‘We, the peoples’: Castle turning blue for UN Day

World’s iconic landmarks celebrate the UN’s 70th birthday

Edinburgh Castle will be lit blue from dusk tonight to celebrate the UN’s 70^th anniversary. The castle will join landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Tokyo’s Skytree Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa as part of a global initiative to turn the World UN Blue.

It’s been 70 years since the UN was formed. The castle will turn blue to mark the occasion and to encourage people to reflect on the United Nation’s achievements over the last seven decades.

Scotland has a valuable contribution to offer the world, in support of UN objectives, through our expertise on climate change and energy, our clear commitment to human and children’s rights, our work on public health and research, and our innovative approach to international development.

Culture, Europe and External Affairs Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Over the last 70 years the United Nations has protected and improved the lives of so many the world over. Tonight, we want to congratulate the UN on its many achievements and help to promote its message of peace, development and human rights by lighting Edinburgh Castle blue.

“While we celebrate the UN’s 70^th anniversary, we know that more work is required by all of us to fulfil the promise of a life in peace and dignity for all that the UN stands for. Scotland shares the UN’s value and goals and is committed to promoting them.

“Many Scottish civil society organisations and individuals work hard to help the UN achieve its aims, often as unpaid volunteers. We want to thank them for this engagement and encourage more people to join their efforts.”

You can join in too – members of the public are being encouraged to share their pictures @UN #UNblue

Speaking at the UN Day Concert in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommitted the organisation’s goal of creating a better world for all, serving ‘We the Peoples’ on frontlines. He said:

Happy United Nations Day to all.

I am delighted to welcome all of you to this special seventieth anniversary celebration. We are honoured by the presence of so many talented performers.

I thank the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra, the K-pop duo Davichi, the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir, and Lang Lang, my very dedicated UN Messenger of Peace.

Their performances can inspire the United Nations family as we ready ourselves for the enormous challenges ahead.

Wars and violence continue to devastate communities and countries. The effects of climate change are real and worsening. The gap between rich and poor is growing wider. Violent extremists, human traffickers and other criminals are abusing human rights with impunity.

But even on this grim landscape, I see signs of change. Governments have just come together to forge an inspiring vision for a life of dignity for all people — and a set of Sustainable Development Goals to achieve it.

We now have the largest youth population in history. The world’s 1.8 billion young people can help drive us to a new future. And individuals everywhere are using the communications revolution to demand their rights and pressure their Governments to deliver.

The United Nations is strongly committed to remaining at the forefront of this global wave of progress. That is what we have done for 70 years — and it is what we will continue to do in serving “we the peoples”.

I know from my own life the difference the United Nations can make. When war came to Korea, help came, bearing the United Nations flag.

Today, I am determined to see the United Nations bring help and hope to others.

Over the decades, we have helped to bring freedom to millions, dismantle colonialism, defeat apartheid and defend human rights for all, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation.

Today, our blue helmets and humanitarian workers work on the frontlines of conflict and disaster. We fight poverty, hunger and disease. We stand against corruption, impunity and injustice.

Our enterprise is not perfect. But without the United Nations, our world would be a far bleaker place.

And now, with the adoption of the inspiring 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has pointed the way towards progress for all humankind.

To achieve these goals, we need a strong United Nations — a strong UN for the well-being of people and planet alike.

Tonight, we light up our Headquarters in UN Blue. Tomorrow night, more than 200 iconic landmarks in over 55 countries around the world will also shine under blue lights in honour of the UN’s seventieth anniversary.

I thank all of those who have made this great project possible.

Above all, I pay tribute to UN staff and all those they serve to advance peace, development and human rights around the world.

United Nations Day, for me, will always be a day for “we the peoples”.

Let us dedicate all celebrations by recommitting ourselves to achieving the goal of a life of dignity and a better world for all.

Thank you for your leadership and your commitment.

“Together, we’ve spent 70 years striving for peace, 70 years helping the poorest and most vulnerable”

Speaking at the General Assembly Meeting on the 70th Anniversary of the UN, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN said:

Ever since my distant predecessor Gladwyn Jebb served as acting Secretary-General of the embryonic UN 70 years ago, Britain has been proud to play a leading role in the multilateral system.

