Pages 5 final.qxp_Dignity, Agency, Power 14/04/2022 13:16 Page 23
Dignity
state would be to enable that. “The Poverty Truth Commission brings you into a situation where you can make a change because you are talking to the people who have decision-making power and they are listening because they want to learn, and it’s dignified. Nobody thinks less of you because you are poor or are struggling or have been homeless. Instead, people recognise that you have some expertise, skills and knowledge that we all need. “That gives you the power again that most people have over a substantial part of their life, where you can make a difference in your own life but also in the lives of other people, so you know you are making a difference in the world. You are helping other people’s lives to be better, which everyone wants to do. “Humans are social creatures; we like to help one another out. Part of poverty is not just that you can’t support yourself; it’s not being able to help other people either because you’re so restricted in your own finances, your own time, your own resources. That is a really horrible place to be in. So to have people listen to you, to take you seriously, to implement your suggestions, to actually want to give you some control and give you the decision-making power, that’s a really wonderful experience.” Drawing on her faith, Stef adds: “Every person has been created by God and that’s what gives us our dignity. Part of how we worship God is how we live lives that display God’s character to other people, and part of God’s character is a massive concern for people in poverty and therefore, one of the things that Christians are called to do, to worship God and to serve him, is to stand up for people in poverty, stand up against injustice and work for change so that poverty can be eradicated.” Sandra Rice: “Small changes can make a big change.” How do we protect and rebuild dignity and power, with people who feel powerless and small? How do we nurture personal agency among people who, right now, need help? Sandra Rice co-founded Migrant Support, a group in Manchester that actively responds to those questions day in, day out, as they work not merely to walk alongside people marginalised by society, but to end that
23
