The aim of this paper is to shed light on the role of communication of the Greek NGOs in a certain historical period, that is the 1980s – a decade, which is marked by the transformation of the Greek society, but also of the Greek economy and culture, following the changes in the political scenery of the country at the same time. The Greek NGOs study is a fairly new field. It has only been looked upon in the last twenty years or so. Research has been focusing primarily on the role of NGOs in the political and social contexts as well as on the relationships between the State and the Organizations' role, functions and operations. The historical perspective that looks at the development of NGOs and the role of communication has been largely ignored with the exception of the relationship between the media and the NGOs. It is the aim of this paper to look at the nexus between the Greek Civil Society and the role of communication not from the perspective of functionalism but rather through the lenses of social theory in the field of Public Relations. Under this goal the paper also focuses on social change through the role of communication by creating a new identity of Greek citizenship beyond the role of the state in defining the public agenda and introducing important issues in the public sphere thus contributing to the quality of democracy. In this context the paper will also look at key concepts like evolution and change and the “new discourse” created through the increasing associated importance, associated with the role of communication in the context of NGOs where change is associated to the establishment of new norms, a new culture and new social orders.
The methodology of this paper uses the archival research approach looking at documents relating to the campaigns conducted by the NGOs operating in Greece at the time, and also material from the archives of the Greek State TV (the only Television Station available in the 1980s), as well as any other news sources available (mostly printed media), or NGOs archives) so as to form an understanding of the historical evolution of communication in the field of Public Relations for the third sector in Greece. The main goal through this approach is to see the transformation of the civil society in Greece during the 1980s and the professionalization of organized civil society which is reflected in the practice of Public Relations during at the same time. Through the archival research we can comprehend the context (social, political, and economic) in which public relations facilitated the process of information diffusion about civil society in Greece, thus providing a deeper understanding of the nexus between communication and the third sector in the country. Understanding reality and acquiring knowledge will be the nexus between epistemological and ontological research in the effort to research and map out the landscape of communication in the civil society in Greece in the 1980s. In this context this research will try to theorize the role of public relations and its contribution in the representation of the NGOs' world in Greece as well as the new reality that was created by the professionalization (or at least the gradual one) of the NGOs in Greece in the 1980s.
The results suggest that in the specific historical period the role of communication was primarily a functional one with signs of dynamic contribution in the societal demands in the field of NGOs. On the other hand, and in the same decade, it is worth noting that we can start trace the increasing role and importance of communication in a more dynamic context while a new discourse in communication was created. Communication became integral along with the development of the civil society in Greece, as it contributed to the establishment, recognition, and importance of the third sector in the country. In fact, Public relations as a field became an important driving force for NGOs in Greece, contributing to their survival and to their growth despite the structural limitations and constraints posed in the field of communication, due to the state monopoly on television and radio and the fact that printed media and party-affiliated newspapers were dominant. Despite the fact that the new socialist government of PASOK allowed some democratization in the Greek society and so the third sector was able to organize its communication overcoming the previous limitations focusing on new audiences who were interested in specific societal and political issues, and utilizing all available tools to achieve the desired outcomes. Besides relying on traditional media (newspapers, radio, and TV), which facilitated the functional role of communication (announcements, press releases, etc.) this new discourse that emerged in the 1980s, was characterized by the framing of specific issues (such as the environment, animal protection, human rights, diseases like children's cancer etc.). In terms of communication means and information dissemination, we see new forms of public relations, emerging, such as university lectures, events (like conferences or even field trips), and the publication of small magazines, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, and posters which became essential to achieve the desired goal that is mobilizing publics, creating volunteer networks, using emotional appeals in order to achieving legitimacy and creating a “hub” for awareness and behavioral change when it comes to the Greek public life. Organized campaigns were also strategized and implemented along with the use of emotional appeals, or a shift in the target audience, indicating a more dynamic role of communication in the Greek public