Debate & Active Citizenship

Debate and Active Citizenship:

When Arguments Bring About

Social Change

Debate

and Active Citizenship

Identifying some of the key characteristics of Active Citizenship

For the Sake of Argument as a Method of Encouraging Citizens' Activism

Who Are Active Citizens?

The project entitled »Thinking and speaking a better world«, in short “@better” brought together young people from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia to empower participants with active citizenship skills; to strengthen the ownership of European policy issues by focusing on the youth’s lived experience through dialogue; to create innovative methodological solutions for un - formal education about European issues; to discuss topics of European significance in a safe, multicultural environment; and to translate the principles of balanced, problem based, argumentatively supported dialogue from off line to online.

The main themes of the project were the social status of youth and their future, from mobility, education, employment, first job and fist apartment, poverty, marginalization; the inclusion in the decision making processes, traditional ways combined with new platforms for active participation.

Debates on the nature and responsibilities of citizenship have been taking place in the form of political discourse since the times of the Ancient Greeks. The Athenians pioneered a system of direct democracy in which all citizens were invited to participate in public affairs. Whereas Plato dismissed this as the rule of amateurs, Aristotle recognized that the success and fate of democracy depended upon the quality of its citizens. For Aristotle, citizens have an obligation to cultivate their powers of reason and participate in the life of the community. Aristotle believed that in doing so citizens can develop and exercise their civic virtues (source). The Aristotelian view is still relevant today, especially because the issues central to citizenship, which are often controversial, are ones that affect people’s lives. Citizens need to be able to express their views on these issues and listen to what others have to say. The best way to do this is through the medium of discussions and debates that are conducted in a democratic, fair and reasonable way. This is vital because citizenship issues are usually bound with the values of those involved, and it is easy to dismiss the views of others when you don’t agree with their values, creating a potential for conflict. Because the role of reason, logic and evidence becomes all the more important when values are involved, it is essential that citizens learn how to argue and to listen to the views of others. In the public arena, it is often through debate that arguments are explored. One side deploys arguments which are contested by the other side. To take part in these debates young citizens need to learn the skills of making a logical case for a particular viewpoint, to be able to challenge the views of others through counter-argument, and to be able to persuade others that their case is the one that should be accepted. Equally important in a citizenship context is that the proceedings are conducted democratically. Argumentation skills encourage learners to articulate their views and express their opinions in a clear and logical way and critical thinking skills in debates and discussions enable learners to speak persuasively on citizenship issues. And this is how argumentation skills are deeply connected to active citizenship (source).

In the spirit of the project, I would like to speak about two things today. Firstly, about the importance of active citizenship and different possibilities for civic action, especially for the young people. Secondly, how debate skills and knowledge about building solid arguments can lead to more active young people and can have direct impacts on broader society.

Let us first explore the term active citizenship. There is no universally accepted definition of Active Citizenship and no standard model of what an active citizen is. But there is a general agreement that it refers to the involvement of individuals in public life and affairs. This can take place at local, national and international levels. At local level the term is being used to address the citizens who are actively involved in the life of their communities, tackling local problems and having the need for a change or resisting unwanted change. (www.faceitproject.org/active_citizenship.htm) On the national level we are using the term for different kinds of forms of participation – either conventional or unconventional ways. Active citizens are those who develop the skills, knowledge and understanding that enables them to make informed decisions about their communities, workplaces, education, healthcare system and other public affairs, with the aim of improving the quality of life. It can be anything from voting, to being involved in campaigning pressure groups or being a member of a political party. At the international level the global active citizen may be involved in movements to promote sustainability or fair trade, to reduce poverty or eliminate slavery. These kinds of actions are usually connected with large groups of pressure that connect people from all over the world (source).

An active citizen is not necessarily a ‘good citizen’ in the sense that they follow the rules or behave in a certain way. An active citizen may challenge the rules and existing structures although they should generally stay within the bounds of democratic processes and should not become involved in violent acts. These kinds of challenges are called civil disobedience, and can be really effective sometimes. There is a general set of values and dispositions that can be associated with active democratic citizenship including respect for justice, democracy and the rule of law, openness, tolerance, courage to defend a point of view and a willingness to listen to the others.

