EUROPEAN METHODIST COUNCIL
CHURCH AND SOCIETY COMMISSION
SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
A GUIDE FOR STUDY
AND ACTION
1.
Introduction
As
Christians we believe that our entire world, all that is and will be,
has been created and is sustained by God. We also believe that we are
called by him to be responsible stewards, co-workers in the ongoing work
of redemption - not only of human beings, but also of the whole
creation.
The world
is in an ongoing process of change, and our lifestyles influence this
process continuously. We recognise the increasing interdependence of
every issue. Our decisions affect whether succeeding generations are
born into a world in which we would like them to live.
Sustainability involves handing over the world in the same – or
better - condition as we received it. This
is true for all dimensions of life: the environment, social and economic
conditions, democracy, and global justice. Only if every dimension
sustains life will our world survive.
This short
booklet is a study guide to be used by groups within Methodist churches
across Europe. It is to be seen as a ”starter” - to help people think
about their own situation and what they can do within it. It is to be
‘dipped into’ rather than read. Parts of it may be used as a stimulus
for worship, for Bible study, for work with young people or with house
groups.
Each part
comes with questions. Groups should feel free to follow these questions
or to use others more rooted in their own context.
When this
study guide was originally planned it was anticipated that it would
focus primarily on environmental and social issues. Since then we have
all experienced the events of 11 September 2001 and its aftermath. It
is no longer possible to focus on issues of sustainability without
taking a much wider context into account.
First of
all we need to be aware that after 11 September not everyone sees
‘religion’ as a force for good, or people of faith as having a positive
contribution to make to the life of the wider community. The media
highlight the malign influence of extreme and fanatical forms of
religion. Only rarely are the positive contributions of faith groups
given any publicity. More and more we have to earn our right to make
our faith-based contribution to debates about the future of our world.
Whilst it
is an overstatement to say that 11 September changed the world, it is
true that the disaster has forced many people to think seriously about
relations between states, ideologies, faiths and economies in a way we
have not had to do for at least half a century. It has caused us to
think about our own and our families’ safety in the short-term, and
about the fragility of all that we have created in the long-term. Will
the planet will be able to sustain our children and grandchildren at
reasonable standards of living?
Recent
events have also caused us to question how far humanitarian intervention
is sustainable. Is it not just another form of neo-colonialism? For how
long can the so-called ‘international community’ provide the personnel
and the money to rehabilitate places which are states in name only,
whose writ hardly runs outside the capital city? Kosovo, Macedonia,
Afghanistan, Sierra Leone – how many more? What is the impact of
international meetings and conventions, in which the role of competent
government is critical to addressing issues, on such failed or
non-functioning states? It is extremely difficult for the international
community to act in such cases - but it is much more difficult and
dangerous not to act and abandon parts of our world to anarchy.
2. Peace and
non-violence for a stable society
Violence,
sustained over a long period, can be addictive especially if individuals
are also suffering from economic deprivation, prolonged unemployment and
social marginalisation.
Historical
traditions where one group seeks to dominate another on ethnic, national
or religious criteria can create barriers, which are difficult to
remove. Communities feel more safe in their own ‘ghetto’ areas. Walls
of separation produce siege communities who view themselves as victims.
They not only lock the ‘enemy’ out but also lock themselves in. Fear
and lack of trust produce unsustainable societies. The ‘other side’ is
expected to change first.
When
societies become violent and community tensions are strong, instability
occurs and economic investment is less likely to happen. A downward
spiral of deprivation takes place. Damage to property and the price of
maintaining order, especially where armies or peacekeeping forces have
to be employed, are economically costly to a society. This finance
should instead be available for sustainable development.
A society
is not only made unstable by violence but by issues of social exclusion
- poverty and unemployment are critical factors. There are often gaps
between and within regions in Europe –poverty rates in Scotland have
doubled over the last twenty years with up to a third of Scottish
families being at or below benefit levels.
Despite
protests against ‘globalisation’ there is evidence to show the positive
links between openness to international trade, growth and poverty
reduction. A recent study by the World Bank using a sample of 80
countries over 40 years found that the relationship between poverty
reduction and growth has not changed in the era of globalisation. While
growth remains the most effective weapon against poverty, we have to
face the problem that growth may be limited.
A peaceful
and inclusive society provides a basis for sustainable development. The
following observations flow from this:
-
Global
experiences show that a nation cannot be economically successful on a
sustained basis if large proportions of its people are excluded from
participating in economic activity and its benefits. Exclusion is not
only inefficient – it is a threat to the social fabric and may lead to
violence.
