What is an active citizen?  If I was being very flippant I would say it is the kind of person who comes out on a Saturday morning to talk about the big news stories of the day.  No, not just talk.  Active citizenship in the ACTive Inquiry sense means moving, listening, looking, feeling and doing.  At one point I found myself crouching on the floor connecting with the lives – and deaths – of people thousands of miles away. 

Don’t let that image put you off.  The Newsgroup – the inspiration of Gavin Crichton of ACTive Inquiry – is an extraordinary experience, by turns moving, humbling and liberating. I must admit on that particular Saturday morning I had second thoughts as I rushed through breakfast to get to Pilmeny Youth Centre on time.  By lunchtime I couldn’t believe three hours had raced by.

The workshop combines drama techniques with open space process.  So this morning’s group – aged 16 to 60 and representing people from Japan to Joppa – begin by choosing the most pressing news story of the moment and end by discussing what active citizens can do about it. In the process we begin to build a picture of Jo (or Joe) the active citizen. (see Ben Stollery’s notes below).

We choose Haiti (other topics on the list were bankers, Murdoch’s media domination, surveillance by satellite, and the Iraq inquiry). Although at times I feel uncomfortable – what right have I to imagine how it feels to live or die through that devastating earthquake – it is much more than a dramatic exercise. I am left with a lasting connection which makes each news story  more real, more relevant, more personal (though of course writing this some weeks later, Haiti has already dropped from the headlines). [See Mercy Corps for latest]

Perhaps everyone should join a Newsgroup, not least  every politician and every policy maker – anyone whose decisions shape other people’s lives. It is a wonderfully stimulating,  liberating and humanising way of looking at the world.

If the idea appeals to you, why not come to the next Newsgroup workshop on Saturday 6 March at Pilmeny Youth Centre on the corner of Buchanan Street and Dalmeny Street.

We’ll come back to the subject of active citizenship in future blogs.  Right now, here’s Ben Stollery’s notes from the January workshop.

BUILDING A PICTURE OF JO / JOE

We considered the situation in Haiti after the recent devastating earthquake, particularly in regard of the impact of the country’s international debt. What could Jo/e do?

• Learn about the country
• Not to feel guilty about not knowing very much about the country’s situation already
• Learn about any involvement our own country has had in creating the context for Haiti’s situation (foreign policies, holiday industry etc)
• Examine what our on-going stake in this situation is; ie what are the long-term/institutional policies (such as aid, trade, exploitation of raw materials) that have influenced Haiti’s situation. Learn the difference between ‘emergency’ and other types of aid
• Learn what other organisations are already doing to address the debt issue eg. Jubilee Scotland
• Improve our communication (with one another)
• Be wary of rushing to intervene before reflecting on all of the above

It’s not just an exercise.  Ben adds “I thought you might be interested in this update on Haiti’s debt situation (good news!) on the Jubilee Scotland ”

This is an ‘Open View’ from Fay Young, co-ordinator Leith Open Space website and Opening Doors Shadow Scheme. Your views are welcome.

Here is an organisation that is clearly not afraid to tackle a difficult topic. To celebrate 20 years of working for racial equality, the  Council of British Pakistanis (Scotland) has chosen the thorny subject of UK immigration control for their conference on Tuesday 9th February. Speakers include representatives of the UK Border Agency in Scotland, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Places still avsilable!

It sounds as if this is nothing new for the CBPS. As Mohammed Akram, CBPS President, points out in a covering letter, they have tackled many other difficult subjects since they were formed in 1990. Not least the issue of forced and incompatible marriages (as distinct from the tradition of arranged marriages).

Now working closely with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) in Scotland, the CBPS is a representative on the Stakeholders Managed Migration Forum.  With thousands of  students waiting to hear whether they will be allowed to attend British universities, this could hardly be a more topical time to discuss migration and immigration.

Speakers at the conference in Surgeons Hall will give a comprehensive picture of the work of UK Border Agency from Britain to Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a  keynote speech by Barbara Woodward, UKBA International Director.  Speeches end with time for open discussion.

The conference is in the Symposium Hall at the Royal College of Surgeons, Hill Square, Edinburgh from 2pm to 4.30pm.

There are still a few places available. If you would like to book or know more contact Huma Awan, the Racial Equality Officer for CBPS by email:

cbp–s@rediffmail.com

Here is an extract from  Mohammed Akram’s letter:

We have particularly worked closely with  the police, financial institutions, especially Bank of Scotland, utilities such as ScottishPower and have had input into many civil service departments including HM Revenues and Customs on race awareness and their dual role as employers and service provides.  In education, it is worth noting that we played a pivotal role in implementing Urdu as a modern language at exam level in Scottish schools.

