Las Casas director appointed government advisor
16 Nov 09
Francis Davis, director of the Las Casas Institute at Blackfriars Hall, has been named as a government policy advisor on faith and communities.
Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced the appointment. Mr Davis, a Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, will be advising the Secretary of State directly on policy around faith, social action and social cohesion. He will combine what will be a senior civil service role with his ongoing directorship of the Las Casas Institute.
‘Coming so soon after the launch of the Las Casas Institute, this is a great honour,’ said Davis. ‘I hope to be able to both make a contribution in my own areas of specialism and have opportunities to draw on research from Oxford’s world-class centres on social enterprise, mutual businesses, migration and public policy and management as well as Muslim and Jewish Studies as the role develops. This is a fascinating opportunity as the Department for Communities and Local Government is the lead department of state on faith and faith communities across government.’
The Las Casas Institute at Blackfriars Hall launched a year ago aiming to combine a commitment to scholarly enquiry and a vision to develop and expand innovative models of community service. It focuses on ethics, governance and social justice with a special interest in the interface between faith and public life. It was named after Bartolome De Las Casas OP who has been described as 'the founder of modern human rights'.
In the coming fortnight it will welcome the BBC Director General and the Shadow Secretary of State for Enterprise and Climate Change to lecture in the Hall.