Together, we’ve spent 70 years striving for peace, 70 years helping the poorest and most vulnerable, and I’m pleased to say, 70 years co-operating, whatever our differences.

So looking back, there is so much to celebrate. In the last seven decades, we have helped negotiate countless peace agreements, supported by over 60 peacekeeper and observer missions to the world’s trouble spots. We’ve built on that peace, providing elections assistance to over 100 countries. The UN remains rightly an ambitious organisation; as the agreement of the sustainable development goals shows.

Today, the UN provides food to 90 million people in 80 countries, vaccinates 58 per cent of the world’s children, saving 3 million lives a year. It assists 39 million refugees and keeps the peace with over 120,000 peacekeepers in 16 operations on 4 continents.

But in looking back, we cannot lose sight of the challenges ahead; climate change, violent extremism, and issues like anti-microbial resistance which still lie below the radar. These are all issues where global action is the only solution, where the UN needs to show leadership.

To tackle these, and more, the UN needs to adapt and reform. Organisations that stand still quickly lose relevance. The UK supports modernisation of the UN. We want to bring greater diversity to the authority of the Security Council, by expanding its membership to include Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, as well as more African representation.

And we also want to see a strong leader in the next Secretary-General, who can help deliver these ambitious reforms, who is selected through a transparent, equal and fair process. And with all other things being equal, the UK believes that the UN’s next leader should be a woman.

So this year will be a seminal one in the UN’s history. It is a time for the multilateral system to demonstrate how effective it can be in delivering positive change – be it in a deal to tackle climate change, or in a plan to end the crisis in Syria. The best way to mark our 70th anniversary would be for progress to be made on all these fronts.

Oor castle’s going green for St Patrick’s Day!

No, it’s not 1 April – Edinburgh Castle really is turning green …

Castle gesture ‘symbol of mutually important relationship’.

Edinburgh Castle will be bathed in green light to mark St Patrick’s Day, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop has announced during a visit to Dublin.

Ms Hyslop said that Scotland and Ireland greatly valued their relationship, and that it was fitting that one of Scotland’s most iconic buildings would turn green for Ireland’s national day.

The Castle joins a host of global landmarks celebrating Ireland’s national day, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Paris.

Ms Hyslop has travelled to Ireland to address the British Irish Chamber of Commerce on the importance of Scotland and Ireland’s membership of the EU, which facilitates trade to take place between the two nations and gives Scottish companies access to the fastest growing economy in Europe.

Scotland also benefits from significant Irish investment – with 85 Irish owned companies operating in Scotland, employing nearly 6,000 people with a turnover of £2.4 billion.

Ireland is Scotland’s 8^th largest export market with £815 million exported to Ireland in 2012, and trade from Ireland to Scotland has been estimated at around £300 million and growing. Ireland was the EU’s fastest growing economy in 2014 and is expected to be so again in 2015. Both countries value their membership of the European Union, and the two have worked together to secure EU funding for 19 joint projects, with a joint value of £30 million.

Ms Hyslop said: “Turning one of Scotland’s most iconic buildings green for St Patrick’s Day is a fitting way to show the importance we place on our relationship with Ireland, and a celebration of the friendship which exists between our two nations.

“Our economic links with Ireland, our work together in the European Union, and the shared value we place on our membership of that union, show how much we have to gain from strengthening our relationship.

“Irish investment makes a substantial contribution to Scotland’s economy. Irish-owned companies in Scotland are responsible for nearly 6,000 jobs and turnover of £2.4 billion, while Scottish exports to Ireland are worth £815 million a year.

“Ireland and Scotland have different identities and experiences, but we are united by elements of shared history, culture and language – and so it’s appropriate that Edinburgh Castle, with its important place in Scotland’s history and culture, goes green for St Patrick’s Day.”

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, who visited Edinburgh just a fortnight ago, warmly welcomed the announcement that Edinburgh Castle will be illuminated in green to mark Ireland’s national day.

