Lords to meet with local council, university, school and community leaders
On Thursday 16 November members of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement will visit Sheffield as part of their inquiry.
Chairman of the Committee Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, Lord Blunkett, Baroness Eaton, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, Baroness Lister of Burtersett, Baroness Morris of Yardley and Lord Rowe-Beddoe will meet representatives from the Council, Sheffield University, staff and pupils from Byron Wood Academy, and community leaders to discuss issues relating to citizenship, civil engagement and social inclusion in the city.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts said: “British Society has experienced many changes in recent years and this has put new stresses and strains upon it. Citizenship and civic engagement are a vital part of the “glue” that maintains a cohesive and tolerant society. We're looking forward to the meetings in Sheffield and feeding the issues faced by the city into our inquiry."
The Committee was set up to consider the issues of citizenship and civic engagement in the twenty-first century, to understand the nature of the citizenship challenge for different parts of society; the aim being to identify new ways of building bridges within and between communities, and to support civic engagement. The Committee has been taking written and oral evidence from a range of witnesses since September.
The Committee is keen to continue to hear from people all over the country who have an interest in this topic, who work with communities who are disengaged as well as from people who are disengaged themselves. A web forum has been set up on the Committee's web page to encourage anyone and everyone to get involved.
Questions the Committee is especially interested in are:
- Why do so many groups in society appear to feel disengaged and 'left behind'? How could they be supported and encouraged to participate more in public life?
- How did Sheffield University arrange for new students to be registered as electors?
- Are there specific values or beliefs that are important within British society?
- What role might citizenship education play in terms of promoting shared values and the skills necessary to engage in
