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Speaking at NICVA’s Annual Conference and AGM, George Reid, former speaker at the Scottish Assembly and Vice Chair of the Carnegie Enquiry into Civil Society challenged the voluntary and community sector and elected representatives to decide if they would like devolution in Northern Ireland to be about ‘decentralisation with power handed down from the Centre or a dynamic process with power rising up from the People’?
Seamus McAleavey, chief executive of NICVA, with George Reid (centre) and Bob Stronge, chair of NICVA's Executive Committee (right).
In an inspirational address, Mr Reid challenged government to open and create a 'people's parliament' which lets people in and lets them have their say.
Junior Ministers Gerry Kelly and Jeffrey Donaldson challenged the voluntary and community sector to work with the Executive to help shape policies.
Gerry Kelly MLA said:
"We are conscious that the voluntary and community sector has its pressures and we in the Executive are doing all we can to alleviate the pressures that various groups are facing in these difficult times. Yesterday the Executive agreed there would be no water charges next year, which will save households here around £160. The prospect of water charging is a burden people can do without at this present time. The state of the economy is very much our focus and we will be devoting our time and energy in the days and weeks to come to find ways in which we can cushion the effects this downturn is creating in various sectors across the community."
Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA said:
"We see the sector as partners, not rivals to government. We offer a challenge to the sector - to work with the Executive and Assembly, to help constructively shape policies for Northern Ireland, provide information and evidence to the Assembly Committees and help us, as democratically elected representatives, to deliver the Programme for Government - a shared and better future for all of our people."
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Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action is registered as a company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland (No 1792) and is registered as a charity for tax purposes with the Inland Revenue