Shopping List

A day off and time to think... a dangerous business that has me thinking what my shopping list of suggestions might be to Yorkshire Forward.
Don't lose sight of that original vision of community engagement at all stages of the renaissance process. In a community used to big government, like sweden I have seen how this can be disempowering. Communities such as those I have seen in the Dearne Valley can have their vision encouraged and their confidence boosted by involvement in renaissance.
We need a way to quantify the "hidden" outcomes of Yorkshire Forward's work in countryside and towns. I know that their is a happiness index, is it possible to measure growth in entrepeneurship.
Faith communities like young people and farmers are a special case. They have resources that need to be factored in and not ignored. They have unmanaged workspaces which have been and could grow in their capacity to support local entrepeneurs. How often have you heard someone say: "we started in a church hall." they have a huge volunteer base and are significant small businesses in the communities they serve. They are however like Cinderella with amnesia. They need a prince to recognise their beauty and invite them to the ball.
British Government is brilliant at working in partnership ways with faith groups in other countries but is reluctant in this country. As "Moral but no compass" has shown there is a terrible virtual image of particularly christianity, which like the "virtual picture" of the English Countryside or the North of England makes for bizarre policy decisions. Could we not use our Renaissance networks to find out what faith groups are doing economically and what more they could do if they were "allowed in." At the moment they are treated with suspicion as a community organisation and disregarded as trading organisations. They even have to pay VAT.

It's time to renogotiate the church state settlement in Britain so that all faiths can have a creative partnership with community, business and state for the good of all the people.
I would like to see that process begin here in Yorkshire.

That's the shopping list so far... I wonder what it will be by next Wednesday... Tell me what you think.