The first Cathedral Thinking event and the launch of the Friends of St Paul’s Cathedral Dundee, took place on Saturday 20th November 2021. Jacky Close, the Director of Faith in Community Dundee, was the inaugural speaker for Cathedral Thinking, an annual lecture in St Paul’s Cathedral exploring topical issues in a wider perspective. The Bishop of Brechin, the Right Revd Andrew Swift, chaired the event.
Speaking on ‘Experts by Experience’, Jacky outlined the work of the Dundee Fairness Commissions. These innovative projects have given a voice to those who suffer from structural injustices in our city, enabling them to engage with decision-makers in the city so that actions to address these issues can be informed by people’s experience of what those actions will mean in practice.
Jacky described how her team were able to support the Commissioners to share their own stories of life in Dundee with city councillors and sometimes Scottish Cabinet ministers. This was a vision of how political decisions could be made in a way that respects the people those decisions will most affect, and of how political discussion can be reshaped to include and respect everyone.
This was a great launch for Cathedral Thinking, which aims to let people hear about initiatives and ideas that are the opposite of a quick fix, that have a deeper perspective, that show the kind of long-term planning and commitment needed to build something big – like a cathedral. Cathedral Thinking is an annual event, so look out for it in November 2022.
The Friends of St Paul’s Cathedral Dundee sponsor Cathedral Thinking and this evening was also their launch. The Friends support the development of the Cathedral as a hub for cultural activity in the city. They also help to care for the fabric of this unique and beautiful building, and they organise a lively series of events. You can join the Friends or find out more here.