Category - government

End of life strategy seeks to break taboo on death

staff writers — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:24:18 +0100

Facing up to death and investing in the choices it involves is at the heart of a new multi-million pound government strategy in England to support people as they come to the end of their lives.

Church and welfare debate continues as new report is published

staff writers — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:38:17 +0100

The Cambridge-based Von Hugel Institute's report on church, government and social welfare is creating a lively media and political talking point following its launch in London yesterday.

A wonky church and welfare debate

Simon Barrow — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:07:04 +0100

When it comes to religion and public life, there is frequently unhelpful confusion in the debate, says Simon Barrow. Initial responses to the Von Hugel report on church and welfare illustrate this.

Which citizenship? Whose kingdom?

Simon Barrow — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:43:23 +0000

In Christian and biblical terms, good citizenship is not about flag-waving, says Simon Barrow. It is about the good practices and ways of organising our public lives which enable people to belong to one another across nation state boundaries.

Christians and Muslims sign up to government-backed volunteer scheme

agency reporter — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:32:23 +0000

People of all faiths and of none will be involved in a new Government-backed global volunteering scheme for 18 to 25-year-olds announced on 2 March 2008 by UK International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander.

Churches welcome new political agreement in Kenya

Ecumenical News International — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:00:05 +0000

Church leaders in Kenya have welcomed the announcement of a power-sharing agreement between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga as an important step to ending a two-month political crisis in the east African country.

Archbishops visit immigration detention centre

staff writers — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:46:54 +0000

As questions about the fairness of UK migration policy once more come into the spotlight, the Anglican archbishops of Canterbury and York have been visiting the Oakington Immigration Detention Centre as part of a trip to Cambridge.

Stop playing politics with prison, inspector demands

staff writers — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:58:38 +0000

For the third year running Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, a former human rights campaigner, has hit the headlines with a hard-hitting report on Britain's dire prison situation, calling for action not political posturing.

Rethinking religion in an open society

Simon Barrow — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:43:16 +0000

Though the role of religion in society has come back onto the agenda with a vengeance in recent years, the political, spiritual and intellectual resources at our disposal for handling the issues involved seem perilously thin on all sides in public life. This paper aims to reconstruct some key terms in the debate and to offer a positive case for a 'disestablished' form for religion within a plural social and political order. In particular it suggests that the alternative to hegemonic religion or attempts to exclude religion from public life lies in the rediscovery of an alternative form of politics rooted in practical 'goods' and 'virtues' derived from different communities and traditions, accompanied by the development of a 'civil state' framework.

Simon Barrow

Church leaders will quiz government minister on 'healthy communities'

staff writers — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:07:41 +0100

Church leaders and Christian activists are being urged to voice their commitment to being agents of change and inclusion to the Cabinet Minister responsible for the government's community agenda, at a Faithworks Conference later this year.