2010 sees more volunteers and fewer politicians!
JCI Ireland survey shows that Irish people believe active citizenship starts with volunteering
A survey conducted by JCI Ireland shows that 16% of Irish people believe that volunteering is a more representative act of active citizenship as opposed to joining a political party, where 0% voted in favour. The survey was conducted to mark the announcement of JCI Ireland’s Active Citizenship Week on October 3-8th 2010.
The JCI survey revealed the surprising fact that politics is not considered part of community involvement, with the majority of people (19%) believing planting flowers in a public area as a major act of citizenship. However, 3% would see writing a letter to a local politician as being proactive in their community. JCI Ireland encourages as many people as possible to do something to activate their citizenship during the week of October 3rd to 8th every year. The website www.fityways.com has a list of ways to pledge to be an active citizen.
Mark Kelly, JCI Ireland President, feels this survey is a reflection of the mind set of the nation. "I was surprised to see that not one person would consider joining a political party. I feel that Irish people feel let down by our political system though it is important to note that as Irish Active Citizens we can not expect government to do everything for us. Our active citizenship week will encourage more people to become more involved in their local communities, make a difference and they will grow as citizens in the process"
10% of those surveyed considered joining a local JCI branch to be active citizenship. JCI’s 50 ways to Active Citizenship is a great way to start being a more active citizen today. The purpose of the 50 Ways to Active Citizenship is to give the members of the Irish community fifty easy ways in which they can become more active citizens and put the magic back into our communities.