With the world in turmoil and sadly increasing threat of home grown terrorists, which we totally and unreservedly condemn, we embarked upon a project with the support of the Scottish Government to tackle radicalisation and extremism in Scotland.  This is a huge educational task for all the communities and the media and extensive work is required before we can see real results.  Otherwise we are in danger of alienating our youth and ending up helping the followers of a twisted ideology whom we have all been striving so hard to eradicate.

In the last 20 years this Council has dealt with many sensitive and often challenging issues of the day and in future, with even wider support, we will pursue policies and practices which enhance Scotland as a peaceful multiracial society.

M. Akram

President

January 2010

The ‘clash of civilisations’  was predicted by Harvard professor, Samuel Huntingdon, who warned that the ending of the cold war would bring a new world order: “The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural… The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics.“

Or not. “We want to bring that hypothesis into the open and show that it is flawed,” says Rev Brian Cooper who is organising Saturday’s event at the mosque in partnership with Mohammed Aslam, chair of the Pakistan Association of Edinburgh.

At the same time the event supported by Edinburgh Interfaith Association, aims to show that religions can promote peace and understanding between communities locally and globally.  Speakers include Dr Paul Weller,  Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at Derby University (who has just been appointed as one of the UK government’s national faith advisers),  exploring the question “Civilisations in Conflict?’,  Shah Jamal the Consul-General of Pakistan talking about the situation in Pakistan and south Asia, and Robin Harper MSP  giving a  Scottish political perspective.

The event is part of an ongoing conversation organised under the broad umbrella of the World Disarmament Campaign Interfaith Peace Work with Annandale Street Mosque.

A Clash of Civilisations or Towards World Harmony? is at Annandale Street Mosque on Saturday 30 January from 7.30pm.

For more information contact Mohammed Aslam   0131 556 3385 or Brian Cooper 0131 446 9545

For a that, and a’ that,
It’s comin’ yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brithers be for a’ that.”

The aim (which fits well with the World Kitchen) is to encourage families and community groups to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) with the help of a “Burns Super Supper” CD produced by the internet radio station Clan Radio.

For a donation of £5 you get the CD which guides you through the complete Burns Supper from the piping in of the haggis to Auld Lang Syne through all the toasts (to the haggis, the Immortal Memory, the lassies, and a’ that) with poetry and song – and a 30 minute interlude of music to give you time for some eating and drinking. Anything else you raise during the supper (say, £5 per guest) can be sent to MRF (see below).

To listen to sampled extracts of the Burns Super Supper click here:  Burns Super Supper Taster by innerear

“Instead of one big fundraising event we are looking for lots of people to contribute relatively small amounts from lots of different events,” says Mary Millar. “It’s a credit crunch way for people to celebrate Burns and help charity”.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

The inspiration comes from Robert Mackenzie who started Clan Radio to broadcast the highlights of the annual Gaelic talent show (The Mod). He now finds an “almost scary” amount of interest in Burns from different people across the world. That set him thinking:.  “Wait a minute, I would love to have a CD that tells me how to run a proper Burns Supper.”

The result is “the world’s first interactive Burns Supper” – 80 minutes of beautifully produced downloadable music, song and poetry (from singers and musicians giving their time freely, many of them volunteers working in hospital radio).  The podcast programme will be broadcast on Burns Night (Monday 25 January)  beginning at 8 pm on Clan Radio with listeners across the world. But as Mary points out the Burns Supper season lasts until the end of February, ” the CD lets you organise your own event wherever and whenever it suits you”.

The campaign hopes each supper will raise at least £50.  (Anyone raising more than £250 gets a free bottle of whisky.) To find out more and to get your CD, contact Dawn Carrie or Alison Baker on 0131 510 2345 or email dawncarrie@scotland-meningitis.org.uk

Both Mary and Robert are keen  to connect with ethnic minority community groups, emphasising the international appeal of Burns.

Don’t just get mad, join the Newsgroup.

Bankers narrowly lost out to Afghanistan in the first Newsgroup workshop when Gavin Crichton asked people what news stories were making them angry.  What will be the burning issue for the second Newsgroup?  Come and find out at 10 am on Saturday 30th January in Pilmeny Youth Club. Be sure to bring your cuttings with you!

This is a joint venture between Leith Open Space and ACTive Inquiry, the very active community theatre group now firmly based in Leith.  The inspiration comes from artistic director Gavin Crichton who saw the potential of combining the  Open Space format with a drama workshop to get constructive discussion going. So it’s not just about talking.  Like our Open Space discussion events, the workshop ends with a vote on what participants want to do to make a change.

