Our Vision for Galway City
‘A creative and inclusive city that respects and values its people and communities, their wellbeing and quality of life. A universally accessible city with a vibrant, sustainable, economy and environment where the voices of all residents, in particular those experiencing the highest levels of poverty, marginalisation and inequality are heard in the decision-making bodies and processes that affect their lives.’
Our Values
The work of GCCN is guided by the following 10 values:
Anti Racism
GCCN is committed to anti-racism and to anti-racist practices and policies. We are committed to combatting and challenging racism in all its forms while supporting initiatives that promote anti racism, interculturalism and respect for diversity.
Equality, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination
Including working in a nondiscriminatory way, valuing and respecting diversity, empowering people, and securing people’s access to social and economic resources. GCCN believes that all human beings have equal worth and importance and therefore are equally worthy of dignity, respect, and human rights. GCCN is committed to challenging oppression, stereotyping and prejudice in all its forms.
Social Justice, Social Inclusion and Economic Equality
GCCN believes in the right of all people, to be included and to fully participate in social, economic, political, and cultural life free from poverty and exploitation. Inclusion involving fostering and ensuring a sense of belonging to and opportunities to engage with one’s community and the city.
Sustainability
GCCN is committed to working towards a sustainable environment and a society where consumption and production patterns and use of all natural resources are sustainable. Sustainability includes valuing, preserving and protecting the natural environment. GCCN is committed to environmental justice.
Human Rights
GCCN supports rights-based approaches to planning and decision making and is working towards a society where human rights and equality are recognised and realised and discrimination and oppression are rejected.
Culture
GCCN believes in valuing, empowering and fostering the diversity of cultures in the city and enabling all people to express their creativity.
Community Empowerment
GCCN calls for approaches to planning and decision making that lead people and communities to be resilient, organised, included and influential.
Collectivity
GCCN adopts and supports approaches to planning and decision making which focus on the benefits for communities from actions and policies as opposed to focusing on individual benefits only.
Autonomy
Including the belief that civil society has the right to organise autonomously and to determine their own goals and actions while maintaining the highest level of accountability and transparency.
Solidarity
Involving building the relationships with, and supporting the work of the environmental, social inclusion and voluntary sectors.
Our Role
The role of GCCN is to
- Act as a platform for the groups/organisations engaged in the community, voluntary and environmental sectors in Galway City;
- Develop policy and positions on issues of common concern to the sectors and to communities and to advocate for these policies and positions to be implemented.
- Facilitate the representation of the community, voluntary and environmental sectors on the Local Community Development Committee, the Strategic Policy Committees, the Joint Policing Committee, other local government and local development bodies and any local, regional, national or international body deemed appropriate by GCCN.
- Contribute to the development and achievement of a vision for the well-being of this and future generations.
Where did GCCN come from?
As part of the Reform of Local Government Act 2014, local authorities were required to establish Public Participation Networks in each local authority area. Galway City Council designated Galway City Community Network (GCCN) as the Public Participation Network (PPN) for Galway City.
Following a series of public meetings and an information campaign, which included advertisements in the local papers and extensive coverage on local radio, a new registration process was initiated and groups/organisations wishing to become members of the PPN were required to register using this process.
The Public Participation Network for Galway City was established in September 2014, hereafter to be known as the Galway City Community Network. Since then, GCCN acts as the representative, collective voice of community/voluntary, social inclusion and environmental organisations in Galway City.
GCCN engages as an equal and independent partner and asserts the rights of the sector to organise and structure its own participation in arenas of social partnership.
