Britiain Moves To Strengthen Voice of Faith-Based Groups In Government

In Britain, Communities Secretary John Denham yesterday announced a series of steps to help faith groups have their voices heard by government. The Department of Communities and Local Government has set up a £1 million Faith Leadership in Government Fund. National faith-based organizations are invited to bid for grants to strengthen their capacity to engage and challenge government. A £50,000 Innovation in Faith-Based Social Action Prize has been created to call attention to innovative faith-based projects. Finally the Department has released a 3-page paper countering some of the common myths about faith-based funding. The British Humanist Association released a statement criticizing these developments, arguing that "faith groups already enjoy a privileged voice in the ear of government." [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]