Participation in the community. It can be understood on very different levels: activism in the local schools, local societies, involvement in a voluntary activity or engaging with local government agencies.
People are empowered to play a part in the decisions that affect them, particularly public policies and services (via different levels of participation: conventional by voting or running for the office or position, or unconventional by joining different specific interest groups).
Knowledge and understanding of the political/social/economic context of their participation so that they can make informed decisions (this refers especially to the problem of representative democracy – if the voters are well informed there is greater chance they elect representatives who’s actions will be for the people).
Ability to challenge policies or actions and existing structures on the basis of principles such as equality, inclusiveness, diversity and social justice (well informed citizens know the existing structure, they know the existing policies and their flaws so they can suggest some changes or different policies).
Individual self-reliance, which indicates the fact that people should rely less on the state and be more energetic in providing for themselves (this aspect is becoming more and more relevant, especially because the concept of welfare state is in decline).
The defense of social and economic rights that refers to the fact that young adults should argue for the defense of extensive social and economic rights.
A further meaning of citizenship refers to a broader sense of social concern. Being a citizen means not just being self-reliant, or being able to enjoy a wide range of civil, social and economic rights, but also recognizing wider responsibilities to those with whom we are interdependent. This is the cognitive dimension, which reminds us that we are not alone, that we are a part of the society, that we are co-existing and through this cognitive dimension citizens become aware of their common economic, social and environmental concerns. They recognize how they are related to others in being dependent on practices supported by them, and in affecting them by their actions.
Practical dimension of deliberative engagement. Citizens form their own judgments, are prepared to explain their own positions and listen to other points of view. But this does not presuppose consensus; there will be strong differences on how to identify, prioritize and realize common goods. Learning to deal with conflict is itself an important part of civic virtue. Citizens need to be able to exercise independent judgment, but accept decisions when made in a fair public procedure.
Participation in the democratic process. Finally there is the more standardly political sense of citizenship as participation in the democratic process, engaging in political discussion and decision-making, serving on juries and in public office of various kinds (source).

Active citizens are people who care about their local communities and the places they live. They want to make a positive difference or make something happen by having their say. Active citizens, by taking part, can help decide and influence on a wide range of things, including how things are run in a community, what gets funded and built.

How can young adults improve in active citizenship (how can they get involved)?

You can start small by helping out your neighbor or a local community group. Or you can advise your local public bodies (such as the NHS, police or council) by taking part in consultations and questionnaires, attending neighborhoods meetings or simply posting a question or thought on Twitter.
You can put pressure on the council or Government by taking part in direct action. Petitions are a way to voice your concern and gather support.
You can assist or provide advice to a public service or charity, or become a citizen youth governor and take part in decision making that affects your local school, court or council.
Community group members - taking part in activities with like-minded people. Such as joining a debate club.
Good neighbor - helping people who live in your street to be more active and less dependent on public services. This can involve keeping a watch on your neighbor’s home while they are away, doing some shopping for them, giving them information about a local service and much more.
Consulted citizen - giving feedback to public bodies about their services. This can be in a range of ways from questionnaires to neighborhood meetings, signing the petitions, taking the petitions to the mayor.
Volunteering - giving up some spare time to improve a local charity or service. This can include doing some office work, sharing skills and coaching a sports team, running a cookery club, or assisting a mental health support group.
Community activist - taking action to change a local situation. Activist activities can include campaigning, establishing a network or group, writing to an MP, setting up or signing a petition, starting up information stalls or using the media to further an issue. Consulted citizen - giving feedback to public bodies about their services. This can be in a range of ways from questionnaires to neighborhood meetings, signing the petitions, taking the petitions to the mayor.

http://www.unv.org

A good neighbour, community activist, community group member and consulted citizen only needs a small amount of time here and there, which they can build into their daily routine. That means that active citizenship isn’t something separated from the lives of young people but it must be incorporated in everyday living. Being an active citizen will enable young adults to help out and make a difference. Young adults also gain a range of other benefits: reasonable arguing, negotiating skills or simply their work is just recognized by a certain community. Active citizenship also means building a social network, which consequently means potential social capital that can improve the level of employability of the youth.

Argumentation is the collaborative process of discussing contested issues by considering various perspectives in order to form opinions and guided judgement Effective deliberation incorporates sustained and appropriate modes of argumentation. Deliberative practices can take many forms—from random discussions, to role-playing exercises, public debates, round tables discussions, competitive debates and formal debates. All of these activities lead to exploring differing perspectives and informing various decisions.

To have a skill in building a constructive argument on a given matter is one of the most essential parts of citizenship education for young adults. It enables them to understand how society works and how decisions are made. It encourages them to take an interest in topical and controversial issues and to engage in discussion and debate. Through debate and argument education, young people are encouraged to play an active part in the democratic process by expressing their views, having a voice and taking actions that can make a difference to the communities in which they operate and thereby becoming more effective members of society.

To be effective in terms of active citizenship and participation, arguments need to be put into a logical structure. This means being skilled to establish a central proposition and making a number of points, which are reasons why should we accept this proposition, which is of course strengthened by evidence.

One of the most important skills and one of the most demanding skills in discussion and debate is to respond to what other people have said, particularly if they are arguing against you. It involves listening, quick thinking as well as knowledge of the topic. This activity is designed to help young people begin that process by practicing quick responses, which can be really helpful in the process of education for active citizenship.

