This was the first Civil Society Study Group Meeting after the annual conference 2015, and accordingly the study group planned to use the lively debate at the end of the civil society workshop there to discuss the meaning of civil society in an Irish context. The meeting particularly focused on the question if Irish history has affected the way civil society is conceptualized in Irish development cooperation. Out of that discussion the study group hoped to identify an overarching theme which will guide the civil society stream at the 2016 annual conference.
The title of the 2016 DSA Ireland conference will be: "BEYOND AID: INNOVATIVE MODELS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE". This will give plenty of scope for innovative approaches on/from civil society.