-
Addressing
issues of exclusion requires resources. Often growth rates are too
low to sustain development or to attract investment from international
sources. Globalisation is not only a question of competition and market
forces but also of pursuing common global goals of a humanitarian and
ecological nature: goals which competition and market forces alone will
not achieve.
-
Achieving
high quality growth is linked to investments in people. Societies will
be more peaceful and achieve more when individuals are productive.
Education and health enhance the prospects of growth by helping people
to develop skills. The quality of people’s lives and attitudes to
society can improve as a result.
-
High
quality growth is linked to the global economy. It expands
opportunities, strengthens competition and enhances learning. In the
west at least, the best social policy is often a job. Poverty is linked
to unemployment. Global competitiveness will generate more jobs as well
as more resources but strengthens the obligation to support those who
are excluded or in poverty. The globalisation of economies has its
parallel in the globalisation of poverty and raises questions over
justice in international trade.
-
Sustainable
growth and social justice are two important aspects of peaceful and
integrated nations. Education is key to increasing opportunities for
all sectors of society. The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon
Brown, said that, “Investment in education is critical to economic
success. Modernisation inspired us in the 19th and 20th
centuries.” New skills will be required for the new millennium.
Sustainable socially and environmentally sound policies are essential to
a healthy society, which recognises the lesson from global experience -
people and natural resources are vital aspects of development.
-
Cultural,
ethnic and religious issues can separate races and nations and result in
lack of respect which often leads to violence. Christianity, Judaism,
Islam and other world religions are built on foundations of respect and
justice. These shared values can help to balance religious
fundamentalism. This is part of building sustainable society.
Questions
for congregations:
-
Reflect on your own society locally
– are there identifiable groups, some which dominate and others, which
are dominated.
-
Reflect on why groups integrate in
some situations, and fracture and become enemies in other situations.
-
How do you feel ‘globalisation’ has
impacted on your area? What do you understand by this term?
-
Is all ‘economic growth’ equally
welcome?
-
Do you feel from your own context
that ‘sustainability’ and ‘economic growth’ are comparable?
-
What do
you feel Christian theology and Wesleyan social ethics have to
contribute to the debate over how we develop sustainable communities
with a fair standard of living around the world?
3.
Environment
& Sustainability
As people
living at the beginning of the new millennium we are starkly aware of
the fragility of the systems which support our world. We are also aware
that as human beings we have been responsible for polluting the air and
the water, for misusing and wasting resources, for subordinating the
well-being of the earth to the selfish interests of human beings.
Our concern is currently focused on
the dangers of global warming and how difficult it is for the political
will to be found – either in the leaders of the nations or in the
majority of people - to do something effective about it by a radical
change in lifestyle.
The tragedy of the flooding in
Central and Eastern Europe in August 2002, with the loss of so many
lives, the suffering and homelessness for thousands of individuals, and
the economic consequences of the loss of business, raises serious
questions about individual, national and international responsibilities
to change, not only attitudes, but practice.
All of us
live on the one planet and we have but one home.
‘There will be no new Noah’s Ark to save some and
leave the rest to perish. We all either sink or swim together…’(Leonardo
Boff)
A first
and most basic need is for us to consider how we live together as people
with a great diversity of culture, education, religious allegiance or
lack of it. We are rich and poor, black and white, people with access
to all those things that the media parades before our eyes each day and
those with no access to such things. A particular responsibility lies
with those nations which are the most powerful and in possession of the
greatest material wealth – in particular the USA and some countries of
Europe.
The issues
that face all the inhabitants of the planet now do not, in the main,
require just local or even national solutions. One of the inevitable
consequences of increasing global interdependence is that no nation can
live in isolation. We have to be able to make international and
multilateral institutions work for the good of all and particularly for
those least able to influence events and trends around them. Examples
are the dangers, which still effect many people, caused by nuclear
fallout or chemical emissions from plants in neighbouring countries.
However if
life on the planet is to become sustainable for all its inhabitants,
there also has to be a way of involving ordinary people in the decisions
which affect the details of their daily lives. No planning, however
thorough or sophisticated, can work if it does not have the willing
acceptance and consent of the people. To achieve such a thing in a
mature democracy is difficult enough because it involves trade–offs and
compromises to accommodate a range of views and positions in the social
and economic order. But to achieve it in a nation recently ravaged by
war, ethnic division or oppression is quite another. A reasonable state
of peace is a basic prerequisite for any form of sustainable
development.
