Image by rogiro via FlickrAt the conference, journalist and commentator Will Hutton spoke about what it means to work towards a fair society, and what this may mean for taxation and media standards. Andrew Stunell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, addressed the question of what ‘The Big Society’ means for local communities. Revd Kirsty Thorpe, Co-Moderator of the United Reformed Church, drew the conference to a close by reflecting on what it means for Churches to be committed to a politics of hope.
Audio of these keynote speeches from Saturday’s public issues conference is now online, although if you click on this after a few days you might have to scroll down to find them. There is also a summary on the Connexional Praxis blog.
The conference - entitled Poverty of Ambition? Churches and a Politics of Hope – examined how churches can engage with contemporary political issues. A particular focus was how churches can respond to the cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review and how this relates to the coalition’s concept of Big Society.
There were a range of workshops aimed at experienced policy professionals, enthusiasts and people who simply want to know more. Workshop topics included:
- What do our churches and politicians believe about poverty?
- Acting on debt - practical suggestions for churches
- Climate change - international agreement or technological change?
- Peacemaking - nationally, locally, internationally
- Big society - opportunity or threat?
- Practical hints for lobbying your MP
- How do I get my church interested in public issues?
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