Avaaz.org "Using the latest technology, Avaaz.org empowers ordinary people from every corner of the globe to directly contact key global decision-makers, corporations and the media."
- Urban75 'one of the UK's busiest independent websites featuring direct action, rave, drug info, unpublished stories, photos, rants and more'. Look up An Activists' Guide to Exploiting the Media, by George Monbiot if it is still there.
- Reclaim the Streets.
- Free Range Activism Free Range Practice Guide 4 is 'A guide to the procedures and legal pitfalls of demonstrating or taking action in support of campaigns'.
- Getup! Oz example, of a "community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues".
See Campaign Resources for some other sites on web-based activism.
Government, democracy, media
- Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom An independent voice for media reform, promoting policies for a diverse, democratic and accountable media.
- Unlock Democracy (incorporating Charter 88).
- Common Purpose 'gives leaders the inspiration, the knowledge and the connections they need to produce real change'.
- Do Politics Political resources for young people.
- Electoral Commission Set up by parliament, but independent. Aims to improve democratic engagement.
- Electoral Reform Society.
- Hints and Tips for Whistleblowers. UK focus.
- Index on Censorship bi-monthly magazine.
- International Teledemocracy Centre.
- MediaWise (was Press Wise) Promoting high standards of journalism and aiming to empower ordinary people who become victims of unfair media intrusion or inaccurate/irresponsible reporting.
- ObsMedia Monitoring freedom of expression and promoting community media.
- Operation Black Vote.
- Reporters without Borders Promoting freedom of the press worldwide.
- Transparency International Dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing both international and national corruption.
- YouGov.
See Lobbying page too (esp. Freedom of Information, Lobbying and PR issues). Alternative/progressive media are listed on Getting your message across.
(International) Civil Society
- CIVICUS is an international alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to strengthening civil society.
- CONGO Conference of NGOs in consultative status with the UN.
- NGO UN Community, in conjunction with Execom, the Executive Committee of NGOs associated with the UN Dept of Public Information.
- Union of International Associations A clearing house for information on over 40,000 international organisations, and produces a Yearbook reference on these.
- WANGO# (World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations) 'uniting NGOs worldwide in the cause of advancing peace and well-being'.
Conflict and Peace
- Campaign Against the Arms Trade.
- Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
- Network for Peace.
- War Resisters International.