Argumentative skills can improve social and civic activism by:

Thinking critically about the arguments – what’s weak or strong about them; this is directly connected to active citizenship because it enables young people to address the matter in a proper way so their voices can be heard and their opinion is taken seriously.
Teaching how to research information - when learning how to prepare an argument for a debate, young adults need to do a wide research on the topic being discussed; that enables them to improve their knowledge and awareness of what is going on around them, which is of serious importance for active citizenship.
Teaching how to work in groups – this is essential in competitive debates, where debaters learn how to compromise within their team by extracting the best arguments; team work is also one of the most important characteristics of active citizenship especially when involving community work, good neighbor project or volunteering.
Speaking clearly and fluently – we sound more persuasive, therefore more credible; this improves our chances for being successful with a petition or some local issue we are standing for.
Listening to others - Taking different points of view into account, knowing the arguments of the opponents and by that also reflecting the arguments by comparing theirs to ours.
Evaluating arguments – to learn self-criticism: an important skill for improvement of ourselves as speakers and social activists.
Being able to detect bias and unreliable sources of information - analyzing sources of information, being able to tell fact from opinion.
Innovative solutions: Deliberation involves unsolved problems in need of a resolution, which means we have to be creative in proposing resolutions; important skill for active citizenship.
Exchanging opinions: Deliberation is not a set of individual monologues, but a substantial consideration of ideas by multiple group members, who advance different perspectives, that enables young adults to understand that the public arena is a space of clashes of opinion and also brings a higher level of understanding the differences between people on several levels such as culture, family background or gender.
Arguing values: The clash of values is a defining marker of contemporary society. Deliberation can raise questions about the tensions between and within value systems that guide decision-making.
Arguing policies: The range of possibilities for action is almost limitless. Deliberation about policies encourages in-depth analysis of possibilities for change. These debates inevitably incorporate issues of facts and values, but policy deliberations center on legal or legislative changes which is directly connected to political participation and active citizenship.
Challenging definitions: Much conflict is ultimately definitional. Deliberation forces advocates to defend their definition against the scrutiny of others. For example, what constitutes "freedom" or what determines "life"?
Discussing interpretations: Competing interpretations of texts or data are prevalent in a complex society. Deliberation can compare interpretations for correspondence to truth, authorial intent, or social productivity; essentially, what someone or something "means" and why that is important.
Research: Studies, data, and articles offer many issues for deliberation. Deliberation can involve issues about methodology, findings, conclusions, or the implications of research. They say statistics do not lie; but the way one uses statistics in an argument or how the statistics were developed are clearly open for debate.

All of the things listed above are taught through debate and argumentation. All of those things are closely connected to active citizenship as a tool for young people to improve their intellectual skills and become an important and vital part of each democratic society.

Conclusion

It could be argued that social and political elites have an active interest in keeping citizens passive. We are told in the run-up to general elections that we have the power to make a difference, yet the difference is not happening. Passive citizens may well regard society and political process as external to them and feel that politics is something that is done to them. The current political climate, however, has forced the governments to invite citizens to participate in political affairs. It is increasingly recognized that social problems can be solved to some extent by involving citizens in the planning and implementation of policies, especially in the areas of community development and crime prevention. By empowering citizens, especially young ones, to participate in politics, it might even transform the current status quo and form a better relationship between political parties and voters.

The decline and crisis of democracy in Europe, questions of political legitimacy of the current European governments and elected members of the European parliament, structural and economical problems of the countries throughout Europe, are just some of the reasons, why citizens of Europe should get involved and demand a better living for themselves. So be a debater and learn how to improve our living by contributing to our society. Become an active citizen.

This was a lecture presented at Prague @better conference in March 2014

Bibliography

Johnatan Tisch: Active Citizenship: A new approach to Volunteering, Huffington Post, 2010.
On-line lectures on debate from Professor Alfred Snider from University of Vermont.
extra.shu.ac.uk/.../Active%20Citizenship%20Article%20
http://www.unv.org/
www.faceitproject.org/active_citizenship.htm
Video lecture „ Why is becoming a persuasive speaker important“ by Alfred Snider

SPECIAL ATTENTION

Here we would also like to draw the attention to the research and book Untangling Debate, Loosening the Tension Between Non-formal and Formal Education, which was developed and printed by Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga and partners – Croation Debate Society, Croatia, ARGO Romania and Youth Educational Forum, Macedonia in 2013 within the Council of Europe project entitled “Let's discuss debate “. Project was designed to come closer to the core of what extent and in which ways debate makes a contribution to the development of active citizenship skills and the values of global education and human rights. Through this project the partner organizations decided to involve young leaders in a critical evaluation of the activity that they support and cultivate. The book brings the analyses of the survey which was conducted in all 4 partner orgnisations and some interviews with debate coaches.