Supporting Active Citizenship
The Community Capacity Builders Community Leadership Program supports the development of Active Citizens. Active Citizenship is defined by the Australian Civics and Citizenship Curriculum as the "involvement and informed participation in the civic and political activities of society at local, state, national, regional and global levels. It contrasts with ‘passive citizenship’ where citizens participate only minimally to meet their basic individual responsibilities including voting and paying taxes.”
Active Citizenship Outcomes
Longitudinal research has shown that participants in the Community Capacity Builders Community Leadership Program develop the active citizenship characteristics desired by the three levels of government in Australia*.
Active Citizenship Characteristics
The active citizenship characteristics desired by Australian governments are:
- well educated in civics
- well informed on key issues affecting the community
- know what local government does
- know how they can be involved in the agenda setting and strategic planning of their local area
- undertake considered judgement - engage with all the available information and hear and understand different points of view
- able to engage with complex issues
- understand the need to balance competing interests
- understand connections between environmental, economic, social and political systems
- undertake collaborative visioning processes
- think critically and reflect on personal experiences and world views
- challenge established ways of interpreting and connecting with the world
- effectively participate in decision making processes
- effectively work in partnerships
* Zivkovic, S (2014), ‘Determining and increasing the social impact of an active citizenship education program’,
PhD thesis, School of Education, University of South Australia, Adelaide.
PhD thesis, School of Education, University of South Australia, Adelaide.
