Projects
Hefce Religious and Inter Faith Literacy Leadership Project
Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education is a collaborative partnership to equip universities to respond to the challenges of a multi-faith society. The programme is led by York St John University and directed by Adam Dinham. Working with Vice Chancellor 'champions', the programme will develop leadership and skills for religious literacy in higher education settings, helping them to shape a thriving environment for working and living together in society across differences - and similarities - of faith. For further information see http://religiousliteracyhe.org or contact Adam Dinham a.dinham (@gold.ac.uk)
Faiths and Community Development
This project models and develops an understanding of what faith based community development is in practice and conceptually, and identifies the features which make it distinctive and which add value to mainstream community development. It was funded by the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund in the Department of Communities and Local Government in the UK government. This project was conducted in partnership with CDX, CCWA and FbRN. The publication Priceless; Unmeasureable?, is available [pdf].
Faiths and Social Enterprise
In a context where government is keen to promote self help via social enterprise amongst parts of the voluntary and community sector, this project explores the perspectives of faith communities on social enterprise as an activity with which they might engage. The research develops an understanding of what faith communities are doing, what their attitudes and feelings are in relation to this ‘capitalist’ model and what the practice challenges and problems are for getting engaged. It was funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland and was conducted in partnership with FbRN and the regional faiths forums in the nine English regions. The report Faiths & Frontiers On StarshipSocial Enterprise, bolding going as faith based entrepreneur is available [pdf].
ESRC Seminar Series on Faiths and Civil Society
The Unit hosted an international seminar series over 2007 and 2008 examining the role of faiths in civil society. The series provided a series of opportunities for networking between policy makers, practitioners and researchers in this field, as the basis of developing a strong understanding of the issues, problems and concepts underpinning this area. The seminar papers are available. For more details see www.esrc.ac.uk and search for ‘Faiths and Civil Society’. We plan to host a second series of seminars in 2009 – 2011.
Faiths and Public Tendering
This project considers the needs of faith communities wishing to engage in recently extended opportunities for tendering to provide public services. The Focus is on skills and practices, with a reflective dimension exploring the role of faith communities in this specific area of public action. The project was funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
FaithNetEast
FaithNetEast is an organisation co-directed by the Faiths and Civil Society Unit and the East of England Faiths Council. It digests and disseminates policy and practice opportunities to faith communities across the Eastern region and acts as a conduit for policy makers, practitioners and researchers from the grass roots up to regional governance and back again. In doing so it also provides community development input to faith based projects and applies a process of critical reflection which is then shared round this region and nationally as a basis for identifying better and best practice in faith based public action. FaithNetEast is funded by the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.
FaithsBase
FaithsBase is a database of more than 2500 faith based projects and organisations in the East of England region which has been made publicly available through a searchable website (www.faithneteast.org.uk). It is intended to support better networking between faith groups around the region. It also supports a demographic and characteristic analysis of faith based activity in the region and is used to inform policy and strategy in the regional development agency It is funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
The Mustard Seed Effect
This project examines the wider role of the Church Urban Fund in areas of urban disadvantage beyond its grant making impacts and into the strategic role it plays nationally, regionally and locally. The project is funded by the Church Urban Fund and a report is available from Church House bookshop, UK.
Faith as Social Capital
The project explores the role of faith communities as possible 'connectors' or 'dividers' in society through the notion of social capital. The work was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and led by Sheffield Hallam University, UK. A full report is available online.
Priceless and Measurable Research Tool
Following from the 2006 review of research about what faiths do in their communities and the resulting report Priceless; Unmeasureable?, this research tool has been developed to help measure, or identify what faiths do in communities. It is designed to help faith communities demonstrate their value and their needs to partners, funders, practitioners and policy makers and also to sharpen their understanding of their own work, to reflect constructively on their usefulness and effectiveness, what the challenges are and how things might need to change or develop.
International Research Fellowship
The International Research Fellowship in International Peace Studies with the University of Calgary will explore the public role of faiths in the promotion of peace as this is played out in local communities. Comparative case studies in London and Calgary will examine how faiths contribute to community cohesion across and between different faith traditions.
The programme will include the development of an International Peace Studies course with a focus on faith and a public lecture on the subject of the contribution and challenges of public faith to peace in communities.