North Edinburgh’s Power to the People group is hosting a session to discuss human rights tonight in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre tonight. Continue reading Power to the People talks Human Rights tonight
Tag: activism
Robin’s at Royston Wardieburn
Robin McAlpine, director of The Common Weal – a vision for a better Scotland, is speaking at an event organised by the Power to the People group taking place this morning at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
The event runs from 10am – midday: it’s free, no booking necessary – all welcome!
For more information visit the Living In Harmony Facebook page, e-mail Luke Campbell at student@pchp.org.uk or call Lynn McCabe on 552 5700 – email lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk
Power to the People: double event this week
Please see below publicity advertising two information and discussion sessions being hosted by the Power to the People group this week. Continue reading Power to the People: double event this week
Get together, make a difference on International Women’s Day
I am writing to invite you to this year’s International Women’s Day event which takes place next Tuesday (8 March) in Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre, Pilton Drive North. We have decided to combine this year’s event with our third Getting Together Making a Difference event.
As you will see from the leaflet there will be films, poetry, music, stories, discussion and food – all the ingredients for a nice get together with friends and neighbours! We have organised a crèche for pre-school children to allow as many women as possible to take part. Please book a crèche place in advance as the crèche is likely to be very busy (tel 552 5700 or 551 1671).
Registration is at 10am in the reception area and we will be starting at 10.15 in room F34 upstairs. Lunch will be served at 1pm.
I would be grateful if you would forward the leaflet to any local women you know who might be interested in joining us.
Lynn McCabe (on behalf of the planning group)
Death by a thousand cuts
North Edinburgh activists urge: reject the budget cuts!
North Edinburgh’s Power to the People adult education group is among the many deputations who will be urging councillors to think again at this morning’s budget meeting. This is what they plan to say: Continue reading Death by a thousand cuts
Sign up for North Edinburgh community conference
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 13 February 9.30 – 3pm
NORTH EDINBURGH COMMUNITY CONFERENCE
Organised by Community Action North and Granton Improvement Society
WHAT NEXT FOR OUR COMMUNITY?
Challenges and opportunities facing North Edinburgh
North Edinburgh is facing tough times. Services are being cut, jobs are hard to come by and some of our projects are struggling to survive.
But maybe it’s not all doom and gloom. Our community has some great resources, and chief among these is our people: the activists and the volunteers, young and old.
This important conference will discuss what our community needs – and work out how, together, we can get where we want to be.
We believe the people who know best are the people who live here. North Edinburgh needs your ideas – come along and help us to map out a positive future for our community.
Lunch provided
Free crèche available (MUST be booked in advance)
Contact: 0131 315 6405 or email communityactionnorth@gmail.com | grantonimprovementsociety.wordpress.com
NO fracking thanks!
Hundreds take part in anti-fracking event
An estimated two thousand people took part in the Hands Over Our Forth event on the Forth Road Bridge yesterday.
Anti-fracking groups, community organisations and concerned individuals from across Scotland and beyond joined together to answer a call to demand an all-out ban on Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). They argue that UCG is a dangerous experimental technology with a track record of failure and plans for projects in Scotland must be stopped.
The protesters are urging the Scottish government to include UCG in the temporary ‘fracking’ ban prior to demanding an all-out ban in Scotland.
In what was a good-natured event, around two thousand protesters joined hands to form a human chain across the Forth Road Bridge. They came from far and wide – North Edinburgh was well-represented (above) – and there was international support from absent friends on the other side of the world too. Kindred spirits joined hands across Tasmania’s Forth Bridge and used social media to add their voice to the protest (below)!
Pictures by Eileen Penman, Elaine Graham, Lynn McCabe and Bob Brown down under!
Something inside so strong
Local women get together again to make a difference
Royston Wardieburn Community Centre-based Womens International Group (WIG) held a successful follow-up to their June ‘Getting Together, Making A Difference‘ event last month. Here’s the conference report:
Background
The first Getting Together Making a Difference event took place on 18 June 2015. A new exhibition created by the Women’s International Group was launched at the event. The exhibition celebrated the achievements of local women through the decades who individually and collectively have made a huge contribution to the community of North Edinburgh.
