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| The political crisis in Northern Ireland is bad for charities. Why don't we protest? | The political crisis in Northern Ireland is bad for charities. Why don't we protest? |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| There’s been no devolved government in Northern Ireland since January 2017, paralysing the voluntary organisations that should be championing change | |
| Nigel McKinney is director of operations at Building Change Trust | |
| Nigel McKinney | |
| Tue 21 Nov 2017 14.47 GMT | |
| Last modified on Wed 22 Nov 2017 12.01 GMT | |
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| In mid-October, at the AGM of CO3, the Northern Ireland third sector leaders’ organisation, where leaders had gathered to discuss the future of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector here, one of the speakers asked why we weren’t all out on the streets, protesting. | In mid-October, at the AGM of CO3, the Northern Ireland third sector leaders’ organisation, where leaders had gathered to discuss the future of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector here, one of the speakers asked why we weren’t all out on the streets, protesting. |
| It was a rhetorical but pertinent question, given that has been no devolved government in Northern Ireland since January 2017 because the DUP and Sinn Féin cannot come to a power-sharing agreement. Later, another member asked how many of us believes the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland is well positioned to achieve change. Out of an audience of around 100 people, five cautiously put up their hands. | It was a rhetorical but pertinent question, given that has been no devolved government in Northern Ireland since January 2017 because the DUP and Sinn Féin cannot come to a power-sharing agreement. Later, another member asked how many of us believes the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland is well positioned to achieve change. Out of an audience of around 100 people, five cautiously put up their hands. |
| The voluntary sector here is distinctive from its counterparts elsewhere in the UK. The fact is, we’re a materially-disadvantaged, divided, post-conflict society; nowhere else in the UK would the term “community worker” be synonymous for many with the term paramilitary. And we’re a society that continues to grapple with putting a stable and effective government in place, even almost 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement. | The voluntary sector here is distinctive from its counterparts elsewhere in the UK. The fact is, we’re a materially-disadvantaged, divided, post-conflict society; nowhere else in the UK would the term “community worker” be synonymous for many with the term paramilitary. And we’re a society that continues to grapple with putting a stable and effective government in place, even almost 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement. |
| The lack of government and, subsequently, a budget is proving a challenge to individual organisations, especially when it comes to short-term grant and contracting arrangements. It has led to retrenchment and short termism, frustration and despondency. Changes that would help support the sector, including a 10-year programme announced in October 2016 to reform health and social care and plans to use dormant accounts to release funding, are all on hold and likely to remain so in the absence of a devolved government. At least a budget may be forthcoming – Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire has drawn up a regional budget, imposed by Whitehall, to keep devolved ministries financially solvent. | The lack of government and, subsequently, a budget is proving a challenge to individual organisations, especially when it comes to short-term grant and contracting arrangements. It has led to retrenchment and short termism, frustration and despondency. Changes that would help support the sector, including a 10-year programme announced in October 2016 to reform health and social care and plans to use dormant accounts to release funding, are all on hold and likely to remain so in the absence of a devolved government. At least a budget may be forthcoming – Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire has drawn up a regional budget, imposed by Whitehall, to keep devolved ministries financially solvent. |
| The last quarterly survey carried out by CO3 indicated 88% of respondents believed the lack of a devolved government had a negative impact on them, with most organisations experiencing a decrease in government funding over the past two quarters. Almost all – 91% – have no confidence in devolution being restored and two thirds believe political instability and the economy in Northern Ireland will worsen in the period ahead. | The last quarterly survey carried out by CO3 indicated 88% of respondents believed the lack of a devolved government had a negative impact on them, with most organisations experiencing a decrease in government funding over the past two quarters. Almost all – 91% – have no confidence in devolution being restored and two thirds believe political instability and the economy in Northern Ireland will worsen in the period ahead. |
| So why is a voluntary sector-led movement not in full swing, to demand a devolved government and then a new relationship with that government to move the relationship beyond simply delivering public services? | So why is a voluntary sector-led movement not in full swing, to demand a devolved government and then a new relationship with that government to move the relationship beyond simply delivering public services? |
