The political crisis in Northern Ireland is bad for charities. Why don't we protest?

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

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.

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from Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2z8wqii