Since the
UN World Summit in Rio more than ten years ago, slow progress in the
protection of the environment has been made in some areas, but in others
the situation has actually gone into reverse. The USA, sadly, has
retreated from its efforts to work with other nations. It has ploughed a
very unilateralist furrow over the last few years and has stated
categorically that it will have nothing to do with the Kyoto targets. It
is disappointing because, in environmental matters, there can be no
unilateralism. From a commercial point of view, the American failure to
see that humankind needs to live more lightly will mean reduced research
and market opportunities in cutting edge technology. Environmental
conventions have proliferated but co-ordination has been difficult. Big
issues, such as how environmental agreements relate to the provisions of
the World Trade Organisation, remain unresolved.
In addition to the Rio agenda we now
need to respond to a changed situation. Questions of climate change,
biodiversity, the protection of forests, fisheries and desert areas,
issues of adequate and accessible water supplies and of how to meet the
demand for energy and transport in sustainable ways have long been on
the agenda and remain there. In addition we have to face the
seriousness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging the African continent and
threatening other parts of the world. Affecting one in three of the
young people in many Sub-Saharan African countries, HIV/AIDS threatens
the sustainability of education and health systems, of manufacturing and
of the agricultural base of rural populations. Above all the costs of
the epidemic derail the budgeting of even the best-organised
governments. Other priority items for the agenda include the need to
address the gulf between the rich world and the poor world, to try to
sustain community in a world fractured by rapid social and economic
change, and to address globalised crime, drug-dealing and
people-trafficking.
What can
faith–based communities such as ourselves bring to the debate? We
believe, as Christians, that we have good news to share and we need to
explore how to do this for a community which, by and large, does not
share our vocabulary and images. We believe in a God who created the
world in which we live and pronounced creation as good. We believe that
God created humankind and gave us great responsibility – a duty of care
and of stewardship of the rest of the created order. We believe that
God has such faith in humankind that he called us to be co-workers in
the ongoing development of our world. Despite all our shortcomings and
waywardness God continues to promise salvation to all people and to the
whole of creation. We see this supremely in the Incarnation, God
sending his son into our world. Christianity is a very earthy religion
– the heart of the Christian faith is the proclamation of a very
down-to-earth God, who not only creates and sustains the whole cosmos
but who is found within it, and who has taken flesh with us in all
aspects of our lives.
We then
have to ask ourselves what is the nature of our responsibility in caring
for God’s creation in the place where we live. It will entail our
asking about our own lifestyles as individuals and as Christian
congregations.
Questions for congregations:
-
How do we put the care of the
environment on our church agendas and in our prayers and worship?
-
In what ways do I need to change my
lifestyle as my personal contribution to sustaining the world?
-
How can we encourage openness in our
wider community through the resources of our buildings and people?
-
How do we contribute to political
discussions and decision-making locally, nationally and beyond?
-
For churches with links to the
United States – how do we engage in such discussions with our fellow
Methodists there?
Bible
references: Genesis 1 and 2; Job 38 – 41; Psalms 8 + 24; Matthew 25, 31
– 46; John 1, 1 – 14, Romans 8, 18 – 21; Colossians 1, 16 – 17;
Revelation 21, 1
4.
Sustainable
transport world-wide
“We do not live to
ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves”
(Romans 14, 7a)
As we can
not explore in detail every issue mentioned above, we picked transport
as a particular example of the problem, because it affects nearly
everybody.
How far
and fast do we need to move?
To be
mobile is to be alive. Both moving about and being quiet and at peace
are essential to human life and the life of the world in general.
Nature uses the energy within it in an efficient way - economically,
without pollution and in a sustainable manner.
The type
of mobility that has developed within and between the cities and
industrial nations of the world, on the other hand, is restless and
hurried. It wastes enormous amounts of energy and raw materials. It
produces huge mountains of rubbish, and pollutes the water, the air and
the soil. The type of mobility we have today is wasteful and
destructive. It is irresponsible and not sustainable.
Access to cars has revolutionised
many people’s lives. However there are significant negative
consequences of increased car-use.
-
Cars cause
accidents. Even though safety precautions have tightened, road
casualties cannot be avoided. Every year more than half a million people
die of traffic accidents around the world. Many people spend the rest
of their lives with injuries they suffered in traffic accidents.
