Who cares for the future of our communities?

Guido (Guy) Fawkes and his co-conspirators entered Parliament with honest intentions for an alternative long-term vision for England. In their case this was a Roman Catholic not Anglican future, and they were not successful.

This leads to the question, ‘who looks for the future of our communities’? Who is really concerned about their well-being in 50-80 years time, or beyond? How will we travel, trade, resource and feed ourselves in 2063? In a society obsessed with instant gratification for individuals the prospects for community futures are not clear, so who does care?

Probably not politicians, either local or national, because their sights are always on the next election 4-5 years on. This contradicts long term thinking and planning.

Public bodies such as the NHS, Network Rail or Environment Agency are concerned for the future but there sights are all too often limited by their political masters, and budgets constrained if not reduced.

Business people can sometimes think on a longer timescale but their visions tend to be shaped by their own commercial interests. Their purpose is to make financial profit and whilst this may bring economic benefit to a few it is not always in the interest of the common good or future generations.

The current debates about transport or energy are shaped a little by longer term considerations but the consequences of mega projects like HS2 or ‘fracking’ is that they will suck resources away from other more sustainable developments such as improved localised railways or community energy schemes. Big money for flagships usually means less for smaller vessels.

Scientists do see more than the immediate (hence their projections on global warming or species loss). But the application of science through technology is more instant, especially around IT.

The Media find it most difficult to see beyond their sales or viewing figures. Newspapers live on burning headlines and editors for the most part do not engage creatively with community life.

The answer to who really cares about communities is hopefully the communities themselves. In the end, local people in local places are the best placed to determine their own future. This is subsidiarity in action – no larger nor more distant than necessary. But this should not be seen in the context of parochialism and little Englishness. It is not a recipe for retreat into mythical pasts or narrow-minded conservatism. Our modern setting is global and universal: our belief is to be universal but our behaviour communal.

Localism or localisation can be a positive way forward for communities to seek solutions to their own issues and challenges. The weakness in their so doing is that the resources they need are not kept in the community. The global money-system bleeds local economies and creates poverty.

In the future regional banks, community trading schemes, local energy and food systems all point to a different way ahead in which trust is re-discovered and can re-invigorate a new confidence in the caring relationships we all need. Is this not a deeper discovery of faith which transforms life?