A manifesto for change

NICVA's Policy Manifesto has formed a key part of the organisation's lobbying work on behalf of the sector since its launch just before the Assembly elections in 2003. The document seeks to bring together in one place the key policy priorities of the voluntary and community sector.

After a five month process which involved over 120 member organisations meeting in 22 subgroups, a final text was agreed with members at a conference. The document was then produced in time for party conferences and launched at a special Election Question Time event held in NICVA in November. The aim of the manifesto is to articulate the sector's vision and to assist organisations in the sector in lobbying politicians. It will now be produced in three-yearly cycles with the intention of influencing political parties in the run-up to elections, when they are themselves working on their own manifestos.

Priorities

• An anti-poverty strategy to reduce the growing gap between rich and poor, including an increase in the minimum wage, the maintenance of public services, enhanced preventative health care and improved housing and policies to tackle homelessness.
• Political leadership to tackle sectarianism and racism through a good relations strategy and support for integrated education and housing.
• The integration of equality into TSN, the Bill of Rights, Race and Sectarian Hate Crime legislation as well as better consultation to ensure equality of opportunity.
• A strong and inclusive Bill of Rights to encourage a shared human rights culture.
• Measures to tackle child poverty at the heart of the children's strategy and priority for improved educational outcomes.
• End of academic selection, more emphasis on pupils as confident learners and active citizens, access to information on sexual and mental health, smaller classes and proper support for students in higher education.
• Free personal care, community safety measures for older people and end to age discrimination in education, health, employment and transport.
• Improved access for the disabled to transport, employment and services.
• A ministerial working group on domestic violence, more Sure Start centres, better child care, improved services for carers and all-women shortlists.
• Sustainable development at core of policy-making with emphasis on public transport and healthier alternatives such as cycling and walking
• A White Paper on rural development.

Space to debate

Since its publication the manifesto has been distributed at party conferences, meetings with politicians and policy makers, sent to Ministers and circulated widely throughout the sector. As the sector is so large and diverse, having a single document which encapsulates many of the key issues has made the job of getting our message across much easier.

An updated manifesto is planned for production in 2006, although, since it was planned to coincide with Assembly cycles, this may need to be reviewed.

Following on from the process to draft the manifesto the idea of setting up policy forums to focus on specific policy areas was developed. Forums have now been established for policy work on women, older people and the environment. As well as providing a space in which to debate and agree key policy issues, the forums will also help the process of monitoring which of the demands in the manifesto are actually progressing and being met.