-
Vehicles
damage public health. Summer smog has become a well-known phenomenon;
the layer of ozone close to the ground has adverse effects on human
health and the natural environment. It also considerably reduces crop
yields.
-
The increase
of motorised traffic leads to a loss of quality of life in cities and
villages. Main roads criss-cross residential areas, people are exposed
to constant noise, and traffic restricts pedestrians' mobility on the
streets.
-
Increasing
car-use imposes a high strain on natural resources. The production and
operation of vehicles are costly and produce a great amount of waste.
Mobility requires infrastructure - roads, car parks, airports etc -
which can be provided only by building on ever more land.
-
The costs of
road construction and the creation of infrastructure for cars place a
heavy burden on national budgets. Consequently, money needed for other
urgent matters may no longer be available.
-
Private
mobility invariably leads to social injustice. Although car ownership
has increased rapidly, a great share of the population is isolated and
prevented from participating. The elderly, children, people with
disabilities, and lower income groups are often not taken into
consideration in the age of motorised mobility.
Where will we find quality of
life?
Ever greater mobility - especially by
car – is seen as the mark of a modern, industrial society. The growth
of traffic of people and of goods is seen as a ‘good thing’ – a mark of
a growing economy, greater prosperity and a higher so-called ‘standard
of living’.
Society
needs to begin to disconnect the linkage between prosperity and ever
increasing motorised mobility. However recent protests over the cost of
fuel indicate that this is going to be extremely difficult to achieve.
Today
freedom of movement has been replaced by the necessity of moving by
car. We have built our towns and cities so that distances between homes
and work, shops and schools are often too great for pedestrians. The
many short car journeys undertaken in cities pollute the air, causing
illnesses, especially asthma, in children. As more people travel by
car, public transport becomes marginalised and increasingly uneconomic.
The growth
in the use of private cars over the last fifty years has produced a
whole new infrastructure, which relies upon and is centred on the use of
cars. In some places footpaths have disappeared making walking more
difficult. Riding a bicycle has become more dangerous in many places.
Railway stations in the countryside have been closed down. Bus routes,
tramways and trains have not been developed. Lifestyles have come to be
dependent on the use of the car. Forms of mobility, which could have
contributed to a healthier environment and healthier people, have not
received investment.
How can
we search for a new way?
We need to
develop forms of transport that use less energy and raw materials, and
which will not damage neighbourhoods even further. Such new ways of
thinking will require courage and boldness. They will demand a search
for communal ways forward, not individualistic solutions. They will
demand new ways of integrating transport to allow people to move about
safely, with greater comfort and with minimum delay. Such ways will
demand that the churches themselves think about where they locate
meetings and how people co-operate in travelling to church. All of us
need to discover new ways to find sustainable forms of transport both at
home and across the world.
Questions for congregations
-
In Genesis 1:18 human beings are
instructed to be good stewards of God’s creation. How can we begin to
carry out this responsibility in the area of transport and mobility?
-
How can we find ways of changing our
lifestyles so that they are not so dependent on motorised transport and
especially the private car?
-
Elderly people and children have
different transport needs from the motorised, adult population, How can
those two groups be helped to take part fully in the life of our
community?
-
How can we as Christians and as
church communities help in developing a transport policy for our own
locality, our country and across Europe that is more sustainable and
improves the quality of life of all people?
-
How can we change the way we move
freight around, so that there is less of it and as much as possible is
moved by rail or by water?
5. Social and
Economic Issues: Snapshots from European countries
Prisoners and after prison care in Russia.
Crime is a
serious social problem. Public attitudes towards prisoners and the whole
prison system are negative. People are tempted to forget that a
prisoner is normally locked up only for a set period, and when the term
is over he or she is going to be released back into the society. What
types of people emerge after imprisonment?
Uncoordinated work by governmental institutions, churches and other
organisations can contribute to the failure to prevent repeated crimes
and to provide decent rehabilitation for those who are released from
prisons. The majority of those who leave through the prison doors are
facing an inordinate number of social problems. They have to struggle
with low educational and spiritual levels, with a dysfunctional family
or no family whatsoever, with drug and alcohol dependencies, and without
a place to live. People with such problems are prone to turn back to
crime within several months of release from detention.
Methodist
Churches in Russia, in their attempt to follow the lead of the Wesley
brothers, are starting Bible groups in prisons, and some are helping
those whose term is over. Unfortunately, all this work is somewhat
unsystematic.
