Faith Dialogue lecture
Monday 9 May 2011
‘Faith in the Big Society - an opportunity for faith communities or a fig leaf for cuts?’, will be the theme of the first annual ‘Faith Dialogue’ lecture hosted by Southampton Solent University.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Van Gore, will officially open the event and introduce the key note speaker, Francis Davis, on Thursday 26 May at the University’s Sir James Matthews Building.
Davis - a Fellow of the international think tank, the Young Foundation – was the former Faiths and Cohesion Advisor to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (SCLG) until May 2010. He then led on the launch of ‘the big society’ from SCLG working closely with Number 10 Downing Street.
In 2011 he directed the Mayor of London’s Inter-Faith Conference and is active in leadership development in local government, social action and enterprise. Davis lives in Southampton, worships in the Roman Catholic parish, was a co-founder of local award-winning social enterprise The SCA Group, and is a regular contributor to the national and international press.
He is also a member of the government’s committee ranking university humanities and area studies departments for the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.
Davis says: “The Big Society and The Good Society form the core questions at the heart of David Cameron’s Premiership, Ed Milliband’s leadership of the Labour Party and recent pronouncements by religious leaders. This lecture will examine their roots and assess the opportunities they present,or otherwise, for those living and working in the Solent Region.”
The lecture will be followed by a Question and Answer session and light refreshments.
This event will take place on Thursday 26 May 2011 from 17.15-19.00 pm in Southampton Solent University’s Sir James Matthews Building, 157-187 Above Bar Street, Southampton. Admission is free. For further information email events@solent.ac.uk.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE MEDIA OFFICE ON 023 8031 9040