Tag: discussion

Choudhury chairs Scottish Parliament roundtable to address “Language Loss in  Today’s World”

In anticipation of International Mother Language Day and the upcoming Bhasha Glasgow Language Festival 2025, a roundtable discussion on “Language Loss in Today’s  World” was hosted at the Scottish Parliament.

This panel discussion, chaired by Scottish  Labour MSP for the Lothian Region, Foysol Choudhury, was organised by the Bangladesh  Association Glasgow and brought together leading experts to address the pressing global  issue of language extinction. 

As globalisation accelerates, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages facing  the risk of extinction. This roundtable provided an essential platform to discuss the impact  of language loss and explore strategies to safeguard endangered languages.

The discussion  was driven by an esteemed panel of experts from academia, policy, and advocacy, including Dr. Antonella Sorace, Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and founding director of Bilingualism Matters; Dr. Alison Phipps OBE, Professor of  Languages and Intercultural Studies at the University of Glasgow and UNESCO Chair in  Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts; Fhiona Mackay, Director of Scotland’s  National Centre for Languages; and Dr. Cristina Clopot, Policy Advice Officer of The Royal  Society of Edinburgh. 

This engaging discussion aimed to generate awareness and foster actionable solutions to  mitigate or prevent language extinction. The theme of language loss demonstrates the  global efforts of prevention.

This theme was present throughout the roundtable with Dr. Saif D Khan, trustee from the Bangladesh Association Glasgow, moderating an insightful  discussion focused on key examples of how the language loss is being prevented globally,  with a case study focus on Scots and Gaelic. 

Abdullah Al Wasif with Unityflow AI provided an insightful presentation on next-generation  speech recognition for underserved languages in enterprise.

This revealed that many  languages are fading due to limited digital and technological support, such as Gaelic, which  has been classified by UNESCO as “definitely endangered.”

Other languages that need  attention include Scots, which lacks digital integration; Sylheti and Bengali, spoken in  communities but under-represented; Polish and Romanian, spoken by large migrant groups  but underserved in voice technology.

By implementing data tools, it is possible to preserve  Scotland’s linguistic diversity and increase accessibility for public services for minority and  migrant languages. 

The insights from this session will contribute to broader conversations at the Bhasha  Glasgow Language Festival 2025, which launches on February 18, 2025, coinciding with  International Mother Language Day.

The President of Bangladesh Association Glasgow, Mr.  Ehtesham Hasnain, invited the roundtable participants to attend the upcoming events from  this year’s festival.

Commenting on the significance of the event, Choudhury stated, “Language is more than  just communication; it embodies culture, identity, and heritage. This discussion is a timely  call to action, ensuring that no language disappears without a fight.”

Social Care Roundtable on Employer National Insurance Contributions

Yesterday COSLA and the Scottish Government convened a roundtable discussion to consider immediate challenges facing the delivery of social care services:

COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly, reflected on the meeting: “I was very grateful for the representation from across the care sector, including our partners in the third and independent sectors, involved in this critical discussion.

“We all have a shared responsibility to improve outcomes for people using health and social care services in Scotland, and I am acutely aware of how much more challenging this becomes when confronted with significant budget gaps for Local Government and Integrated Joint Boards.

“Of course, I know that it’s a similarly challenging financial context for our partner providers who deliver vital care and support for people.

“The reality is that the current financial challenges will have a very real impact on services and it’s for this reason I thought it was crucial to bring together key partners to highlight the impact this has been having – and will continue to have – on the system.

“The changes to employer National Insurance contributions, coupled with continued financial constraints and uncertainties, are a significant risk felt by Local Government which will impact upon the delivery, commissioning and procurement of services.

“There are no easy solutions to the challenges that were aired but I was encouraged by the frank and open contributions from attendees, and the consensus that it’s more important than ever that we work collaboratively to ensure continued delivery of social care for all those who need it.

