The symbol is modelled on an emblem from a 17th century book
The symbol is modelled on an emblem from a 17th century book
"There is perhaps no more vital task today than rebuilding the civil order in those societies where the omnipotent state has left that order in ruins. It would be an error to suppose that government can achieve that task. Civil society is the result of the spontaneous human actions of a free people… It is easier for the moral fabric of society to be destroyed than it is for it to be carefully built up and passed down through the generations. There can be no doubt that freedom will not last long unless that task is begun."
Nigel Ashford, Principles for a Free Society
A crane holding a stone in the classical tradition of political culture which stretches from Antiquity to the Enlightenment is a symbol of civic vigilance and civic responsibility. According to an ancient legend, a flock of cranes would choose one of their number to watch over the rest lest anyone attack them under the cover of the night. The crane thus designated would take a stone in its claw - if the crane were to fall asleep, the falling stone would immediately wake it up again.
Civitas is a Latin word that can designate both the civic community and the state.
Civitas is the state conceived as the community of citizens.
The Civil Society Institute is a centre for the analysis of public policy, for the dissemination of information relevant to public policy issues, and for the implementation of educational projects. The Civil Society Institute was founded by the Open Society Fund-Lithuania and Valdas Adamkus Foundation in July 2004.