SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS

A social organization is the association of individuals or citizens with a common non-lucrative objective and characteristics, and that in most cases are related with political changes.

TYPES

The Social Organizations can be classified in two great groups:

1.- Political Incidence.- This group of social organizations are those which are fighting for achieving political, social or economical changes with the objective of improving the living conditions of human beings, justice and social equality. These groups can be subdivided in a great variety of organizations with a specific characteristic and objective. Their work can be based on items like the following:
- Discussion
- Anti-racial
- Ecologists
- Feminists
- Human Rights
- Indigenous People
- Professionals

2.- Get together and Express.- The second group of social organizations is not looking for political incidence or specific social changes. These are associations of people which share the same interests and want to be together just to express and share their ideas. This type of movements is in most cases related to art or culture. They don´t have another objective, but they stay together or manifest their point of view on society. Their relations can be based on the following interests:
- Literature
- Religious
- Music
- Plastic Art
- Cultural Movements

STRUCTURE

The structure of the Social Organizations is heterogeneous because it depends on the type of association and the objectives they have. What is important to mention is that social organizations cannot be part of or related with the State, many social organizations bring opposition to the system and the Estate. The Social Organization cannot have a lucrative end from their work because they specific role is to fight for a social change or express their ideas to the society; but sometimes they need money to finance their own activities and projects.

In most cases the Social Organizations born in a determined moment in which the unity of a specific sector of society is needed to do something. The administration of the social organization is led by their leader in the way the whole group establishes.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS IN ECUADOR

When we talk about social organizations in Ecuador the first idea that came to our mind is the history of the Indigenous Movement that has been fighting for their rights during a long period of time in Latin America. They are people which are part of the same culture and during centuries were under the domination and abuse of the mestizos. Their objective was to be included in the society in order to make their human rights to be respected and to end the discrimination against them. During the 20th Century they played an important role in wining more freedom for their people, Monseñor Leonidas Proaño, the father of the poor as they called him, helped the indigenous organization to achieve more justice and social equality in the society. We can mention many Indigenous Raisings and the most powerful in the year 2000 which overthrew President Jamil Mahuad.

The indigenous movement, the Union of Workers, RED FEMINISTA, young people and those who were influenced by the theology of the liberation had a very important participation in the nation during the 20th Century. The best moment came in the year 1998 when the Constitutional Convention met, because all the social organizations that were working in the country pushed for the progressivity of their rights in the constitution and for the reorganization of their fights.

Ten years later the social movements found again the opportunity to discuss and transform the legal system and the social prejudices in the Constitutional Assembly of Montecristi which made a constitution that recognizes and guarantees all the rights related to human a life or dignity. This Assembly established the principle of “Buen Vivir” or “Sumak Kausay”, and many more, to make sure the rights of the people are going to be respected. The adolescents achieved during that social process the Facultative Vote for the people who are 16 and 17 years old, and in general in the reorganization of their capacities and potentialities to have an active participation of nation’s daily life.

There is a governmental institution that is in charge of helping and promoting social organizations and movements all around the country and that is the Secretaria de Pueblos y Movimientos Sociales. At this moment many social organizations of both types are working in Ecuador with different objectives and expressions: CONAI, RED FEMINISTA, PRO VIDA, DIABLO UMA, TRANVIA CERO, RUPTURA 25, FORO DE LA NIEÑEZ Y ADOLESCENCIA.. etc.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS IN POLITICS

Every human expression is related to politics, even if we don´t want it. The philosopher Aristotle said a human being is a “political animal” and some author thought that while more politic fewer animals. The first role of social organizations is to have political incidence in establishing better quality of life for the people and that means that their want to be part of the nation’s decisions throw their political participation and expression. Even if the social organization is not based on political incidence they perform changes as part of society expressing their ideas and sharing their similarities and differences.