“As COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson, I want to reiterate that we are doing everything we can to address the challenges the sector collectively faces, and that COSLA remains absolutely committed to engaging with the Scottish and UK Governments on these matters.”

Reminder: Community Planning ‘Transformation’ Events

Invitation to Participate in Community Planning Transformation and Improvement Stakeholder Engagement Session

The Edinburgh Partnership agreed to look afresh at the role of Community Planning in Edinburgh to maximise the relationships between public sector agencies and the voluntary and community sectors to address poverty and inequality and the climate and nature emergency.

We need your views to help shape the future of community planning in Edinburgh.

These sessions aim to bring together key partners to discuss, plan, and drive forward positive changes for communities. Your insights and contributions are highly valued, and we would be pleased if you could join us.

Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to book your place as soon as possible to secure your spot at your preferred session.

To register, please email communityplanning@edinburgh.gov.uk  with your name, contact details, and the date of the session you would like to attend:

Wednesday, 23rd October | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM | St. Bride’s Community Centre

or

Thursday, 24th October | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

or

Monday, 28th October | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Microsoft Teams

Promotion of Community Councils

MS Teams Meeting on Tuesday 22 October 2024 from 6-7:30pm

In advance of Community Council elections in February 2025, we are reaching out to invite you to the above meeting to discuss how community councils and the Council can collaboratively work together to promote community councils.

Some of the areas we are keen explore are:

  1. Positively communicating to the public who community councils are and the work they do.
  2. Encouraging membership to community councils.
  3. Promoting upcoming community councils elections in February 2025.

If you would like to attend, please use the MS Teams link below:

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 315 878 447 216

Passcode: BsEd9c

Responsible Tourism: Join the Debate

Join The Cockburn Association and panellists for an engaging afternoon discussion on tourism, sustainability and capacity in Edinburgh and beyond. An in-person and online event.

Here is the link for the IN-PERSON tickets https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1000629258047…

And here is the link for the ONLINE tickets https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1000640581917…

Edinburgh’s Social Care Crisis: Conference Agenda announced

SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER from 10am – 1pm

AUGUSTINE UNITED CHURCH, GEORGE IV BRIDGE

THE agenda for Saturday’s Edinburgh Social Care Crisis Conference has been announced.

The conference has been convened by Edinburgh Trade Union Council and is sponsored by UNITE Edinburgh Not For Profit Branch,  UNITE City of Edinburgh Council Branch, UNITE Lothian Retired Members Branch, Edinburgh EIS Branch and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

The conference will be attended by three Edinburgh MSPs: Foysol Choudhury, Sarah Boyack and Daniel Johnson.

Des Loughney, Secretary, Edinburgh Trade Union Council says: “”The conference is open to the public, trade union and community health activists and social care users and paid and unpaid carers.

“There will be a discussion of the impact of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board cuts that are being implemented in this financial year (£55 million).

“We are concerned that prevention services will be cut and that rising demand (mainly due to demographic reasons) will not be met.

“The conference will conclude by a discussion on the way forward in campaigning for more resources for IJBs and how can we lobby for more resources to prevent current damaging cuts.

“We will consider how we can seek to change Scottish Parliament policies in the run up to the 2026 elections.”

ConferenceagendaDownload

Edinburgh International Book Festival event: Clean Money: Can fundraising ever be ethical?

This August, in direct response to the debate on ethical fundraising in the arts, a topic impacting many organisations across the UK and further afield, the Festival will host a brand new event aimed at expanding the conversation from a place of polarisation to one of positivity and possibility.

Entitled Clean Money: Can fundraising ever be ethical? the event will be fully interactive in nature and groups of participants will be handed questions, based on real or possible situations, to discuss alongside a range of expert facilitators.

Encouraging audiences to step outside their viewpoints, and consider these important topics from another angle, participants of the event will be required to argue from or for a particular point of view, as opposed to their personal perspective, based on a prompt courtesy of the facilitators.

