To work for The Common Good, we need to be organised. So, on the Monday of this year’s festival, we’ve asked Citizens UK to lead a day of community organising workshops for us. Here’s what you can expect across a day full of input designed to give you the inspiration and tools to return home and change your communities for the Common Good.
WELCOMING THE STRANGER: A GUIDE TO COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP OF REFUGEESWant to support and welcome refugees coming to the UK? Learn how your congregation can take part in the community sponsorship programme championed by Citizens UK.
With Neil Jameson, Citizens UK’s founding organiser and executive director
LOOKING FOR A LIVING WAGE: HOW TO RUN A LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN IN YOUR COMMUNITY
The Living Wage campaign started in our very first community alliance in east London in 2001. In this session we share the tried-and-tested organising methods that root this national campaign in local communities across the UK — and how to use them where you live. Citizens UK organises communities to act together for power, social justice and the common good on issues like the living wage.
TRANSFORMING YOUR CHURCH, CHANGING THE WORLD
Using community organising to reinvigorate your congregation to work for the common good. Learn from two people who know it works! Revd Keith Hebden and Revd Canon Angus Ritchie share their first-hand experiences of using community organising to build congregations that are passionate — and effective — in their commitment to social justice.
With Revd Keith Hebden and Revd Canon Angus Ritchie
A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER
What does power have to do with theology, and why does it matter for community organising? Power — this hotly-debated, sometimes keenly avoided, concept is central to community organising. We share the secret — and the theological basis — of a power based on relationships, not domination: the power that makes community organising work.
THE REAL ART OF THE DEAL: NEGOTIATING FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Want your MP to change their mind on your issue? Looking for a living wage commitment from a local business? Our role-play scenarios will put you in the hot seat, on both sides of the table, equipping you to negotiate with confidence and win cooperation from those in power.
THE CONTEMPLATIVE ORGANISER: DEVELOPING A SPIRITUALITY OF ACTION
Community organising is rooted in multiple traditions, and inseparable from their spiritual practices. In this workshop, we explore how contemplation can nurture action, and how organising should inform your personal and corporate spirituality.
WHAT NEXT? PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
The real work starts when you get home! If you’re interested in using what you’ve learnt in your church or organisation, this time is available for you to speak to our community organisers about where to begin.