Charity and Social Justice: John Rawls at the Coalface

Thu 5 February

Emmanuel College

The complexities around the meaning of charity, and its relationship to government, go back, at least, to 1601 and the Charitable Uses Act, enacted towards the end of the reign of Elisabeth 1. In this talk, Matt Edge, CEO of the Cambridge Acorn Project will discuss some of the ethical quandaries this complex dichotomy between charity and social justice throws up. Whilst this is an academic question related to history, political philosophy and a number of other subjects, it is also a practical one being played out on the streets of Cambridge, and any other British village, town or city, as we speak. Therefore, this talk also seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice and the problem of social justice on the front line, regarding what Lipsky famously referred to as the ‘street level’ (Lipsky 1980). In doing so, and as part of the partnership with Emmanuel College we aim to set up, not just an academic dialogue, but also one which connects, immediately and locally, to the street level and the key work that is taking place there which is often considered to be charitable, but which may, as a result, be alleviating the burden of social justice on the state in ethically questionable ways.

Drinks in Harrods Room will follow the talk.

Meet the Speaker

In 2014, Matt Edge, a social worker and therapeutic practitioner trained in EMDR and VIG, founded Cambridge Acorn Project, a charity that provides therapeutic, structural, and environmental enrichment support to children and families who have experienced trauma and abuse and are facing financial hardship. Before this, Matt worked as a social worker for East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH) and the NSPCC in Coventry. As well as being CEO of Cambridge Acorn Project, Matt continues to undertake front-line therapeutic work supporting children and families. Through this work, Matt has developed the Cambridge Acorn Project’s panoramic inequality assessment, street-level trauma response system across Cambridgeshire, and he continues to work to develop child-led tools to talk about trauma.

Cost: Free