The
churches are called to help society face this problem and to enable all
those of good will to help prisoners. Society needs to be reminded that
prisoner might have committed a crime, but it doesn’t remove him or her
from our society - they are still very much part of it.
The
Methodist Church along with other churches is called to become a
co-ordinating force with the aim of joining hands with other churches,
governments and charitable organisations in order to work alongside a
person, from the time of his or her imprisonment to the time of release
and recovering a ”normal” lifestyle. Also, it is of utmost importance
to work with the prisoners’ families as they have a need for social
rehabilitation as well.
The United
Methodist congregation ”Return to Christ” in Ekaterinburg, Russia,
together with other charitable organisations, has been working for
several years with prisoners and their families. All people of good
will are invited to help - their religious affiliation is irrelevant.
Worship services and Bible teaching are being conducted for prisoners
and their relatives, meetings with children of prisoners are being
arranged, birthday parties are held for prisoners without families.
Churches, charitable organisations and relatives of the prisoners
collect the funds for these activities. Church members and the pastors
help to prepare the prisoners for return to society through teaching,
looking for work, providing clothes etc. All this charitable work is
strengthening and unifying the congregation, and is part of the work of
evangelism.
Questions for congregations
-
How does Matthew 25:31-45 challenge
your congregation?
-
Can you define a special project, a
way in which your congregation might respond?
-
Are there other ways in which your
members can co-operate with other organisations in society to help
those with particular needs?
The Employment situation in
Portugal.
Portugal is facing a time of
opportunities and challenges. Some examples include:
-
University graduates are having difficulties finding jobs which
relate to their training. Often they have to take employment which is
completely different from the original plans they made when they took a
university diploma or degree.
-
There are
children who cannot or do not want to continue at school till 16 years
of age, which is normal and compulsory in Portugal. The reasons for this
are varied. The students may face pressures from the financial needs of
family, a lack of parental support, or consumerist demands from his or
her own peer group. If they go to work before legal age, they not only
are paid less but also do not have the security of medical or accident
insurance.
-
There are
individuals who are under pressure to do extra work hours without
payment. If they were to refuse, their contracts would not be renewed.
-
There are
many immigrants, particularly from Africa, who are living in difficult
conditions. Many work illegally, are paid badly and have no medical or
insurance cover.
Examples
of Bible stories can help to focus on the issues. The feeding of the
five thousand shows how one person’s contribution led to a wider sharing
and many were fed (Matthew 14, 13 –21). The story of the labourers in
the vineyard, where all received the same wage for whatever they did, is
an example of understanding the needs of each individual (Matthew 20, 1
– 16). The story of the Good Samaritan shows how human need overcomes
prejudice against those who are different (Luke 10, 25 – 37).
Human dignity, work and unemployment
The
dignity of each person
-
Each person
has his or her own dignity
-
This dignity
is given by God
-
Each person
is encouraged to discover his or her own potential and skills, as one
important way of realising this dignity.
Those who are unable to work or who
cannot find work
-
Society often
judges wrongly the worth of an individual by the particular profession
or job in which he or she is engaged. Each must be encouraged to
understand their value in the contribution made to society.
-
Unemployment
involves not only material loss but can result in damage to self-esteem
of the individual and result in tensions and other problems in family
life.
-
To be
unemployed is regarded by some as ‘failure’ or shameful. This feeling,
while it is understood, must be challenged.
-
Unemployment
is often complicated by attempts to ‘escape’ the situation, with an
individual denying the reality of what they face through the use of
drugs or alcohol.
The role of the congregation
-
The
congregation is encouraged to offer pastoral support both in emotional
and practical ways. This can help to raise the sense of the individual’s
value. Needs are often not only financial. A support group may be useful
in helping individuals to discover other ways of building
self-confidence.
-
In changing
and stressful times faith can offer strength to individuals and
families.
Questions for congregations
6. Politics and
Sustainable Society: Participation in decision-making
Biblical references
Jeremiah
29, 4 - 7: Responsible use of the good gifts from God in society; Mark
12, 13 ff: The coin wears the portrait of the Caesar, human beings wear
God’s image; their first loyalty is not to a state or ruler; Luke 19,
41 ff: Our Lord cares for peace (shalom) in society, so we have to care
too; Romans 12, 1 – 2 and 12, 19 – 13, 1: To overcome evil in society
(including political authorities and structures) we cannot use the
patterns of this world.
Is our democracy in a good state?