The event also included the screening of 2 short films on the theme of home created by a local women’s group from North Edinburgh and a group of women from Maryhill who were refugees and asylum seekers. Below is an extract of the comments made by participants during the discussion after the film:
- Very strong films
- All of us should work together to stop this kind of thing happening in this community (dawn raids, immigration vans driving around the area, people being sent back to dangerous situations)
- We need to reach out to people and stand with them but there needs to be trust for this to happen
- Together we have a big voice to change things
- The film makes you realise how fortunate we are – many people have nothing – not even a home
- It’s amazing to know that there are people out there who are prepared to help
- it would be good to show publicly how much of what we hear is myths. There needs to be education for young and old about this.
The following decisions came out the meeting:
- Organise a follow-up meeting
- Screen the other Making it Home films
- Screen the Glasgow Girls – shows people coming together to fight these issues
- Challenge the myths
- Publicise the Making it Home project
Aims of second Getting Together Making a Difference event
- To raise awareness about the issues facing different groups within the community
- To build links/solidarity between different groups
- To develop ideas for tackling poverty and discrimination
- To increase the involvement of different groups in all aspects of the community.
GETTING TOGETHER MAKING A DIFFERENCE
(SECOND EVENT)
Session 1: Home
Following the screening of the Making It Home films, participants were asked to pair up with another person to discuss what home meant to them. The following comments were made during the feedback session:
Home is:
- Where you feel safe and secure
- Where you can sleep safely and warm
- Where your family is, whoever they are
- Where you feel you belong
- Where you have memories
- Where you can be part of the community
- Where you are valued and respected
- A safe environment to bring up children
- Where you can invite friends for gathering
- My room
- A place to sleep
- Where’s there’s love
- A bit of a hell hole
- Where you learn things and hear different opinions
- Where there’s fun and laughter
- A place of protection where your needs are met.
- Where you meet each other and are recognised by others
- Where you don’t have to live in fear
- Where you can be yourself without being judged
- A place where people can learn from each other and politics doesn’t get in the way of relationships
- A place where you share food and be with other people
- Being part of a group / community.
It was pointed out by a number of participants that a lot of homes and communities aren’t safe and supportive and that this situation has a huge impact on people’s everyday lives.
We took time to reflect on the fact that ‘home’ is not a safe place for many people around the world at the moment. In Syria, for example, 11 million people have had to leave their homes and their communities over the last 4 years to escape war and persecution. Over 4 million of those displaced by the conflict have been forced to leave their homeland in search of a safer future in a different country. Sadly, many thousands of those seeking refuge have died on those treacherous journeys hundreds of miles from home.
Siobhan Glean, an inspirational black woman, who has made North Edinburgh her home, recited an extract from a powerful poem by Maya Angelou. The words were chosen because they resonate with the experience of refugees and asylum seekers facing hostility, racism and inhumane treatment in many parts of Europe today:
Still I Rise
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
We were then led by the Timebank Temptations in a song which reflected support and compassion for our fellow humans caught up in the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War:
What is peace to you
We are calling compassion for all
Everybody has the right to a safe home.
Part 2: Getting Together. Making a Difference
We were inspired by a film made in 1993 by Muirhouse Anti-Racism Campaign. The film and the testimonies of those involved in the campaign highlighted the importance of showing solidarity with people who are being discriminated against and how much can be achieved when a few committed people join together.
We are reminded about the dangers of racism by the following quote by Willie Adams, one of the founder members of MARC:
“Most white people don’t understand that racism of this sort affects them as well. Quite apart from the fact that racism is wrong, they don’t see how easy it is for prejudice to divide the community. Racism is not a solution, it’s a way of distracting people’s attention from the real issues.”
Part 3: Where do we go from here?
Those present expressed their wish to build a stronger and more supportive community. The following suggestions were put forward with regard to how this might be achieved:
Action Points:
- Challenge myths about immigration / refugees. Education is essential. We need to arm ourselves with the facts.
- Use positive terminology/positive language when referring to people
- Involve young people from various backgrounds in youth groups. There also needs to be more black and minority ethnic youth workers
- Examine the causes of immigration what causes people to flee their countries
- Come up with ways of reaching isolated people
- Celebrate different cultures ie the international night being held in Granton Primary school
- Build links and trust between different groups
- Get involved in political campaigning
- Establish a buddy system for people who are new to the area/ chum people to different activities
- Establish a group to take these ideas forward.