| It could be due to the increasing polarisation of the voting Northern Irish public, the divisions in the sector itself, or because, before the devolved government’s demise in early 2017, political institutions here, and the politicians operating them, were beginning to be held in deep contempt. | It could be due to the increasing polarisation of the voting Northern Irish public, the divisions in the sector itself, or because, before the devolved government’s demise in early 2017, political institutions here, and the politicians operating them, were beginning to be held in deep contempt. |
| There is little enthusiasm for the return of what many fear will be an unstable arrangement that only succeeds in saving face and that will eventually collapse, given the looming challenges of issues such as Brexit, on which Sinn Féin and the DUP are diametrically opposed. | There is little enthusiasm for the return of what many fear will be an unstable arrangement that only succeeds in saving face and that will eventually collapse, given the looming challenges of issues such as Brexit, on which Sinn Féin and the DUP are diametrically opposed. |
| We cannot assume that we will see the return of a devolved government to Northern Ireland in the short term. Replacing Gerry Adams as head of Sinn Féin with a new leader based in Dublin would confirm for many that the return of devolved government in Northern Ireland would only be on the basis that it either enhances or at least does not damage the party’s prospects for power in the south; while the inquiry into the controversial renewable heat programme has the potential to damage the DUP. | We cannot assume that we will see the return of a devolved government to Northern Ireland in the short term. Replacing Gerry Adams as head of Sinn Féin with a new leader based in Dublin would confirm for many that the return of devolved government in Northern Ireland would only be on the basis that it either enhances or at least does not damage the party’s prospects for power in the south; while the inquiry into the controversial renewable heat programme has the potential to damage the DUP. |
| The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector is also reluctant to put pressure on a body on which it has grown reliant. As in Great Britain, the relationship between government and the sector has changed in recent years; grants are no longer given for agreed activities, but contracts are won for services. In many ways, that’s reduced the independence and power of the sector. Such marketisation has made organisation vulnerable in the context of budget cuts, Brexit, competition with the private sector and – of course – our current governance crisis. | The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector is also reluctant to put pressure on a body on which it has grown reliant. As in Great Britain, the relationship between government and the sector has changed in recent years; grants are no longer given for agreed activities, but contracts are won for services. In many ways, that’s reduced the independence and power of the sector. Such marketisation has made organisation vulnerable in the context of budget cuts, Brexit, competition with the private sector and – of course – our current governance crisis. |
| What’s to be done? Whether or not we see the return of devolved government to Northern Ireland, there is both a need and opportunity for the sector to take on a more campaigning/advocacy role, rediscover its passion and enthusiasm for social change, and use that both to inspire the public and our politicians about what might be possible in the future. | What’s to be done? Whether or not we see the return of devolved government to Northern Ireland, there is both a need and opportunity for the sector to take on a more campaigning/advocacy role, rediscover its passion and enthusiasm for social change, and use that both to inspire the public and our politicians about what might be possible in the future. |
| Recent campaigns led by people and organisations in the sector and in civil society around abortion law reform, equal marriage, environmental issues such as fracking and illegal dumping, and the Irish language demonstrate how we can make a difference and the public can be mobilised. We now need a groundswell of new experiments, initiatives and actions to take inspiration from and connect with the best social change movements the world has to offer. | Recent campaigns led by people and organisations in the sector and in civil society around abortion law reform, equal marriage, environmental issues such as fracking and illegal dumping, and the Irish language demonstrate how we can make a difference and the public can be mobilised. We now need a groundswell of new experiments, initiatives and actions to take inspiration from and connect with the best social change movements the world has to offer. |
| To do that, we need brave leadership at all levels and support and encouragement from our funders and the public. We need them not as an immediate solution to the current governance crisis, but to help us build a resilient, provocative sector here that can help drive positive change for many years to come. | To do that, we need brave leadership at all levels and support and encouragement from our funders and the public. We need them not as an immediate solution to the current governance crisis, but to help us build a resilient, provocative sector here that can help drive positive change for many years to come. |
| Nigel McKinney is the director of operations at Building Change Trust. | Nigel McKinney is the director of operations at Building Change Trust. |
| Talk to us on Twitter via @Gdnvoluntary and join our community for your free monthly Guardian Voluntary Sector newsletter, with analysis and opinion sent direct to you on the first Thursday of the month. | Talk to us on Twitter via @Gdnvoluntary and join our community for your free monthly Guardian Voluntary Sector newsletter, with analysis and opinion sent direct to you on the first Thursday of the month. |
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