Spain: third sector multiple interpretations

Canal Solidario ? 11 December 2006 With a view to reflecting about the third sector, the Observatory on the Third Sector in Catalonia launched a number of debates one year and a half ago. In 2005 12 individuals from within the third sector talked about the key topics it will have to face in the coming three years, while in 2006 ten individuals from outside the third sector but keeping a certain relationship with it were invited to expose its strong and weak points. There is a certain agreement that despite its many problems the third sector has enormous potentialities. Dolors Camats, parliamentary by Iniciativa Catalunya-Verds (a left and green political party), considers that the third sector is a very good example and a reference point for enterprises and Administrations because it takes into account a number of social values in its daily activities. But it is too dependant on public funding and has to improve the relationship between volunteers and salaried workers. Carles Grau, Director of Microsoft in Catalonia, which in recent months has co-operated with the ?Fundació Catalana de l?Esplai? (a recreational and educational NGO) to train around 180,000 inhabitants of Barcelona in new technologies, thinks that the main weakness of the third sector is the difficulty to measure the impact of the organisations that belong to it. Consol Prados, parliamentary by the Catalan Socialist Party, is of the opinion that commitment, involvement, civic participation and plurality are the strongest points of the third sector. She esteems that it is a very important instrument for citizens to influence on the decision-making process and to arrive where the State does not get to. But nevertheless the third sector must not replace the State and its responsibility and agree on joint measures with Public Administrations. Carina Soler, Director of Morgan Stanley in Catalonia, which has co-operated with Intermón-Oxfam in the creation of an ethic fund, considers that enterprises should be more present in the boards of management of the third sector organisations in order to exchange points of view. Marcos González, journalist and editor of Media Responsable, argues that one of the key items for the third sector to approach is to improve the relationship with enterprises. Social organisations must become more professionalised and thus learn from enterprises but without losing track of their mission. He also considers that NGOs should also apply corporate responsibility in their projects as many times they defend values they do not internally practise. Anna Simó, parliamentary by Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (a left-wing political party) values the work done so far by the third sector as very positive, although she thinks its structures must become more professional and the creation of networks must be promoted. According to her, its main challenges are to become autonomous from public resources, to improve internal evaluation and to promote second-level organisations for a more effective interplay with Administrations and with a view to offering services to the smallest organisations. Luis de Sebastián, university professor, wonders whether the third sector must assume social needs that the State should attend to and whether social organisations must participate in the present market model or create an alternative one. In his opinion, NGOs should not compensate for non-action by Public Administrations and must be able to clarify what their place should be in border areas between them, the State and the business sector. Victòria Civit, technical manager of Torre Jussana, a service dependant on the Barcelona town council, stresses that the values of the third sector are democracy, transparency, co-operation and shared responsibility, while its main challenges are to increase its interplay with local Administrations with a view to promoting civic participation. Mercè Conesa, journalist, considers that one of the major challenges social organisations are faced with is looking for ethical leaders who communicate with the mass media for the public opinion to have a clearer view of the great efforts the third sector makes. She is of the opinion that the third sector is full of leaders but that not all of them have enough charisma. Carles Campuzano, parliamentary by Convergència i Unió (a nationalist right-centre political party), esteems that the third sector is globally weak but that is living an important moment. It must solve questions such as economic dependence, internal labour precariousness, its relationship with the business sector and its influence on governmental social policies. He also considers that second-level organisations should consolidate to have greater political capacities and deplores to have only a few strong organisations that are criticised by the others. More information on: http://www.tercer-sector.org/php/index.php