church action on poverty

Dignity, Agency and Power

CAP works with three key words: Dignity, Agency and Power.
Dignity is based on the scriptural and theological idea that all people are created in the image of God. This implies that resources such as money, food and fuel should be shared so that all can have the means of a good life.
Agency means that people should be able to take effective action for change.
Power relates to the fact that people should have power over the decisions that affect their lives. It also implies that the way economic and political power is used should enable people to live together with a just sharing of resources.
Poverty robs people of their dignity, agency and power and this is the focus of the work of CAP.
 

CAP in Action
CAP is working to build a movement for change built on the insights and the voice of people living in poverty (or ‘on the margins’). Here we would like to briefly share some of the current initiatives:

Local Organising and Networking
Poverty Truth Network – In many cities and regions Poverty Truth Commissions have been established. These are made up of local people experiencing poverty and are a way for decision makers to listen to this experience and share the wisdom which arises from it to impact on decisions about policy. These are difficult discussions which require building empathy and trust to work on concrete issues of exploitation and the unjust social benefits system. The experience is that such commissions can be transformational because people in poverty have a real say. The Poverty truth Network brings the local Commissions into a learning process.
Participatory Budgeting – CAP pioneered this initiative which gives people in a locality a say in decision making about how public money is spent in their community. It means developing a process whereby a broad range of people and local organisations discuss spending priorities together. They vote on proposals and monitor the implementation of their ideas. This process has been adopted by many municipalities in England and is being implemented in Scotland.

Self-Organising
Self-Reliant Groups – Together with four other groups working in partnership, more than 100 Self-Reliant Groups are in operation. They bring people together in groups with a common background, usually living in an area where the common element is living in poverty. It is very important that the group builds trust and reinforces the ‘agency’ of the people involved. The groups meet regularly, and the leadership is rotated. The starting point is sharing skills, interests and creativity and the groups also save together regularly. They may then begin to produce and sell some products or services. Although the income is quite small, the experience of working together is powerful. The groups are networked and meet together online. Most of the members are women and about 40% are immigrants.
Your Local Pantry - is a network of community food stores which creates an alternative to food banks and other initiatives run for people in food poverty. In contrast these food stores are run by local people and obtaining food is not based on people having to prove they need help. The shops aim to be a long-term way to support food sustainability. Your Local Pantry has developed a franchise model so the good experience in different places can be shared. The store is run on cooperative lines, by and for the members, and each member pays a small weekly fee, so they have a stake in their Local Pantry. Membership is open to all, and the Pantry has the look and feel of a small shop. More than 90% of members say the Local Pantry has improved their household finances and 70% of members say it has improved their connection to their local community.

National Organising
Speaking Truth to Power – recently this aspect of CAP work has focussed on food poverty and a ‘food experiences’ panel of experts living with food poverty has been established. Speaking Truth to Power has been working to change the national policies regarding food security and sustainability. One key aspect has been focussing on young peoples’ experience of food poverty and enabling them to speak out at a time when the government has been cutting food support for school students. CAP Children’s’ Right to Food Ambassadors, working with others forced the government to change its policy on free school meals in 2021.

Working with Churches, Local and National
Church on the Margins – CAP supports churches to explore and reflect on what it means to be a ‘church on the margins’. This process aims to develop local churches which understand what it means to be a church of the poor in practice. It also means working with national churches and church institutions to prioritise the poorest and most marginalised communities with new resources of finance, ministry and training. A peer learning process, which is part of this project runs regular sessions on Zoom and in this way a national online community has been created.
Theological and Biblical reflection – CAP produces Biblical reflection material and ideas for worship related to the national Poverty Sunday which it organises.
This short article gives a window into the vibrant organisation which is CAP and of course there is much more to explore. The main driving forces is that the church must stop thinking it has all the answers and must listen to the voices and wisdom of people and to work with them to strengthen ‘dignity, agency and power’.

For more information see: https://www.church-poverty.org.uk