Policy
Some of the recent introductions of the Coalition Government have solely intended to put people at the heart of the legislative process. Initiatives such as the Big Society and the publishing of the Protection of Freedoms Bill are both examples of how the Coalition Government are demonstrating their desire to empower people to become more involved in decision-making locally and nationally.
One of the aims of the Faith to Engage project is to see an increase in the way faith groups influence regional and national policy and to see greater participation by the faith sector in decision-making. It is proven that good engagement with Government bodies leads to better partnership working, which helps to ensure the delivery of high quality services and improved planning that meets the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve.
What can Faith to Engage do:
The Faith to Engage project recognises that, to achieve long-term effectiveness and impact, it is important to be part of and engage with the making of national policy. Those in the faith sector, alongside those in the statutory, voluntary and community sectors, should be able to participate effectively in decision-making processes; in order to see the improvement of services that affect the communities they serve or represent.
In practical terms, the faith sector can play a key role in communicating the needs of those it serves, many of whom are considered by public agencies as ‘hard to reach’. Communities often have more trust in local and independent organisations working at the grassroots and the role of the faith sector in helping to facilitate community engagement can be of considerable importance.
Faith groups can create a collective voice to campaign or to influence government policy and/or public opinion; or bring people together to respond jointly to debates and/or to respond to periods of open consultation; or help translate government language and policy into language understood by the faith sector.
The Faith to Engage project has carried out several initiatives to help mobilise faith communities in making their voice heard, especially during periods of national policy formulation. For example, a Q & A session was held with Lord Nat Wei (former Government Advisor on the Big Society) during the launch of the Big Society, and responses from the Faith to Engage partners across the regions were collated and submitted to the Public Administration Select Committee during its inquiry into the Big Society agenda in March 2011. Click here to read the paper.
What Can I Do?
So, you want to help your faith group influence local or national policy, but don’t know where to begin? Or, you feel you should write to your local MP about a local issue you and your faith group feel passionate about, but don’t know how? Or maybe you want to influence some of the major decisions passed in Parliament, but don’t know where to start?
We have put together some useful ideas and resources, to help you get started:
1. Hold a ‘Politics Day’ with your faith community. This can be a great way to encourage people in your faith group to engage with the political process – to get informed, to get voting and to get involved. Christians In Politics have a free downloadable resource pack aimed at helping Churches to discuss political involvement, without promoting one particular party. This specific pack includes a proposed plan for a ‘Politics Sunday’ alongside lots of useful ideas and resources: click here
2. Invite a Guest Speaker to talk to your group. For example, invite your MP, Peer, Councillor, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) or Member of European Parliament (MEP) to talk to your faith community. To find their names and contact details go to http://www.writetothem.com/ and enter your post code.
3. On a personal level, regularly pray for MPs, Peers and political process. If you’re not sure how to pray for your MP or where to get started, this article called ‘Love Your MP’ has some good ideas on how to start praying for your MP: click here. Or, why not join the mailing list of ‘Prayer for Parliament’ to receive updates on the latest topics which need our prayer: http://www.prayerforparliament.com/. Finally, here are some examples of prayers which have been written specifically to help people pray for those in Parliament and Government: click here
4. Set up a 60-minute prayer meeting. The Evangelical Alliance have produced a useful 2-page outline for anyone holding a 60-minute prayer meeting, specifically focused on praying for parliament and government: click here. Or, just bring cuttings from current local and national newspapers to your prayer meeting - many stories have a political dimension and could urgently do with our prayers!
5. Challenge your faith group to pray for 7 consecutive days. A 7-day prayer guide specifically focused on praying for Government and Parliament, can be found: here
6. Organise a breakfast with your MP. Write to your MP to propose a breakfast meeting with faith group leaders, twice a year. Each meeting could cover a different topic. For more ideas on how to organise this, see the short guide produced by the Evangelical Alliance: click here
7. Invite your local MP to take part in a Question and Answer session. Holding a Q and A session could be particularly valuable before a local/national election. Here are some great tips on how to go about making contact with your MP for the first time: click here and to download a free poster, which could help to publicise your event: click here. If it is held during election time, here is a helpful 5-page document to guide you in planning your hustings meeting: click here. When finding out some background about your MP, remember that the majority of MPs have their own website which provide an overview of their work, often covering local issues as well as party ones. Your local council website should also have a section on councillors, usually providing a picture and basic information and sometimes a short summary about their priorities.
8. Invite someone local to speak to your faith group. Find somebody who lives locally and is currently involved in politics (this could be a researcher, someone who works for a lobby organisation or charity, someone who works for a think tank, or someone who volunteers for their local party). One example of a national Christian think tank is ‘Theos’: www.theosthinktank.co.uk
9. Arrange a talk on the biblical principles of political engagement. The resource pack by Christians in Politics has some good ideas on how to start a Biblical discussion around political engagement, particularly in a small group (see pages 10-11): click here
10. Get together to jointly sign a letter. When writing letters to MPs, read some of the useful tips written by Christians in Parliament: click here and the Evangelical Alliance: click here. An example of a letter can be found here on page 58 of the Advocacy resource produced by Tearfund.
11. Show a motivating video clip, or relevant DVD, at one of your meetings. Depending on the structure of the meeting, it could be appropriate to watch a clip from a dvd and then facilitate a discussion inspired by the dvd.. There are some great little video clips on the Christians in Politics website www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk/resources/ or the Salvation Army website: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/publicaffairs
12. Organise a ‘Question and Answer’ Panel (with members of different Parties). When holding a Q and A session, it is important to plan such a session in detail, outlining appropriate topics and questions in advance. Don’t forget to do some background research on those invited. For example, you can find out more about your local MP, including their issues of interest, speaking and voting records, at http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ (by entering your postcode).
13. Choose one specific topic to raise awareness on amongst your group. Decide amongst your group one particular issue on which you would like to ‘lobby’ your MP, e.g. criminal justice, education, health, etc. The ‘Faith Based Regeneration Network (FBRN) have some excellent resources to help faith groups get involved with community development and social action: click here. The document ‘Faith in Politics’ produced by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland provides some good background on different topics, which could help as a starting point to decide on a relevant local topic amongst your group: click here. The organisation ‘Care’ also have some sector-specific resources on their website: click here
14. Get more involved! After all of this, do you find yourself wanting to get more involved in politics? Here’s an encouraging story of one man who followed God’s call on his life, into the world of politics: click here
Where can I go for more information?
Please go to 'Useful sites' on left hand menu
