PARISH OF STS COLUMBANUS & GALL – MILLTOWN
SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT February 2008
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF OUR TWINNING PARTNER
1. CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE PARISH
The project should entail a strong element of consciousness-raising, offering parishioners the opportunity to learn of the difficulties faced by our twinning partners and to learn more about the social injustices which exist in the world. The impact of the project should be felt not just by the recipients but also by the donors through an awareness of receiving as well as giving.
2. FOCUS OF OUR HELPING HAND
It will be an objective that the project will enhance the dignity of our twinning partners.
As much as possible, its objective will be to promote self reliance; rather than creating dependency, it should be about helping people to develop their own resources and to help themselves.
It would be desirable, but not a precondition, that the group partnered by us would also have the capability in time to similarly assist another group in a comparable project.
For the parish, the objective is for us to help as individuals and as a community to understand better and to meet more fully the obligations of justice as set out in the gospels.
3. TYPE OF NEEDS
These can be countering economic hardship, social oppression, or any other type of basic human need (or any combination of these).
4. IDENTITY/ETHOS
It is not a requirement that our partner be a Catholic Parish – though, all other things being equal, it could be: it is recognised that reliable local contacts are vital, and that often this is via a priest working on the spot.
5. PROJECT TYPE AND LOCATION
There is no pre-stipulated project type or location.
6. DECISION-MAKING
The division of responsibility and decision making between the two partners will be clearly delineated in advance.
7. TYPE OF CONTACT
The issue of what type of and level of contact we would have with our twinning partner would be clarified in advance. This would include issues of opportunities for visiting our twinning partners (or for their visiting us) and of our being able to return to the parish here with reports of the progress made and benefits as a result of the twinning process.
8. MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
It is important that a reliable means of monitoring the progress of the project or of subjecting it to periodic evaluation should be established. Moreover, the issue of control and accountability for all finances is vital. The type of control we would have over financial expenditures would be clearly set out and agreed at the outset. The specific measures most appropriate for monitoring/evaluation and for financial control would depend on the project adopted.
9. STRUCTURE OF THE PARISH SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUP
The Parish Social Justice Group is formally constituted with a clearly designated role structure, having a chairperson, and secretary, and with meetings reliably minuted, and with regular reporting to the Parish Pastoral Council, to which - as the ultimate representative body of parishioners – it is accountable.
It is recognised that the Parish Social Justice Group is at present focused on the process of selecting a partner twinning project. Once this task has been completed, it is foreseeable that the structure of the group will change. When the twinning project has been chosen, it is likely that additional skills will need to be brought on board to carry the project forward. The focus then will be on deciding what we will do with and for our partners - and then actually doing it.
10. ADMINISTRATION COSTS
It is a clear requirement that the project selected would be one which had minimal administration costs, and that the maximum possible proportion of the parish monies would find its way directly to the project.
PARISH OF STS COLUMBANUS & GALL – MILLTOWN
SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT February 2008
MECHANISM FOR SELECTION OF OUR TWINNING PARTNER
• Proposals for a twinning partnership are invited from individuals or groups within the parish and are to be submitted to the Parish office by 16 March 2008.
• Submissions are to be in written form (with emphasis on substance rather than presentation); it is envisaged that oral presentations may subsequently be invited at which proposals can be further clarified and elaborated.
• The Parish Social Justice Group is responsible for selecting the best proposal and recommending it to the Parish Pastoral Council for ratification.
• Selection will be made according to the criteria set out above.
• All proposals will be given fair and equal consideration.
• To avoid possible conflicts of interest, any person making a proposal will not be involved in the selection process.
