Faith and belief engagement strategy

Principles of Engagement

These principles will underpin Scottish Government's engagement with faith and belief communities in Scotland.

Recognising Diversity

• The Scottish Government recognises and respects the wide diversity of tradition and practices among faith and belief communities, different denominations and groups.
• It is understood that faith and belief communities have a wide array of interests, some of which will be shared with others, whilst others will be particular to an individual community.
• The Scottish Government will aim to engage with as wide a group of communities as practicable, and on a proportionate and equitable basis.
• Our approach to engagement should take account of the scale and capacity of different faith and belief organisations, and aim to be inclusive for minority groups and those with fewer resources.

Effective Communication

• Communications between Scottish Government and faith and belief communities should be clear and should allow sufficient time for responses to be collated when requested.
• Communication should happen at an early stage in both routine policy development and in emergency situations.
• The responsibility for effective communication rests with both Scottish Government and faith and belief communities: engagement is a two way process.
• Mutual understanding between faith and belief communities and Scottish Government is key to building trust.

Respecting Disagreement

• Faith and belief communities and Scottish Government are in their own fields autonomous and independent of one another.
• It is expected that disagreement and challenge will occur and this is a healthy aspect of any working relationship.
• The autonomy of faith and belief communities and Scottish Government, and disagreement on some issues, does not exclude co-operation in other areas.

Encouraging Collaboration

• Collaboration and shared action between Scottish Government and faith and belief communities in the service of Scotland, is welcomed.
• However, such collaboration does not compromise the role of faith and belief communities in offering robust and respectful critique of Scottish Government policies.
• Faith and belief communities provide a wealth of services across Scottish society, which should be recognised as welcome support whilst not placing an expectancy of service provision upon these communities.

Understanding Representation

• Interfaith organisations have a vital role in sharing expertise on religious diversity in Scotland, interfaith relations and dialogue, and community cohesion.
• They cannot, and are not expected to speak on behalf of individual faith and belief communities.
• The Scottish Government recognises that faith is personal as well as collective, and that there will be divergence of views within faith and belief communities.
• Different faiths and associated organisations have different structures. Whilst some hierarchical structures and representative bodies allow for an authoritative view, others can only offer a more general consensus based on democratic principles.
• Faith and belief leaders cannot necessarily speak for the whole membership and it is important to understand the nature of their representation.
• Intersectional issues in representation, for example, in relation to gender, age, sexual orientation etc., will be given due consideration and inclusion of marginal voices will be encouraged.