ABSTRACT This paper analyses what has arguably become a salient feature of a ‘just city’ and social development on an international level, namely social justice. Specifically, it focuses on the role of the Johannesburg’s civil society organisations in promoting greater social justice for forced migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) living in the downtown Johannesburg. For this purpose, a case study was carried out, particularly with Africa’s forced migrants living in the inner city of Johannesburg (in Hillbrow and Yeoville). The research makes use of in-depth interview and participant observation methods to uncover the perspectives of a group of refugees and asylum seekers and members of seven civil society organisations, working with forced migrants in Johannesburg. The main research question that the study addresses is: What role can civil society organisations play in facilitating greater social justice for Africa’s asylum seekers and refugees living in the inner city of Johannesburg? I have concluded that Johannesburg’s civil society organisations have the potential, which may allow them to bring social transformation and create a just city by promoting a greater social justice for forced migrants living in the inner city. To achieve this goal, they should play a reformative and transformative role in the inner city, by challenging government exclusionary policies and decisions relating to the forced migrants; and, at the same time, they should mediate between the government and forced migrants at the local and national levels. To conclude this report, I recommended civil society organisations to develop strong collaboration with the city’s planners for a better improvement of the quality of life of forced migrants in the inner city. I also recommend the national government to decentralise its decision-making power on international migration issues by conferring to the provinces and local governments certain power which can allow them to develop internal structures (taking into account the context of each province), which can allow them to protect the basic rights of refugees and asylum seekers, such as the rights to work, to study, and to access free health care.

Magistro darbe nagrinėjama nevyriausybinių organizacijų įtaka demokratijai remiantis pilietinės visuomenės, mažumų ir Lietuvos žydų bendruomenės analize. Atliktas nestruktūrizuotas ir pusiau standartizuotas interviu. Kokybinio tyrimo duomenys apdorojami ir suskirstomi į 4 interpretuotinas kategorijas bei į 17 interpretuotinų subkategorijų pagal interviu metu užduotus klausimus. Atlikta Lietuvos žydų bendruomenės veiklos ir tikslų analizė nagrinėjant demokratijos, pilietinės visuomenės, nevyriausybinių organizacijų ir mažumų koncepcijas. Iškeltos tyrimo hipotezės visiškai pasitvirtino. Nevyriausybinių organizacijų teigiama įtaka demokratijai suprantama, aktualizuojama tik pačių nevyriausybinių organizacijų ir jų narių. Nevyriausybinėms organizacijoms ypač aktualus valstybės, valstybės atstovų palaikymas, pagarba, tačiau iš valstybės pusės tai vyksta tik parodomuoju būdu, tik paviršutiniškai. Nevyriausybinės organizacijos sąlygoja pilietinės visuomenės galią, tuo atveju pastaroji stiprina mažumų lygiateisiškumą bei visuotinę toleranciją. / Influence of non-governmental organizations’ to democracy with reference to social society, minorities and The Jewish Community of Lithuania are analyzed in this Master’s work. Non-structural and half-standardized interviews were done. For the processing of qualitative data were using 4 interpretative categories and 17 interpretative sub-categories, grouped by questions of interview questionnaire. Also analysis of The Jewish Community’s of Lithuania work and purposes was done researching concepts of democracy, social society, non-governmental organizations and minorities. Held hypotheses proved out absolutely. Positive influence of non-governmental organizations to democracy is understood and important only for non-governmental organizations and their members. Support, respect, regard of state and its representatives is especially relevant to non-governmental organizations, but it comes from the polity only passingly. Non-governmental organizations determines power of social society, in that case the latter strengthens equality of minorities and general tolerance.