Our democracies are threatened not
only from outside (e.g. by terrorism) but much more from inner tensions:
-
Struggles
over distribution and tension between different groups of the society,
between privileged and underprivileged.
-
Different
cultural backgrounds leading to both open and concealed racism and
xenophobia
-
In contrast
to earlier times there is less of a common understanding of values
influencing society as a whole.
-
We observe a lack of trust in authorities, especially politicians
(”they are only interested in their own power”). On the other hand
problems are so complex, that most people feel resigned to letting the
authorities respond on their behalf.
Questions for congregations
Why is participation crucial?
-
Democracy
doesn’t work automatically. To operate well it requires the co-operation
of the majority of citizens. It is not sufficient that technocrats
organise the society. Our world has become too difficult, linked and
interdependent, so we need many different views and ideas to deal with
all the issues.
-
For example:
constructing a new road needs not only traffic and construction
experts, but also good co-operation with local people, to solve the
problems like noise, pollution, safety of children and elderly people –
local people are the experts for local difficulties through their
daily experience. However, they can also be part of the conflict (Beware
the “NIMBY” syndrome: Not In My Back Yard!).
-
The job of
scientific and technical experts is to find out the most efficient way
to a certain goal. But who defines the goals? The fast development in
sciences and technology results in immense possibilities, but ”to
realise all that is technically possible is not technical but childish
behaviour” (C.F. v. Weizsäcker). We have to choose. There is
plenty of lobbying for commercial aims. But who is lobbying for the
citizens and especially the weak or minorities? Administration doesn’t
like critical questions very much. So the participation of the
concerned is crucial. Churches have an important role to raise ethical
considerations and to help the voiceless to speak.
-
Even with
strong commitment we normally don’t change things immediately. We need
perseverance (see the parable of the persistent Widow, Luke 18). We need
allies too. Networks with other Christian as well as non-Christian
groups (e.g. trade unions) will not only strengthen our power but also
widen our world-view.
-
Sometimes
real commitment for the weak leads to conflicts with the government (eg
sanctuary movement, boycotts, blockades).
-
Churches are
always asked to be party-politically neutral, especially at election
times. But to address important issues frankly sometimes means to
oppose a particular political line. If there is no change in politics,
we have to persist.
Civil society
Awareness of common values
Education
is more than the transfer of knowledge. It also forms a set of
guidelines for life. If we neglect this responsibility we can allow
media pressure to have the control.
Questions for congregations
-
Form a scale of values (No.1 to …x)
-
Are there differences between
”Common Sense” and a Christian point of view?
-
Our children are influenced by many
factors. What can we do as parents or congregations to form a
Christian-based value system?
Information
Nobody can participate in
decision-making without a substantial level of information. Otherwise
they can be manipulated very easily.
Questions for congregations
-
In your country is information about
recent issues easily available from the media, including both sides of
the argument?
-
Does the media make problems
sufficiently transparent?
-
How can your local congregation become
a place to speak about difficult issues from a Christian background to
find a clearer point of view?
Balance between different powers
in the society
Power takes a range of different
forms – financial, commercial, influential or media, and political
powers all influence the dynamics in our society.
Example: unemployment becomes a kind
of tool for large enterprises to influence political decisions. Regional
authorities can be pressured with the threat ‘otherwise we close the
factory in this town and go to another place or country’. The balance of
power seems to be a key question for our democracy.
Questions for congregations
-
Do you feel that any of these powers
are too strong, or are subject to little control?
-
How do you help individuals to be
sensitive to this problem? How do you balance the influence of various
power systems?
Transparency in politics
We do not have a ”direct” but a
“representative” democracy. That means political power operates through
political parties, but is more or less monitored by public awareness.
That makes the issue of ”internal democracy” in party life crucial: Is
decision-making transparent for the public or is it a process that only
takes place behind closed doors? Does leadership moderate the different
views or is there a virtual dictatorship of the party leader through a
small elite? For example: Have women and young people a voice? If not,
how can this political party represent the different parts of society?
Questions for congregations
-
Are our congregations a place for
training in participation and democracy?
-
What about participation in
decisions in your congregation/circuit? Do you feel responsible? Do you
feel that your ideas are discussed? Have you proposals to change
anything?
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Can our church become a kind of
model of an alternative society, which trains us for
responsible participation and respectful openness to different ideas, or
for solving conflicts (1.Corinthians 6,
1ff)?
In order to have an influence on
society, it is necessary to first realise that we are both part of the
problem and the solution. (Mark 10, 43)
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