A new report commissioned by Pro Bono Australia in partnership with the Human Rights Law Centre, has found that not for profits are on a path of quiet advocacy.

The Civil Voices research showed that to a greater or lesser degree civil society organisations are engaging in various forms of “self silencing” – treading very carefully in their advocacy work, less they risk financial security and political retribution.

In this episode of Not for Podcast: Where Not for Profits Fear to Tread, we unpack the report and look at the current state of not-for-profit advocacy in Australia, and how it compares to a decade ago.

The latest research is framed against Australia Institute’s 2004 report, Silencing Dissent: Non-government organisations, which detailed the growing fears across the NGO sector concerning their right to advocate in the public policy domains, and more broadly about their changing role in the democratic process.

A lot has happened in the 13 years since that report was published including changes to the political and regulatory landscape, the formation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, the passing of the Charities Act and advances in the digital landscape.

But Civil Voices shows us that Australian civil society still needs to be supported and encouraged to engage in frank and fearless advocacy.

Pro Bono Australia is proud to have spearheaded the research and believes it sits firmly within the remit of our social impact mission to give a voice to civil society organisations.

We know from a previous sector-wide survey conducted by Pro Bono Australia in 2015 that nine out of 10 not-for-profit respondents considered recognition of their advocacy role as the most important factor in developing the social sector.

From our unique position as an umbrella to the sector we were able to take the temperature of civil society organisations on this important matter.

In this podcast we speak to report author Sarah Maddison about what the report tells us about how charities are feeling at the moment; we talk to Community Council of Australia CEO David Crosbie about whether some of the sector’s fears are being realised; and we talk to the former president of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs about the dangers of silencing the charity sector and what we can do to make sure organisations are not silenced.

Download the transcript here.

Featured in this episode:

University of Melbourne Associate Professor Sarah Maddison

Community Council of Australia CEO David Crosbie

Former president of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs

Produced by Wendy Williams and Luke Michael.

Recorded in November 2017.

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