The Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, has responded to Prime Minister Tony Blair’s new ‘respect action plan’ by calling on the Government to respect people also.
Dr Sentamu said of young people: “If they are not treated lovingly and forgivingly, they will be unforgiving. If we do not trust them, they will not trust us.”
The ‘respect action plan’ will see a national parenting academy, as well as possible temporary evictions of troublesome families and greater powers to involve the police on community issues.
Dr Sentamu spoke of the “indelible impression” made on the Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr Desmond Tutu, when a white priest in South Africa under apartheid, the late Bishop Trevor Huddleston CR, greeted the Archbishop’s mother, a black domestic worker, with the words, “Good morning, ma’am”.
Dr Sentamu, speaking to the BBC, said Trevor Huddleston’s show of respect had also made his own ministry possible.
The Government launched its ‘respect action plan’ to “tackle the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour”, and is designed to be a comprehensive package targeting families and young people who engage in anti social behaviour.
The plan aims to provide the most “challenging” families with more help in parenting, provide young people with more activities, and give more organisations the opportunity to apply for parenting orders when children misbehaved.
The Evangelical Alliance warned, however, that overturning the lack of respect in society would require more than just a quick fix.
“If the Government is really serious about tackling the causes, rather than the incidence, of anti-social behaviour and the lack of respect in society, it must do more to support agencies and groups who are seeking to mentor young people and families and instil values over the long term," said David Muir, its public policy director.
Mr Blair warned that he was not searching for a "golden age" of civility, but added he did not accept poverty was a reason for antisocial behaviour, saying: "In fact, I don't really think that is the case at all. The vast majority of people, including families on low incomes, behave perfectly properly."
