The purpose of this page is that any member who wishes to express a theological viewpoint relating to the task of the ECG network, provoke a debate or submit a personal article or view may do so here. Please feel free! Please submit items via E mail to the editor ianwinterbottom@aol.com

 

SOME PERSONAL THOUGHTS.

 

I suppose many of us are still inspired by the giants of European ecumenical action: Nathan Soderblom, the inter-war founder of ’Life and Work’; Friedrich Siegmund- Schultze, George Bell and others. In Britain we honour the life and work of Archbishop William Temple after whom the William Temple Foundation still explores and monitors the status, contribution and influence of religion in the public sphere. The themes of the ’Crucible’ journal allows contemporary thinkers to reflect on today’s situation.

 

Religion in the public square faces at least six inhibiting factors:

 

1)  The general neutrality of democratic governments making it difficult for religious bodies to obtain state financial support for projects

 

2)  The former influence of religion in public life is often seen as inimical to the establishment fairness, justice, equal opportunity and social progress, especially considering its past record.

 

3)  Commercial pressure and a 24/7 world has tended to undermine both the religious significance of main religious public festivals and their observance as well as removing the time for individual and

corporate religious practice and voluntary activity.

 

4)  The growth of mobility, consumerism, sport, entertainment and the media have filled the local social space once occupied by organised religion.

 

5)  The general view that religion is a private and individual choice amongst many different ways of human understanding of the world, personal fuulfilment and well-bein.

 

6) In terms of chaplaincy to public and private concerns - what is the value-added which a chaplaiun brings in terms of the well-being of the corporate body and its purpose and success. And ’If we allow in a Christian chaplain, what of other religions?

 

Much has been spoken about the meaning of the phrase ’The Soul of Europe’.  Much of the early

idealism for a united Europe was inspied by people of faith. God has been seen as the guarantor of national constitutions, laws and ethical foundations.

 

For example, The preamble of the German Basic Law states, ’Conscious of their responsibilty before God and man, inspired by the determination to promote world peace as an equal partner in a united Europe, the German people, in the exercise of their constituent power, have adopted this basic law.

 

’Structured Spirituality’ - a personal note:

 

I am chair of Directors of an Open Centre in a vibrant, culturally mixed neighbourhood of my home city of Derby in the English midlands. My fellow directors include a Hindu, a Muslim, a Sikh, an atheist and a general assortment of spiritually non-committed freinds. There seems to be little difference between us in terms of our attitudes towards human rights and well-being and the sort of society we want to promote.

 

However it was a Church of England report ’Faith in the City’ in 1985 which from the grassroots experiences of priests and local congregations drew attention to the difficulties, privations and tensions in the diverse inner cities. It was the ’structured spirituality’ of these organisations which so often provided the community capital to bring about change. The work of the Open Centre would be much more difficult without the support of the churches, mosques, Sikh gurdwaras and Hindu mandirs and the neighbourhood social capital they provide.

 

Ian Winterbottom

 

Please help to make the page one of continual dialogue!

 

Positive Characteristics of Projects and Initiatives (NAOMI)

This list was created as a result of the evauation of project visits at the ECG Seminar in Bucharest,May 2011

 

NEEDS:  What are the needs or issues whih need to be addressed?

• small communities and groups to become visible and recognised
• future perspective
• combining employment and environmental sustainability
• important to recogise hidden needs  (for example in some context to be recognised as ’European Country’) -vaues and procedures
• need for inclusion of excluded persons and groups
• need for beauty n life
• for social dignity and self esteem
• living income
• fair access to resources
• trutworthy institutions

AIMS:  What are the important long term and overarching aim of ’our’project?

 

• sustainbility
• peace with nature and peace with yourself
• social peace an social cohesion
• community strengthening [commuinity in diversity]
• a just society and economy
• developing personal and community capabilities and empowerment
• fair trade and fair exchange
• access to public goods and services

OBJECTIVES:  What are the smaller or short term objectives? Do they contribute to the long term aim?

• stopping the push abd pull factors of migration
• building communication skills
• transfer of knowledge
• skills and tools for economic self reliance and economic emancipation of persons and communities
• building common aims and values
• struggle for decent work a defined by workers
• seeking external finance and resources

METHODS: What methods does the project use? Are they consistent with the aims and ojectives?

 

• listening
• questioning approach (curiosity and openness)
• listening for ’weak signals’ and using ’tacit knowledge’
• participatory decision making
• participatory learning and training
• building co-operation, shared responsibility
• creating visibility group self advocacy, campaigning
• study visits and know-how transfer
• developmental
• sharing resources and linking expertise
• mentoring

 

INVOLVEMENT: Who (which groups) should be involved in the project? How? Who should be involved in deciding on issues, aims, objectives, methods? How do we handle issues of power & participation?

 

• project initiator who can involve people and secure the long term by using participatory approaches [note the difference between charismatic leadership for sustainable development]
• Affected people should be involved in the creation of vision
• project members should mainly be the ’affected people’ [noting the need for creating conditions and skills for participation
• project members should create their own ground rules and evaluate their actions

VALUES:  What are the values of the project?

 

• spirit of sharing
• community empowerment
• social justice
• social dignity
• tolerance
• fraternity and sorority 'Geschwisteriichkeit'
• conviviality
• respect for nature
• respect for the whole of the family
• women’s empowerment and participation

RELIGION AND FAITH:  What is the influence of religion oraith in the life of the project? How is it exressed?

 

• churches and faith communities should be involved in these projects as sponsors, promoters [but not controlling the project]
• church brigs values and motivation to the project
• inspiration andope
• work as a creative activity (vocation)
• can be a strategic resource
• can be a 'place of trust'

 

 

 

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