With the Centre, Context strives to further develop a conceptual framework for Civic Driven Change and Child Centred Community Development. This is done by means of different activities conducted together with partners.

Action Research

Within the centre, ample explorative action research is conducted with organisations and communities around the world, focusing on the question how civic driven change happens. What are drivers of citizen-led social change? What factors prevent such change from happening? In September 2009, a Joint Learning Workshop was held with representatives from nine case studies that were held in the first year of this research programme. Together, this group of practitioners defined what adequate citizen-led change entails through an elaborate concept mapping exercise. The process report of this workshop is now available on this website. An article on the outcomes will be published soon to reveal the lessons learned with regard to the concept of Civic Driven Change.

Civic Driven Change Think Tank Initiative

The Centre contributed to and collaborated with the Civic Driven Change Think Tank Initiative. The CDC Initiative was a yearlong process of thinking, writing and debating to arrive at a perspective of change in societies that stems from citizens rather than states or markets.

The initiative was hosted by the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), represented by Dr. Kees Biekart and Dr. Alan Fowler, and the process was facilitated by Fons van der Velden (Director of Context, international cooperation).

The product of the initiative is a collection of essays and policy briefs that was presented and discussed at an International Seminar on The Civic Driven Change Initiative on 15 October 2008 at the Institute for Social Studies/the Hague.

Child Centred Community Development Workshops

In the framework of its activities on Civic Driven Child Development, the Centre for Civic Driven Change has organised a series of workshops on Child Centred Community Development (CCCD) together with Plan Nederland and Save The Children Netherlands. Within these workshops an international group of policy makers, scholars and development practitioners come together, share their expertise and discuss ideas and approaches in the field of child participation in development processes and Child Centred Community Development. In 2004 and 2005 workshops took place on Child Centred Community Development in general and participation of children in crisis in particular. The third workshop, which took place in September 2008, focused on access to quality education for marginalised children. The full report of the workshop can be accessed here.

Further information is available on the website www.cccdworkshop2008.com.