He said: ‘I very much appreciate this generous gesture from the Scottish Government. The addition of such a landmark to the already impressive list of iconic locations going green on St Patrick’s Day is another important moment in the friendship between Ireland and Scotland and literally highlights our ever-strengthening links. The theme for my recent visit to Edinburgh was embarking on a ‘new chapter’ in Irish-Scottish relations. Today’s announcement is a really significant and visible way to underline that.”

I’m not convinced the ‘greening’ of Edinburgh Castle will go down too well with some sections of Scottish society. What do you think?

City prepares for Drumhead commemoration

‘Sunday will be a very special, very memorable occasion that will unite the people of Scotland’

Final preparations are underway for Scotland’s Drumhead Service, procession and memorial on Sunday in Edinburgh that will mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Musicians from the Band of the Royal Marines were at the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle yesterday to practice constructing and deconstructing the altar that will form the centrepiece for the multi-faith service, which is expected to be attended by a congregation of more than 8,000 people representing all parts of Scotland.

Hundreds of representatives of the armed forces will be at Redford Barracks today for a full rehearsal of the major commemoration event, believed to be the first of its scale in Scotland’s history.

The City of Edinburgh Council is planning to implement several road closures and restrictions to facilitate the event. They include the complete closure of Johnston Terrace, High Street, Canongate, Lawnmarket, Queen’s Drive, Chambers Street and a number of nearby roads at various times between 7.15am and 2pm on Sunday.

Loading restrictions will also affect a number of streets from 6pm on Saturday. Full details of road closures and restrictions are available from the City of Edinburgh Council’s website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Lothian Buses’ services 6, 9 and 35 will also be affected. Information about how this will affect local journeys is available from the Lothian Buses website at: www.lothianbuses.com

Drumhead Service organisers have also released a final batch of free tickets to those who are able to collect them in person from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s office on Market Street up until 2230 on Saturday evening, or from The Hub at Castlehill on the Royal Mile on the morning of the event.

Signalling the start of the five-year Scottish Commemorations Programme, the Drumhead Service will replicate those held on the front line 100 years ago when, in a long-held military tradition, neatly piled drums with draped Colours were used in place of an altar.

The service will feature troops from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force and will be accompanied by music from three military bands, two cadet bands, three choirs and around 200 massed pipes and drums. The service, procession and memorial will be attended by guest of honour, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant Donald Wilson.

At the end of the Drumhead Service, the military bands and tri-service guards will parade down the Royal Mile accompanied by around 100 marching veterans and 100 cadets. The congregation will then be invited to follow in a procession down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Park, where over 1,000 replica Commonwealth War Gravestones will form a temporary memorial, at which people will be invited to leave poppies, wreaths or markers.

Brigadier David Allfrey, Producer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and chief organiser of the Drumhead Service, procession and memorial, said: “Sunday will be a very special, very memorable occasion that will unite the people of Scotland – people of all ages and from all parts of the country – in a shared act of commemoration, remembrance and reflection.

“The event will give a sense of what it might have been like to enlist during the first few weeks and months of the war. The multi-faith service on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle represents the moment before deployment; the procession down the Royal Mile will symbolise a ‘March as to War’ and the gathering in Holyrood Park, the approach to the front and assembly for military action. The memorial of over 1000 headstones will provide a vital sense of scale and a focus for acts of individual and collective commemoration.”

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, said: “The Drumhead Service, procession and memorial on August 10 will signal the start of Scotland’s commitment to commemorating the centenary of the First World War.

“The event will bring the people of Scotland together to consider the impact of that brutal conflict, which claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Scots and left many more injured or disabled, forcing families and loved ones across the country to come to terms with the terrible consequences.

“From this Sunday until January 2019 we will encourage the people of Scotland and those with connections to Scotland to recognise the significant and broad impact the First World War had on our nation, and to reflect on its lasting social and civic legacy.”

Norman Drummond, Chair of the Scottish Commemorations Panel, said: “Many thousands of people have shown an overwhelmingly strong willingness to take their place at the Drumhead Service, procession and memorial on Sunday.

“We have worked with local authorities, the armed forces, the veterans community and charities to ensure that people of all ages and from every part of Scotland will be there to participate in this important commemoration.

