Culture matters... nationally and locally.
The Big Society... was the focus of a conference I was at last week where many different presentations were given to both champion and challenge the idea of the Big S.
Most were from an English based perspective, people whose ideas or organisations had gained from the idea, so naturally were championing it on all fronts.
Challengers were mostly from a Scottish perspective... hey ho... but what was clear was that no one really could say that they shared a view of what the Big S. could be/is, with anyone else. Well, on any major level. Was this just a poison chalice for us in Scotland, as one session suggested.
The examples from England were creative and exciting but as far as society goes, mostly diversionary and full of quick fix bedazzle in terms of image and so on... no doubt impacting on some individuals but really not on any society that most in this room recognised... and short term too. What was also scoring high on the Ho Hum scale was the ubiquitous photo opportunities that involved various UK politicians. There was no meaning, no sincerity, no depth. No understanding.
The short term nature of these initiatives perhaps really does reflect the world we are in... sustainable now can last a month or two, a year or so... and learning for us all?... well, let’s see what is what at the end of it... as these creatives move onto another project cum income stream.
A representative from the Scottish voluntary sector suggested that this “will not only not work in Scotland, it won’t even get started.”
Can’t tell us how to grow Community...
Culture and cultures matter in community work. Seems so obvious.
Why do so many agencies ignore that?