The event will be guided by Alisha Fernandez Miranda, author and Chair of the award-winning social impact advisory firm I.G. Advisors, and will feature nine other industry peers including Harriette Tillott, Advisor at I.G., and Joni O’Sullivan, trustee at Hastings Contemporary Gallery. Further facilitators will be confirmed nearer the time.

Jenny Niven, Director at Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We’re excited to be able to curate this vital conversation at the Book Festival.

“In a climate where it can feel harder than ever to have meaningful discussion, and with a vanishingly small number of platforms that truly allow for the exchange of views or tolerance for viewpoints which don’t align with our own, the Book Festival is an unique forum for this type of learning and debate.

“The question of ‘clean money’ brings in everything: climate, conflict, ethics, politics, the role of government, the state of the arts and charitable sector, societal change, and allows us to wrestle with the really thorny questions underpinning the debates recent months. 

“The level of public engagement in the topic at the moment is unprecedented and the strength of feeling from many different perspectives has been evident throughout.  We hope people with a range of perspectives will join this conversation and help further everyone’s understanding of the issues and the contexts at hand, and help us bring this topic offline and into the daylight.”

Held in the spirit of open dialogue and constructive debate, each participant will be required to only share a first name – no other identifying information can be shared until after the debate, and then only with explicit permission – and the event will follow Chatham House rules, meaning that while information gathered during the event can be shared, it cannot be linked to any individual participant.

Those who do not wish to be quoted, even anonymously are under no obligation and will be invited to sign to this effect.

Future Tense is the first Edinburgh International Book Festival programme from Director Jenny Niven and will unfold for the first time at the Festival’s new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute.

The full programme can be found here: 

https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on

This round’s on us – First Minister invited to local to discuss the future of Scottish pubs


Campaign for Real Ale invites John Swinney for a drink

The newly appointed Scottish First Minister, John Swinney, is invited to a pub of his choice to discuss the issues surrounding the Scottish pub and beer industry, such as pub business rates, alcohol advertising, planning laws and the Scottish Pubs Code.

The First Minister’s appointment arrives soon after Scottish Government’s decision to implement a new statutory Scottish Pubs Code and Adjudicator. CAMRA would hope to build on this long-awaited, but welcome, news in a meeting with Mr Swinney to make sure there is a robust Pubs Code to protect tied pub tenants and to secure pubs at the heart of Scottish communities.

CAMRA represents thousands of beer and cider consumers all across Scotland, who are worried about the future of their locals, unless action is taken in the near future.

CAMRA’s Scotland Director Stuart McMahon – representing Scotland’s CAMRA members – is inviting the First Minister for a chat at his local about the importance of fairer business rates on pubs in Scotland, in order help secure the future of community pubs and slow the rise of the price of a pint.

McMahon also wants the new First Minister to close a planning loophole that allows pubs to be demolished without planning permission.

Campaigners also want to see a commitment from the Scottish Government not to bring back draconian plans to ban all alcohol advertisement and sponsorship.

Commenting, CAMRA’s Scotland Director Stuart McMahon said: “We would like to congratulate John Swinney on becoming the First Minister of Scotland. While we are sure he has a lot on his plate, urgent discussions must be had to ensure a successful future for Scottish pubs.

“This is why we invite the First Minister to a pub of his choice to discuss the various ways in which pub, brewing and cider making industries can be improved to ameliorate the pub-going experience for beer and cider consumers.

“Our priorities for this meeting, and for the Scottish government, will be fairer business rates for pubs, confirmation of a decision to allow alcohol advertising in Scotland, a more secure planning law system and a muscular, robust Scottish Pubs Code.”

Letter to First Minister:

Dear John Swinney, 

Join CAMRA to discuss the future of Scottish pubs 

We are writing on behalf of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. We are a consumer organisation with thousands of members across Scotland. We campaign for great quality cask beer, real cider, and perry and thriving community pubs in all of our communities. 

