What is Civic Engagement?
Civic engagement is an umbrella term for processes that involve people coming together to shape policies, their community’s direction of development, and its overall future. The American Psychological Association defines this term as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.”
In Qela, we strive to provide community leaders and grassroots movement managers with tools to introduce as many people as possible to civic engagement in their local communities. To ensure that your supporters are engaged and motivated to work for the betterment of their communities, it’s important to understand what civic engagement is, why it is important, and what types of it exist.
Why is Civic Engagement Important?
Civic engagement is one of the pillars of a democratic society. It is one of the most important ways citizens can utilize their democratic freedoms. By getting involved in civic participation, people cultivate a sense of responsibility towards their community. It also holds public servants and politicians accountable for their decisions.
Civic engagement provides a platform for underrepresented groups to raise their voices, which often leads to more inclusive decision—making and policy-making. It is one of the most effective ways of addressing issues directly from within communities with little to no involvement from governmental or other executive bodies.
Civic engagement is also essential because it encourages individuals to become informed about social, political, and environmental issues, contributing to a more knowledgeable society.
More than anything, civic engagement builds sustainable, solid communities by bringing like-minded individuals together.
Forms of Civic Engagement & How to Utilize Them
Activism & Advocacy:
Grassroots advocacy and activism organize people on the local level to come together for a specific cause, change the status quo, and influence public opinion and decision-makers.
We have already discussed grassroots advocacy and its importance in one of our previous blog posts: What is Grassroots Advocacy and Why is it Important?
Civic Learning
According to Educating 4 Democracy, civic learning is “a process through which people develop the knowledge, skills, and commitments to interact effectively with others, improve their communities and the broader society, and participate in democracy”
A democratic society is built on people who make deliberate and educated choices. To achieve this, you need to invest in civic learning.
In Qela, we offer our clients gamified digital education tools. You can ask your community members to watch a lecture on the topic of your choosing and check their understanding of the matter with an interactive quiz. Using these methods ensures that your supporters are informed about the important matters your movement works with. Check out our solutions here: https://www.qela.app/
Political Engagement
One of the most widespread ways of civic engagement is voting. Participating in elections or volunteering at poll stations, publicly endorsing a political candidate, or protesting executive decisions are all ways in which people can stay politically engaged in their communities. Participation in this type of civic engagement is the basis of a democratic society.
Fundraising
Donating money or organizing fundraisers for causes important to the community—from renovating a school to helping a community member in need—are important ways of civic engagement.
Donations are one of the most essential sources of revenue for grassroots movements. They can be raised for special occasions through fundraisers or collected regularly from community members and outside donors.
In our experience, targeted fundraisings for specific causes are usually more successful. Therefore, we offer our clients easy-to-use solutions for collecting donations using our volunteer management tool. Sign up for a 30-day free trial here: www.qela.app
Community Engaged Research
Community engaged research incorporates input from people who the research outcomes will impact. It is a very important type of civic engagement because it ensures one of the main principles of intersectional activism — nothing about us without us. First coined by the Disabled People Organizations to make sure no executive decisions about disabled people were made without their participation, now it is used to make sure no underrepresented communities are being “helped” without the proper involvement of their members.
Conclusion
Civic engagement, in its many forms — from voting and volunteering to fundraising and advocacy — empowers individuals to contribute to the societal change they wish to see. In Qela, we make it our mission to equip the people who want to change the world for the better with the digital tools they need. Check out our volunteer management software here: https://www.qela.app/
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