Faith advocacy and the EU anti-poverty process: a case of Caritas

Abstract

Caritas in Europe is both the EU's largest voluntary sector network of any kind, and also comprises Europe's biggest religious NGO. This article tracks the Europeanization of its advocacy as part of an European Commission-funded initiative to engage civil society networks in the improvement of national social inclusion strategy designs. Noting the impact of state structure and civil service actions on the form and impact of such faith-based advocacy, the article draws out fresh insights for the UK debate on the role of religious organizations in welfare reform and advocacy, not least the appropriate assessment of ‘the local’, ‘motivating ideas’ and the need for the development of a new and ‘adaptive leadership’ style by public managers.

Notes

*From interviews for Moral, But No Compass (Davis et al., 2008) and ongoing studies nationally, in Norwich and Hampshire on ‘public benefit’ of faith communities.

*‘Caritas (2008)’ here refers to three cycles of interviews and surveys carried out 2006 to 2008 across the EU by F. Davis, J. Stankeviciute and J. Rossiter with Caritas experts, chief executive officers and staff. Key aspects of the study are available as the working papers CONCEPT—The European Social Inclusion Process, Civil Society and the Caritas Contribution (Caritas); European Public Value—An Interim Assessment (Caritas and VHI) and the forthcoming From CONCEPT to PROGRESS (Caritas).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francis Davis

He is a Fellow of the Young Foundation.