Conclusion
It was agreed to organise a meeting in the next few weeks for people who are interested in forming a group to take forward these ideas.
Anna Hutchison who chaired the event then recited the following poem which she wrote in response to the plight of refugees around the world.
Hands Across the Water
Hands across the water
Hands beyond the seas
People living together
In perfect harmony
People helping others
Joining hands together
Sisters and brothers sharing, caring for you and me.
The event concluded on a high note with a song. The lyrics remind of us of our moral responsibility to stand up not only for our own rights but also for the rights of others.
‘Something Inside So Strong’ – Labi Siffre
The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The farther you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me
You can decide to turn your face away
No matter, cos there’s….
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho
Your lies will come tumbling
Deny my place in time
You squander wealth that’s mine
My light will shine so brightly
It will blind you
Cos there’s …
Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we’re just not good enough
When we know better
Just look ’em in the eyes and say
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
Something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters
When they insist we’re just good not enough
When we know better
Just look ’em in the eyes and say
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
I’m gonna do it anyway
Because there’s something inside so strong
And I know that I can make it
Tho’ you’re doing me, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone
Oh no, something inside so strong
Oh oh oh oh oh something inside so strong
Power to the People: autumn update
The Power to the People group has been busy …
Power to the People is a group for adults in North Edinburgh who are interested in social history, current affairs and the arts.
We have been meeting together since 2012 and enjoy getting together to learn about things we are interested in and getting involved in issues which concern us. The group is friendly, informal and free and new members can join any time.
Over the last year, we have been learning about North Edinburgh’s early history through studying archive material, visiting exhibitions, watching films and inviting guest speakers to our group.
We are currently working on a heritage leaflet and a short film for STV’s history programme documenting key aspects of North Edinburgh’s history which will allow us to share the area’s fascinating history with a wider audience.
We also enjoy getting out and about and going to different places of interest. Last week we went on a visit to Wester Hailes to learn about their social history project.
Over the last few years, the project has been involved in digitising and publicising back copies of the Wester Hailes Sentinal and have established a local blog and Facebook page.
The project have also been involved in developing social history walks in the area in conjunction with Wester Hailes Health Agency and has installed Scotland’s first digital totem pole (above) which contains QR codes which allow people to access further information about the area’s history via a smart phone.
We have recently developed a new programme of information and discussion sessions dealing with issues we are concerned about such as fracking on the Forth, the proposed abolition of the Human Rights Act and the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP).
The first of these sessions will take place tomorrow – Tuesday 6 October, from 10am – 12.30 – in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
The next session will take place early in November and will be held in the evening to allow people to attend who are unable to get to day time sessions. A free crèche will be provided by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre to allow people with children to participate.
We have also organised a screening of the Glasgow Girls, (see above), the true story of a group of school pupils from Drumchapel, who led a successful campaign to save their friend from deportation. The film developed into a powerful human rights movement which resulted in changes in immigration practices in Scotland.
Following the screening of the film, we will be joined by Roza Salih, one of the Glasgow Girls, for a discussion about the issues raised. The screening will take place this Thursday 8 October at 6.30 in North Edinburgh Arts. There is no charge for attending this event and transport and a crèche have been organised. Please call 552 5700 to book.
For those of you who enjoy getting out and about and enjoy the company of others, our next visit will be to the National Library of Scotland on Tuesday 27 October. We will be viewing an exhibition on the life and times of Thomas Muir, a radical political reformer known as ‘the father of Scottish Democracy’.
Anyone wishing further information about the group or any of the activities planned this term should call Lynn McCabe, on 552 5700 (Tuesday – Thursday) or email Lynn at lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk
Glasgow Girls in Muirhouse!
Please help to publicise the screening of the Glasgow Girls next Thursday night (8 October) at North Edinburgh Arts (writes Lynn McCabe).
We will be joined by one of the young women from Drumchapel High School who helped to initiate the campaign against dawn raids and deportation of asylum seekers in her community in 2005.
Transport will be available for anyone who needs it. For further information call 552 5700 or email lynn.mccabe@ea.edin.sch.uk
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