If civil society is being encouraged to more fully embrace inclusiveness and respect for diversity, then so must the multiplicity of service support organizations with which it interacts. This is the key proposition behind this seminal contribution to public policy. While legislation can ensure minimum standards of behaviour and outcomes, meaningful organizational progression beyond legal imperatives requires authentic dialogue, based on principles of equity, diversity and interdependence. These are essential components for deeper societal transformation. Using the divided society of Northern Ireland as a case study, and its rural governance arena in particular, this book provides an authoritative empirical analysis of, and prescriptive agenda for, collaborative conversations. The insights provided by this book go far beyond this region and have a profound relevance for other societies struggling to emerge from conflict, racism and social separation.
