If you’ve visited our website recently you may have noticed that we have started a conversation about the future – both the future of NCIA and how the campaign issues that we stand for can best be carried forward (http://archive.independentaction.net/future-of-ncia/) .
As part of this process we are holding a special ‘Assembly’ meeting in London on Friday April 17th 11am-4.30pm. This event will be an opportunity for NCIA supporters to celebrate what we have done, and, more importantly, do some hard work on what needs to come next:
- What still needs doing next?
- Who needs to do it?
- How it will be done?
- What you might be able to contribute?
This event is primarily aimed at our ‘close supporters’ – activists, researchers, volunteers and paid workers who share NCIA’s concerns about the erosion of the independence of the community and voluntary sector, the crackdown on dissent, about voluntary services involvement in privatisation and about the disastrous effects of cuts on poor people and communities.
But we will welcome involvement from others who share our anger about the state of the nation and voluntary sector roles in this. If you would like to come to this meeting please email Mike Aiken at mike@independentaction.net, giving your name and contact details.
The event is free and we can provide the tea and coffee but please bring your own lunch! We’ll be meeting in a venue 12 minutes walk south from Kings Cross Station – just down the Grays Inn Road. Once you’ve booked, full details will be sent to you.
The Daily News
…Compulsory voluntary work for the unemployed…large voluntary organisations become semi-privatised predators in a ‘welfare market’… people with disabilities thrown off benefits…enticements for charities to get into debt… breakup of the welfare state…charities used as a Trojan horse for NHS privatisation…trade union and TUPE rights for voluntary workers weakened… ‘Localism’ as a cover for taking away rather than giving new rights… BME groups and women’s organisations excluded by ‘procurement’ that doesn’t value their contribution……benefits claimants demonised….threats to senior figures in the sector who speak out…organisations that object told to watch their lip and their funding…immigrants and asylum seekers – no thanks not welcome here…corporations running the NHS…more austerity for the poor……while voluntary sector leaders ask government for more privatisation and at a quicker pace…
How much more before we say enough is enough?
About the NCIA Transition
NCIA is now in its 10th year. In that time the world has moved on – mostly, in our view, in the wrong direction. We have not changed our mind on the issues we stand for. The causes that are undermining an independent voice of advocacy and dissent in the struggle for social justice have become more invasive, more pressing and have begun to capture more widespread attention.
We need to look for new forms of resistance, new sources of solidarity and collective action. NCIA in its current form will not exist by September 2015. So, over the next three to four months we will be talking to people and groups we have been involved with in order to decide what happens next. If you’re unable to get to the Assembly meeting, we still want to know what you think about the future. Please add your comments at the foot of the Future of NCIA page of the website or email your thoughts to Mike@independentaction.net
Mike Aiken is co-ordinating the NCIA Transition work on behalf of NCIA.