There is a quote from ‘brat pack’ novelist Tama Janowitz to the effect that “Long after the bomb falls and you and your good deeds are gone, cockroaches will still be here, prowling the streets like armoured cars.”
Well, not if there is a Non Governmental Organisation to compete with them for funds to facilitate prowling the streets like armoured cars, so they won’t.
Apropos of that, we note that the latest (assuming another seven have not mushroomed overnight) star in the vast Irish NGO Orion galaxy is the Ukraine Civil Society Forum (UCSF.) This, apparently, is a “new initiative” which has spontaneously issued from the great richness that defines Irish “civil society” and which “escalates issues to the Government where necessary.”
Which is normally NGOspeak for: “Okay, there’s x amount of spondoolicks for this caper, and our job is to ensure that the right people get a whack of that to let the people who are in charge of the issuing of said moolah know where it is best spent.”
On Ukrainians, obviously. Goes without saying, but only after the cash has been “mediated” through some entity that best knows the mind of civil society and of course whatever group is the ostensible beneficiary of it all.
Of course, the Ukraine Civil Society Forum is not something that a few people down the local decided might be a good way of clubbing together to help. Oh no. It is very much a creature of the existing NGO apparat. Chiefly it would seem, the Immigrant Council of Ireland. It has pulled together a whole range of other NGOs including the Refugee Council, LGBT Ireland, Focus, Crosscare etc, to address the different “thematic clusters.”
Now, all of the NGOs concerned, as followers and involuntary shareholders of this business sector will know, are already massively funded. Despite which, the “thematic clusters” for which they are responsible including homelessness are going to hell on a handcart.
So that would explain no doubt why they will not only be making a case as to why they ought to be getting more from the billions to be spent on Ukrainian refugees – or rather various themes around Ukrainian refugees – but why the UCSF page has a donate button. What is all that about? Note to all concerned: The NGO sector receives billions of euros of our money, why do you need to panhandle?
The UCSF already has A list backstage access and has been in to the Oireachtas to brief TDs and Senators and to outline their proposals, which include the need to:
- Appoint and resource a National Lead to drive planning, coordination and implementation
- Urgently resource welfare officers and integration supports within communities
- Mandate the Housing Agency to drive development of medium-term accommodation for refugees
- Establish a Refugee Agency as per White Paper Recommendations on Ending Direct Provision
Fair play to them. They manage to slip in at number 4 something that is on their wish list and that has nothing whatsoever to do specifically with the Ukrainian crisis. That line is continued within the briefing paper itself where in common with others in the migrancy business and their support cast in the political establishment they demand that the rapidly increasing numbers of people claiming to be refugees from other countries are treated “equally.” Ah, that old trope. Don’t Hit Me With the Equality Baby in Me Arms.
There is serious concern however at the inconsistency of approach to people seeking refuge from other parts of the world. This is particularly stark where, for example, resources are specifically named for Ukrainian children only, where an Afghan child or a Syrian child also needs English language support. We support equality in the treatment of all refugees, noting that the State has a responsibility to fully uphold and protect the rights of everyone seeking protection in Ireland. We strongly recommend embedding equality for all those seeking international protection.
Well, do you know what is actually inconsistent? It is demanding that an unquantifiable number of people fleeing a genuine war and internal crisis can be housed and looked after at vast expense through public provision, and that the citizens of the Irish state be expected to accept another unquantifiable and obviously increasing number of people whose only qualification is making it through Dublin airport after flying from another EU “safe” country. And to provide these people, no questions asked, with free accommodation, possibly life long welfare support and access to all the other benefits of living in a country that makes Roald Dahl’s Chocolate Factory look like a Victorian workhouse.
And just in case you are too shlow to see where all of this is going, and where our beloved NGOs fit into all of this, they have been kind enough to get the crayons out and draw us a picture. The important pie – let us say – is the tangerine one. The NGOs will get some of that through the new green pie – could be apple or lime depending on your tastes, and the dark blue pies of the “community” sector.
Which is also mostly them. So, basically you get to vote every so often and then people who know better not only than you but even the elected Government and the existing bureaucracy that looks after social welfare, housing, education, health and so on interpolate themselves as the indispensable ingredient that makes the whole think worthwhile. Literally.
In fairness, it ought to be said that the Ukraine Civil Society Forum does bring a life time of experience to bear on this new venture. Emma Lane-Spollen the national co-ordinator has also current or past associations with the Immigrant Council, TUSLA, Educate Together, Friends of the Earth, the Tomar Trust, the Tony Ryan Trust, Social Impact Ireland and the late Benefacts which was a sort of an NGO’s NGO until somebody realised that they were not doing a whole pile despite their good intentions. Not that that ever stopped any of the multi billion euro funded comrades of the NGO front.
It would be nice to think that all of this will lead to a more effective looking after the Ukrainian refugees themselves. Rather than just another predictable self replication of the vast NGO spider’s web that embraces anything that moves in this country and that has a valid claim to getting grant aided by the taxpayer,