We would like to congratulate you on becoming the First Minister of Scotland. While we are sure you have a lot on your plate, urgent discussions must be had to ensure a successful future for Scottish pubs.  

This is why we invite you to a pub of your choice to discuss the various ways in which the pub, brewing and cider making industry can be improved to ameliorate the pub-going experience for beer and cider consumers.  

We know that you understand that beer and pubs are not only important to local economies, but also to our communities, culture and heritage. Our pubs are a vital part of our social fabric – playing a pivotal role in communities across the country, providing a space for local people to meet, helping to tackle loneliness, and having a positive impact on the personal wellbeing of pub-goers. 

The pub-going experience, however, is changing with the prices of pints continually on the rise, potentially pricing out consumers, and the widespread closures of pubs becoming commonplace.  

CAMRA members and pub-goers across Scotland are worried that this trend of pub closures will continue, and that their community local might be next.  

Pub-goers up and down the country want to see a fairer business rates system for pubs, a sensible re-think on alcohol advertising and sponsorship plans, more secure planning laws to save community locals and a robust Scottish Pubs Code to protect tied pub tenants and consumer choice at the bar. 

We would like to invite you to a pub of your choice to meet and have a drink (on us!) to discuss the issues facing consumers, licensees, pubs and breweries in Scotland, and how CAMRA members can work together with you to promote and protect great Scottish beer and pubs. 

Yours sincerely, 

Stuart McMahon  

CAMRA Scotland Director 

Spokes public meeting: Thursday 29th February

“Edinburgh’s Future Streets policy, and the place of cycling”

Speakers

  • Cllr Scott Arthur  Edinburgh City Transport Convener – the Council’s ‘Future Streets’ plans, the place of cycling and when/how will the policies lead to action
  • Laura Laker  Cycling, transport and environment journalist – to critique the proposals. Laura researches and writes on cycling issues extensively, including in national/international media such as The Guardian and Bloomberg; and in specifically cycling publications such as Cycling Industry News and Road.CC
  • … followed by our one-hour panel QA, chaired by Ewen Maclean, organiser of Blackford Safe Routes – your chance to interrogate and challenge the speakers.

Arrangements

  • Where Augustine United Church 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
  • Date Thursday 29 Feb, 2024
  • Time Starts 7.30, Ends 9.30. Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls and chat
  • Queries & Questions Queries, or questions for the speakers, can be emailed to spokes@spokes.org.uk, up to a day in advance. However, questions in person from audience members are likely to have greatest priority on the night
  • Online We hope to live broadcast on our youtube channel – details nearer the time on Spokes website. We also intend to make the recording available later.

Links

Party leaders discuss climate ambitions for Scotland

First Minister chairs cross-party meeting on net zero

First Minister Humza Yousaf chaired a cross-party discussion on Scotland’s climate change ambitions at Holyrood yesterday.

Inviting party leaders to discuss how we can all address the climate crisis, the First Minister highlighted the Parliament’s shared goal of securing a future that is fair and just for all.

He urges all parties to lead and promote behaviour change from everyone in society.

Chris Stark, Chief Executive of the independent UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), presented information on where Scotland is in its journey to net zero.

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s meeting, the First Minister said: “Tackling the climate and nature crises is the collective fight of our lifetime, with implications for generations to come.

“The discussion will focus both on the challenges and opportunities we face in reaching net zero. We collectively made a commitment to deliver on net zero when Parliament backed the Act on a cross-party basis.

“There must be a recognition from across the political divide that we require bold action to tackle the scale of the climate crisis, and meet our ambitions on net zero.

“In addition to our Climate Change Plan, we are developing the first set of Just Transition Plans to set out how these changes impact different parts of society and how we can promote a fair path to a net zero and climate resilient Scotland.

“We will continue to implement net zero policies and deliver funding to where it is needed the most – with the highest impact.

“From today’s meeting, I am hopeful that we can continue to work together to implement net zero policies – thereby helping to create a better and more sustainable planet for us all.”