CSI and Social Justice advocacy:What are you afraid of?

Indicators of serious social investment

Presentation by Mark Heywood, Director, SECTION27Tshikululu, Serious Social Investing workshop, 14 March 2013

Overview

+ The state of the nation+ The constitutional imperative for advocacy and the NDP+ How serious is serious social investing?

+ CSI practice in 2012+ A case study of the outcomes of advocacy in education:

+ The Limpopo text books ‘saga’ and its aftermath+ Civil society, advocacy and social justice: what and who

are we talking about?+ Building social fabric and accountability

+ Achievements/impact of civil society+ What is serious social investing?

South Africa at 19

The Constitution

+ Preamble:+ Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on

democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;+ Founding Provisions:

+ Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.

+ Bill of Rights:+ Applies to all, including “juristic persons”+ Freedom of expression+ Assembly, demonstration and petition+ Freedom of association+ Political rights – Right to campaign for a political party or cause

The National Development Plan, 2012

+ Citizens active in their own development:+ “active citizenry and

social activism is necessary for democracy and development to flourish.”

NDP, Executive Summary p 27

How does social investment relate to the Constitutional vision?

+ According to the CSI handbook, 15th edition, 2012:

+ Total CSI in 2012 = R6.9 bn, 5.4% increase after inflation adjustment (broad definition; narrow definition limited to expenditure =5.1bn)

+ R2.9bn or 40% of the overall spend is on education; education is supported by 93% of companies

+ Health has dropped from 68% to 40% of companies

+ “the shift towards education comes largely at the expense of health expenditure, which at 12% of CSI expenditure in 2012 has shown a significant decline over the past three years (spending on health and HIV/Aids accounted for 19% of CSI expenditure in 2009).” (p 36)

Safe social investment?

+ Corporates contribute almost ¼ of NPO funding, while govt approx 20%

+ Trialogue’s CSI research in 2012 showed that whilst 9% of NPOs engage in advocacy, just over 40% of corporate will not fund it

+ Foreign donors contribute 1/5 of funding of NGOs surveyed (but 90% when it comes to advocacy)+ TAC+ SECTION27

EFFECTIVE SOCIAL INVESTMENT?

In 2012 R2.9bn was invested in education .. What were the results?

Progressive deterioration in numeracy

Grade % above 50 %

1 77%

2 68%

3 36%

4 26%

5 16%

6 11%

9 2%

Learners start off in the system fairly well. But as they progress in the education system their performance declines drastically.

Source: Equal Education

Grade 2012 2011

1 68 63

2 57 55

3 41 28

4 37 28

5 30 28

6 27 30

9 13 *

Source: ANA, 2012 report

Learner retention : Percentage of young people who enter the school system and leave it with an employable qualification

Source: Equal Education

Sensory deprivation: Learners shut out of the modern world

+Census @ Schools, 2009: + 69% of schools had a maths teacher+ Less than 25% had a library+ Only 53% had a computer+ 15% had access to email or the internet+ In the community: 35% had access to a

library, 31% access to a computer and 20% access to the internet

“Many school environments are not conducive to learning.” NDP

Photos: SECTION27

Effects of civil society advocacy

+ In 2012 SECTION27 invested:+ One attorney+ One research fellow+ One advocate+ A lot of energy and ingenuity+ Less than R2m

What were the results?

+ 1,2 million text books delivered to grades 1,2,3,10

+ Recommendations of a Presidential enquiry+ Books delivered largely on time in 2013

nationally+ Agreement with S27 on a furniture provision plan

and toilet and sanitation renovation plan+ National political focus on education & growing

social pressure

Yet declining investmentin NPO sector

Source: CSI Handbook, 2013

Who is civil society & what is its interest in social justice?

Opponents …. Friends …

“Counter-revolutionaries; neo-liberals; anti-majoritarians”

Impact: If it was not for activism...

+ Two million people would not be on ARVs

+ The Umtata medicines depot would have collapsed in 2012

+ 1,2 million text books would not have been delivered in 2013 in Limpopo

+ An R60m plan for school toilets would not be being implemented in Limpopo

+ Corruption Watch would not exist

What is serious social investing?

+ Investment in social goods and accountability

+Building social fabric not just providing social goods

+Bravery in investment decisions+ Innovation+Risk taking

THANK YOU

heywood@section27.org.za www.section27.org.zaTwitter #Section27NewsFacebook: SECTION27