Any society is shaped by its Government.
If politicians act with justice then society will be enriched and not only society at large but the lives of
individuals and families.
But sometimes Government's need to be challenged to act justly.
The broad church that is the conservative party sends out a mix of confusing messages pro and anti Europe, human rights, welfare, education, health care and taxation.
The extreme right of the party makes its hysterical demands and is largely unelectable but the 'one society' conservatives on the other extreme can from time to time sound quite convincing to some people which is what makes it dangerous.
Which is why civil society must be built on a broad alliance of community organisations, religious groups, political parties, trades unions and others.
We can all remember that marvellous moment when Tony Blair was barracked by the WI it was the scariest moment of his Prime Minister-ship and only lacked the soundtrack of Jerusalem to be complete.
At a meeting this morning I heard about the work of The Mothers Union as the speaker put it not quite the WI with prayers rather than Jerusalem.
One particular project run by the MU appealed to me.
Each year the organisation sends handwritten Christmas cards to prisoners in young offenders institutions.
Often that card is the only card a young person will receive.
Having been stripped of their own clothes at the beginning of their sentence and received a number in place of their name the card they receive is a reminder to them that someone knows where they are and that their name is made to count.
Of course the Mothers Union is not the only agency that practices small acts of kindness, they are far more common than people realise.
I have always enjoyed the story told of Trevor Huddlestone, when he was a parish priest in Soweto, doffing his cap to Desmond Tutu's mother.
That act of respect was a small act of kindness in itself, acknowledging the existence of the mother as a fellow human being. This inspired Desmond Tutu's vocation and within it lay the seeds of the collapse of Apartheid.
In families children and grandchildren can be the most common source of such acts of kindness and elders can be the beneficiaries but it works both ways.
As the party conference season draws to a close in Manchester it is worth reflecting on the kind of society we want and the steps, both personal and political, we need to take to achieve that society.
Kindness is a pretty soft word but where would we be without it?
If politicians act with justice then society will be enriched and not only society at large but the lives of
individuals and families.
But sometimes Government's need to be challenged to act justly.
The broad church that is the conservative party sends out a mix of confusing messages pro and anti Europe, human rights, welfare, education, health care and taxation.
The extreme right of the party makes its hysterical demands and is largely unelectable but the 'one society' conservatives on the other extreme can from time to time sound quite convincing to some people which is what makes it dangerous.
Which is why civil society must be built on a broad alliance of community organisations, religious groups, political parties, trades unions and others.
We can all remember that marvellous moment when Tony Blair was barracked by the WI it was the scariest moment of his Prime Minister-ship and only lacked the soundtrack of Jerusalem to be complete.
At a meeting this morning I heard about the work of The Mothers Union as the speaker put it not quite the WI with prayers rather than Jerusalem.
One particular project run by the MU appealed to me.
Each year the organisation sends handwritten Christmas cards to prisoners in young offenders institutions.
Often that card is the only card a young person will receive.
Having been stripped of their own clothes at the beginning of their sentence and received a number in place of their name the card they receive is a reminder to them that someone knows where they are and that their name is made to count.
Of course the Mothers Union is not the only agency that practices small acts of kindness, they are far more common than people realise.
I have always enjoyed the story told of Trevor Huddlestone, when he was a parish priest in Soweto, doffing his cap to Desmond Tutu's mother.
That act of respect was a small act of kindness in itself, acknowledging the existence of the mother as a fellow human being. This inspired Desmond Tutu's vocation and within it lay the seeds of the collapse of Apartheid.
In families children and grandchildren can be the most common source of such acts of kindness and elders can be the beneficiaries but it works both ways.
As the party conference season draws to a close in Manchester it is worth reflecting on the kind of society we want and the steps, both personal and political, we need to take to achieve that society.
Kindness is a pretty soft word but where would we be without it?
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