Carrying on the conversation

When I’ve just finally put an issue of Alliance to bed, I inevitably start to think of all the things we should have included but didn’t. Why didn’t I get a piece on the Credibility Alliance in India, I’ve been asking myself. When I’m starting to put together the next issue, I’m similarly struck by the impossibility of covering huge subjects like civil society infrastructure across the world in a mere 20 or so pages.

The opportunity to continue the discussion on civil society governance and accountability that is started in this issue of Alliance in the Social Edge online event in January is therefore very welcome. The Social Edge event will focus on three questions that have emerged from the Alliance feature:

• Is the link between performance, resourcing and accountability adequate, and how should it be constructed within the social sector?
• Are we in a new era of scrutiny of the social sector and, if so, what's driving it and what are the implications for us? 
• What can civil society organizations and companies learn from each other about new models of governance and accountability?

So please check in at www.socialedge.org in January and carry on the discussion. Social Edge already has almost 2,000 members, and I hope some Alliance readers who haven’t yet signed up will add to that number. More details in the January Alliance Bulletin.

Finally, you’ll notice that there’s no Conference Calendar in this issue of Alliance. From now on international and regional conferences will be on our website, and the calendar will be updated monthly – for paid-up subscribers only, I’m afraid!