Thursday 26 January 2012

Poverty Truth Commission lecture at Cairns

DONNA Barrowcliffe, Anne Marie Peffer and Martin Johnstone are giving the Roy Paterson Memorial Lecture at Cairns Church of Scotland parish, Milngavie, tonight (26 January 2012).

They are taking the "Nothing about us without us is for us" slogan as a starting point to look at the of the Poverty Truth Commission and how it offers a fresh way of tackling key public and political issues.

The key, of course, is that poverty can never be adequately addressed unless those at the sharp end are fully involved in finding and implementing solutions, rather than having policy 'done to them' from on high.

In practical terms, the agenda and approach of PTC is becoming evermore urgent in a context in which poverty has continued to grow across Britain, and at a time when recession and austerity are making life tougher for vulnerable communities.

As for the man the lecture is honouring. Roy Paterson was minister of Cairns for 29 years. Those close to him say: "Roy's ministry was considered the very embodiment of the New Testament idea of Christian living, clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Sadly, Roy died five years after retirement."

Full details here (**.PDF Adobe Acrobat file).

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