One year on and going strong as website launched

Today the newly appointed Minister responsible for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Rick Barker reconfirmed the government goal to build strong relationships with the vital groups and individuals who work in the sector.

"Government's role in strengthening and developing communities is moving towards an increasing focus on partnerships and building capabilities for self-determined development. This too reflects the wishes of communities, and builds on local community knowledge and initiative.

"A strong tenet of a caring society is the degree to which volunteering is encouraged, embraced and practiced. Over a million kiwis do voluntary work – that's around a quarter of our population.

"There is increasing engagement between government and community organisations to pursue common goals and interests. We realise the critical role that community and voluntary sectors play as partners in both economic and social development.

"We have more than 14,000 charitable trusts and more than 22,000 incorporated societies operating, so the government must not take these contributions for granted, but rather encourage ongoing participation, said Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Rick Barker.

The Office will continue work to address barriers to volunteering in government policy and practice, and promote the Government Policy on Volunteering. The vision of the policy is for a society with a high level of volunteering, where the many contributions are actively supported and valued. Rick Barker will launch the new 'Good Practice Funding' website tonight during the first anniversary celebrations.

“The Good Practice Funding website adds to the government goal to improve access to information for the sector through leadership and partnership and also is an aid for public servants to follow good funding processes for the thousands of community and voluntary sector organizations.

“Today's launch of the website completes a successful year for the Office and is part of ongoing government investment and the development of structures and projects to link up government agencies and the community and voluntary sector,” he said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>