On 4 May many of us will go the ballot box and vote for candidates in local council elections.
Over the last four years we have seen two referendums and a General Election, and in the midst of all of this it is easy to disengage from local politics.
And yet local democracy remains a vital part of our communities, the decisions that are made have a direct impact on congregations, church members, their friends and their families. This is an opportunity to focus on the local.
In the run up to this election, the Scottish Churches Parliame ntary Office (SCPO) and the Joint Public issues Team (JPIT) have produced “Explore” – a resource to help congregations engage with these elections and to explore some of the issues within their communities.
While conventional hustings bring communities together to listen to candidates, “Explore” is based on the idea that the community can gather to hear from some of those in greatest need, enable them to share their stories and allow the candidates to respond directly. This is an opportunity to do politics differently and to move to a more conversational politics, where people rather than parties are at the centre of the decision making process.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions and let us know what you organise!
The Explore resource can be downloaded here