life. Communication as a result did not follow in its entirety the changes in the social and political context of Greece, but it seems that it contributed to the evolution of the Greek society, by sensitizing the Greek public on issues that were previously unattended by the Greek political and social system. And also by introducing into the public agenda of Greece items that were unknown or little attention was paid. This in turn, further enhanced the idea of citizenship and the quality of democracy as it contributed to the creation of informed citizens demanding action on issues that were considered important beyond the state's control of information. For the first time citizens took matters into their own hands, organizing associations or professional entities with clear goals, mission and vision, along with a new value system, that had an impact and penetrated the layers of the Greek society, thus contributing to its development and maturity escaping the challenges of the turbulent past of the country. Even though the Greek NGO sector lacked institutional maturity, and was also small in size it became evident that through communication NGOs gradually began to mobilize and contribute to the creation of grassroots movements so important for the evolution of the Greek society. In this context it is important to stress that the traditional “elites” that dominated the Greek society and the third sector through their “philanthropic work” for decades, gradually gave up their position to communities of “people” with specific demands on emerging issues (i.e. health, peace movements, the environment etc.) and who contributed to the well-being of society, of the environment and the development of the country. Despite the fact that the 1980s was primarily a transitional historical period when it comes to the third-sector, the way communication was practiced clearly paved the way for the rise of communication as a key instrument of information in the following decades and in the 21st century. Alongside with the International NGOs which in the post-World-War II period and up until the 1970s dominated the scene of the NGO world in Greece we can now see in the 1980s the emergence of Greek NGOs who also undertook the important role through communication to bring into the public sphere issues that needed attention. Sporadic efforts to form organized professional entities of civil society had started in the 1970s but the professionalization of civil society intensified in the 1980s. Consequently, communication emerged as a fundamental strategy of informing the public about the efforts of the civil society, its actions, strategies, and reasoning. It is also interesting that both international and national NGOs that started operating in Greece at the same time, brought about a new mindset regarding information diffusion of their actions. For the first time also discourse became important in the context of communication, through a new content, a new shared language and a new vocabulary of meanings which will be further developed in the following decade (the 1990s), and which is beyond the scope of analysis of this paper. This shared language and this new vocabulary of meanings through organized communication, also achieved the legitimization of these issues thus making them visible in the Greek society and a contributing factor in the transformation of the Greek society.
The study is an exploratory one in nature and focuses on the archival work available in Greece regarding the NGOs landscape at the time in the country. Considering that the first effort to document the existing NGOs in Greece started in 1998 it is clearly understood that prior to this day the documentation and the conceptualization of the Greek NGOs and consequently the role of communication remains an important challenge. It is worth noting that Greek NGOs do not keep detailed records of their communication, so it is hard to trace the developments in the field and also it is difficult to map out the role of communication in the third sector in an elaborate and detailed way. The scarcity of material and the lack of organized archival work and its fragmentary documentation, makes it difficult for the research to look at the organized practice of public relations in the early steps of civil society in Greece and its contribution to the transformation of the Greek society and the impact on the Greek public opinion. Further research is needed in the future especially in regards to the role of communication, its key attributes and characteristics especially in the 1990s which is another important decade that signifies the alliance of the Greek civil society with global NGOs and also with the directives of the EU.
This is a study with a value examining the historical approach as a methodological tool in public relations, along with the perspective of the researcher to theorize the rise and growth of communication as an important component alongside with the rise and growth of the civil society in Greece. Since little research has been done in regards to the role of communication in the NGOs image, identity and reputation in Greece, but also its status and position in the Greek reality in the last decades of the 20th century, this research offers a new insight on the main characteristics of communication and its relationship to the world of NGOs in Greece thus contributing to a field that is understudied and also ignored from its historical and social sciences perspectives. The results highlight the importance of the knowledge (even limited due to the scarcity of material) achieved through the research on the nexus between communication and civil society in Greece.
