Here is where people give us their views about independent action, how it figures in their world and how they see it. NCIA wants to provide a place where people are able to express their point of view. In particular, to challenge one-size-fits-all thinking. The viewpoints are not necessarily shared by all those involved in NCIA. Whether their situation is different or similar to our own, whether we agree or disagree, we hope that these opinions give us all food for thought, ideas we might take into our own situation and a fresh perspective.
Please feel free to submit your comments on the relevant post.
If you have a viewpoint that would be good to share, contact us.
It’s the place, stupid…..Adrian Barritt makes the case for the Right to Belong and the irreplaceable role of local action by local people in Adur – the sandwich between Brighton and Worthing with a filling which makes it a great place on the W.Sussex coast. Adrian exposes the platitudes about “civil society” and “local engagement” … Continue reading
A personal view from Peter Bird, Coordinator of Fulham Good Neighbour Service
The Council’s Proposals
Hammersmith & Fulham Council have recently published a consultation document on their strategy for the third sector. Their definition of the third sector being all organisations that define themselves as voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, and mutuals or … Continue reading
The ‘Duty to Involve’ or the ‘Duty to be Involved’: who is involving who and why would you care?
The Duty to Involve is now with us – how does it feel to be ‘involved’? Have citizens up and down the country been writing to their local press in an upsurge of local debate and … Continue reading
Previous articles in Green Socialist have pointed out that privatisation does not just affect services formerly run by the statutory sector, and also (ironically) that privatisation can sometimes go hand-in-hand with increased state control. Voluntary organisations providing public services are being compelled to adopt the methods and priorities of private businesses through tendering and commissioning … Continue reading
As a “lefty American” traversing the ground of the voluntary sector in the UK, I have often had a strange mixture of feelings:
Professionals of my vintage – my career started in the Beatles’ era – have lived and worked through some revolutionary changes in the lives of people with learning disabilities. We have gone a long way towards the abolition of isolated and isolating ‘institutional’ provision. We are all person centred. We protect peoples’ rights and safeguard … Continue reading
Surely I cannot be the only community activist to see what’s happening? In fact I know I’m not. So why, oh why, is there so little fuss about it?
Today, I logged on, and there it was as usual. Invitations to participate in this and that forum pedantically plodding their way through the verbiage of … Continue reading
An Unservile Society – It’s time for the voluntary sector to get political