“With final preparations now underway, the further release of a number of tickets represents the last opportunity for the people who have thus far been unable to obtain tickets to take their place at an event upon which we and our children and our grandchildren will in years to come reflect that ‘we were there and we remembered’.”

The Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh Donald Wilson, said: “Every August, visitors flock to the Royal Mile to experience the buzz of the festival season. This Sunday, the street will pause for a very special event. The Drumhead Service and procession will offer Scotland the opportunity to come together for a moment of quiet reflection to remember the thousands of Scots who fell during the First World War.

“It is very fitting that as the Capital city we should play our key part in these commemorations and show our support and gratitude for the enormous sacrifices made by courageous men and women in service of this country.”

Tickets available for WW1 commemoration event

One thousand free places to attend Scotland’s Drumhead Service

A thousand free places will be made available from today for those who wish to attend Scotland’s national commemoration marking the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War next month.

Signalling the start of the five-year Scottish Commemorations Programme, a Drumhead Service will be held at Edinburgh Castle on August 10 before a congregation of almost 9,000 people from all parts of Scotland.

The multi-faith service on the castle esplanade will replicate those held on the front line 100 years ago when, in a long-held military tradition, neatly piled drums with draped Colours were used in place of an altar.

Thousands of seats have already been allocated by Scotland’s 32 local authorities to people in all parts of Scotland. Representatives of the armed services, veterans groups, charities and civic leaders across Scotland have also been invited.

From 0900 today (Tuesday) the Scottish Commemorations Panel will make a thousand places available to those who have not already secured tickets through their local authority or been invited by other means.

The August 10 event will mark the start of the Scottish Commemorations Programme which will remember eight particular events from World War One that had a significant impact on Scotland. They include the start and end of the war, major battles including Gallipoli, Loos, Jutland and Arras and domestic incidents such as the Quintinshill rail disaster and the loss of HMY Iolaire.

Following the ticket-only Drumhead Service, military bands and guards from the three services will parade down the Royal Mile. The congregation will be invited to follow in a procession to Holyrood Park, where they will find a replica Commonwealth War Graves cemetery. Those gathered in the park will have the opportunity to leave poppies and other markers.

The day’s events have been designed to give a sense of what it might have been like to enlist during the first few weeks and months of the war. The Drumhead Service represents the moment before deployment; the procession, a ‘March as to War’ and the gathering in Holyrood Park, the approach to the front and assembly for military action. The memorial of over 100 headstones will provide a vital sense of scale and a focus for acts of individual and collective commemoration.

Those who wish to attend the event but don’t have a ticket for the Drumhead Service are encouraged to line the Royal Mile and attend the memorial at Holyrood Park. The Drumhead Service will also be broadcast on a large screen at the base of Arthur’s Seat.

The Drumhead Service, procession and memorial will follow events happening in Glasgow as part of the UK Commemorations Programme on August 4 – the 100th anniversary of the date Britain entered the war. A Commonwealth-themed service at Glasgow Cathedral and a commemoration at the Cenotaph will be held in the city on that date.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “The Drumhead Service, procession and memorial event on August 10 will be the first in a series of commemorative events between now and 2019 through which we will encourage people of all ages across Scotland to recognise the significant and broad impact the First World War had on our nation, and to reflect on its lasting social and civic legacy.

“This will be an opportunity for those from all parts of Scotland to come together to remember more than 100,000 Scots who lost their lives during the First World War, those who were left injured or disabled by the terrible conflict, and the families and communities in every city, town and village who were forced to come to terms with the terrible consequences.”

Chair of the Scottish Commemorations Panel, Norman Drummond, said: “The Scottish Commemorative Programme has three main aims: education, genealogy and legacy. We want to invite the whole of Scotland – people of all ages and in all corners of the country – to join us in remembering those who served during the First World War, to consider the significant impact the war had on Scotland and Scots around the world and to ask the question ‘What do we learn from all this?’

“Thanks to the support of local authorities, every part of Scotland will be represented at the Drumhead Service in addition to those from the military, veterans communities, charities and civic Scotland.

