In 2010 the Conservative party released their general election manifesto, which included the flagship policy the Cameron-led government is now renowned for; 'Big Society'.

Big Society promised to encourage citizenship on a local level, and empower communities by taking power away from politicians and giving it to the people. Supported by a Big Society Network, the objectives include encouraging people to become more involved in communities, transferring power from central to local government, supporting co-ops, mutuals, charities, and social enterprises, and publishing government data.

However, the policy has received criticism for its severe spending cuts, which critics claim impact most heavily on the neediest members of society – whose number include a substantial population of ethnic minority people.

Number Games - Race Equality and the Big Society is a short documentary film produced by Runnymede in response to the Big Society policy, and sought to explore the question; Can the Big Society be a racially just one? In the film, Dr Rob Berkeley, travels to Chicago to find out how ethnic minority communities already living with similar policies use activism to implement positive social change.

In this post-screening Q&A, Runnymede director Dr Rob Berkeley and Rupert Daniel take audience questions, and discuss how racial equality can be kept on the Big Society agenda despite a reduction in financial support.

Rob Berkeley is director of Runnymede, the UK’s leading independent race-equality think tank. Rob is also a senior adviser to the British Council and a member of the Commission on 2020 Public Services.

Rupert Daniel is director of the Black South West Network, an organisation that works to improve access for Black Minority Ethnic (BME) and other disadvantaged and excluded community organisations in South West England.

Presented by the Black South West Network in partnership with Watershed.

Related Links:
Runnymede Trust 
Black South West Network

Posted on Wed 14 Sept 2011.

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