Speak up or shut up? December newsletter tells all
Read the December 2010 newsletter for some hilarious tales of how our ‘spokespeople’ tend to shut up when it comes to questioning the Big Society Show and the dismantling of the welfare state. Plus loads of stories, links and analysis from the world of collective voluntary action to show how to speak up when a state says it wants to empower us whilst stealing our liberty, money and common wealth…
Season’s greetings
Cats among pigeons at CSC
A few hackles seem to have been raised following an open meeting on 7 December 2010 to discuss the Big Society Show, convened by the Community Sector Coalition (CSC).
People at the meeting had the temerity to be openly critical of the government’s motives and intentions, and even discussed the need to resist them! About 30 groups were there, including some members of CSC (including us).
NCIA assembly: Putting the politics back into voluntary action
Thursday 27 January 2011, 1.30pm to 5pm
Quaker Meeting House, 10 St James Street, Sheffield S1 2EW
Cuts, privatising public services, commissioning replacing grants, voluntary agencies being run like businesses, managers who don’t understand the front line work, nonsensical targets… If you’re feeling angry, you’re not alone!
Delayed compact is definitely useless
The latest version of the compact – the bit of paper that reckons to set out a more equal relationship between voluntary organisations and the government – has now been put off indefinitely.
We’re not too worried as the compact continues to ignore the bulk of small scale voluntary action. Meanwhile the compact industry sucks up to government while persisting in a naive belief that a piece of paper can sort out unequal power relationships.