“By making a thousand places available to the general public we can be certain that as many people as possible, from all parts of Scotland, have an opportunity to come and commemorate this important anniversary, upon which we and our children and our grandchildren may in years to come reflect that ‘we were there and we remembered’.”

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are organising the Drumhead Service, procession and memorial event at the request of Scottish Ministers.

Brigadier David Allfrey, Producer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “A Drumhead Service is a hugely fitting start to the Scottish Commemorations Programme. It provides a proper focus for us all in our reflections on the First World War: its context, its realities, its impact and its relevance both today and into the future. On the eve of battle, each and every combatant and those that support them, tend to find time for reflection, each in their own way. In the same way, we hope the Drumhead Service, procession and memorial might help stimulate a rich conversation that, using the War as its frame, can cover a broad ground – a look forward as well as a reflection on things past.

“The day’s events have been designed to give a sense of what it must have been like to enlist for the First World War, to leave familiar surroundings of town and country, to join up with others in the austere surroundings of the barracks, to wear uniform and be expected to act and live as a group – to stylised words of command – to march, learn skill at arms, face the uncertainty of travel overseas and the brutality of war.

“Scotland’s local authorities have secured the attendance of thousands of people from across the country but we recognise there will be many more who haven’t been allocated a place and would like to join us at the Drumhead Service to reflect on the part played by their forebears, to pay tribute to the many whose lives were lost and to contemplate what we might learn for the future.

“That is why we’re making 1000 free places available from today.”

The Drumhead Service will start at 10.30 on August 10 and will last approximately half an hour. Doors open at 9.00 and the congregation should be seated by 10.00. The whole event – including the procession down the Royal Mile and memorial at Holyrood Park – is expected to last until 14.00, although the public can remain in the park until 18.00 when the memorial will be closed.

Tickets for the Drumhead Service can be requested online at www.WW100Scotland.com.

Those requiring wheelchair access or with other accessibility requirements should ring 0131 225 1188. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis and up to ten can be requested by each applicant.

All applications must be received by 4 August 2014.

More flaming tickets available today!

Organisers of the Olympic Flame Evening Celebration at Edinburgh Castle are delighted to announce the release of 500 extra tickets. More than 8,000 tickets were snapped up in just six hours when they became available last month – now additional tickets for the two-and-a-half-hour concert on Wednesday 13 June will be available on a first come first served basis through Ticketmaster from 10am today.

Tickets can be collected from the Usher Hall Box Office between 3pm and 6pm on Wednesday 13 June.

The Evening Celebration begins at 5.45pm (doors from 4.45pm) and will feature a headline performance from top Scottish artist Emeli Sandé.

For anyone without a ticket to the Evening Celebration, the event will be screened live on the Big Screen in Festival Square, with seating provided. The Screen will show live coverage of the Torch Relay from lunchtime until the start of the Evening Celebration.

Deputy Lord Provost Deidre Brock said: “The Evening Celebration at Edinburgh Castle is going to be a once in a lifetime experience and we’re delighted to have these extra 500 tickets to release. The event will be a spectacular finale to the journey of the Olympic Flame through Scotland’s historic Capital. We’re expecting big crowds of people to turn out to welcome the Torch and cheer on the Torchbearers – it promises to be a great occasion and a wonderful opportunity to showcase Edinburgh to the watching world.”

The Evening Celebration event at Edinburgh Castle will see the arrival of the Olympic flame on stage along with music and entertainment from the Torch Relay’s presenting partners: Bank of Scotland, Coca Cola and Samsung. Emeli Sandé will be performing a short set during the Evening Celebration, while Kim Edgar and The Big Project, featuring young people from Edinburgh, will perform two 10-minute sets during the show. Towards the end of the event, the Olympic Flame will arrive at the Castle and the cauldron will be lit on stage.

The timings for the event are:

16:45 – Doors open

17:45 – Show starts

19:20 – Arrival of the Olympic flame

20:15 – Show ends

Please note that there will be no re-admission. Alcohol is not permitted, nor are open containers or bottles, although sealed plastic bottles of soft drinks are allowed. Bottled water will be available within the arena (provided free).