As Gavin explains: “The workshop explores  how we can become active participants in current affairs rather than passive consumers.”

And what kind of action can we take? Write to your MP about Afghanistan was the gist of the winning vote at the end of the first event in December when 19 people turned up with news to discuss and plenty of views.  “It was a great session,” says Gavin who is emailing everyone on the list inviting them to a second event at:

Pilmeny Youth Centre, 44 Buchanan Street, between 10 am and 1pm on Saturday 30th January.  The fee is just £5 and after the workshops we will adjourn to the cafe at Out of the Blue in the Old Drill Hall where, no doubt, the discussion will continue.

If you want more information just get in touch with Gavin on gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk or ring Ben Stollery on 07963 782 874

ACTive INquiry promotes increased participation in the arts as a catalyst for active involvement in society. More information on  www.activeinquiry.co.uk

A heartwarming glimpse of multicultural Edinburgh

There is a sound people make when they are pleased to be with one another.  Stan Reeves called it “the difference between false gregariousness and authentic comradeship” and this tiny clip of film gives you an idea of what that sounds like.  As you can hear, there was plenty of authentic comradeship when The Welcoming celebrated the confirmation of new funding which  secures a new programme of events starting in January 2010.

It’s been a long hard year of uncertainty for the community project which  now has financial security until March 2011 and The Welcoming team obviously intend to make the most of it.  In an upstairs room at  St Cuthberts Church, there is a heartwarming glimpse of multicultural Edinburgh in action as students and tutors and friends of The Welcoming gather for lunch with music, home made soup and several different kinds of Christmas cake.

It seems to sum up exactly why The Welcoming began seven years ago literally as a place to welcome newcomers to the city.  As Stan Reeves put it, in a short but pithy speech, “The Adult Learning Project (ALP), saw the way society was going, we were definitely moving towards a multicultural Scotland. We decided adult education should take that on board.”

Since then The Welcoming, under the ALP umbrella, has developed a creative programme teaching English and exploring the legal and social intricacies of  the Scottish way of life. Weekly classes and workshops include art, music, drama, film but perhaps the most important aspect of these  multicultural meetings is providing an opportunity for people to share ideas and food as they learn from one another.

“I love this work,” Stan Reeves said in the interval between lunch and music (he had put away his accordion for the time being), “The people who come to us are on a journey, they have left their old lives behind, they throw themselves wholeheartedly into whatever we offer.”

The journey continues in January when The Welcoming begins a new programme (see the ALP and Welcoming website for details). Many of the projects are very much in line with the aims of Leith Open Space (especially Opening Doors and World Kitchen ) so we hope to drop in on the Welcoming to share more ideas in the new year.

This would be a great place to start!

Democracy and Active Citizenship

These days we are all being encouraged to be ‘active citizens’, but what does this really mean? For some, It’s about volunteering – helping at local playgroups, organising jumble sales, for others the emphasis is more on campaigning on specific issues through lobbying councillors and parliament, etc, or does it simply mean turning out to vote when required?

Monday evening 7.15-9.15pm. For more details contact Colin or Stan at ALP

The McPherson Inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence recognised that there was a reluctance by some people and communities to approach the police directly to report a crime. The report  recommended that there should be a place other than a police station  where people could report crime.

Lothian and Borders Police introduced its first Remote Reporting Centres in 2000 aimed at serving race and faith communities. Partner organisations [like Amina–MWRC who are organising the Women's Hate Crime event] are trained to complete a remote report form which they then submit to the police.

As well as completing the report, the agencies can offer support and advice to the victim or signpost them to someone who can. The procedure is victim led and they have the choice on what they would like the police to do with the information given. Since 2000 the number of sites has  expanded to about 100  and covering all sections of our communities. A list of organisations trained to take Remote Reports and further information on the process  is at  www.lbp.police.uk/takecontrol.

Lothian and Borders police is always interested in training new partner organisations and so anyone who is interested should contact PS Hazel Leslie, hazel.leslie@lbp.pnn.police.uk who will be delighted to discuss it further.

Here’s a chance to make a difference.  Muslim women are increasingly the victims of hidden crimes of hate – verbal threats and words of abuse hurled in public places – but the crimes are rarely reported for fear of making things worse.  That is why the very enterprising charity, Amina-MWRC, is inviting police and women to meet, talk and strengthen a network of support, at a Women’s Hate Crime event in Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December. [To register email: samina@mwrc.org.uk]

The aim is to encourage women to speak up without fear under the protection of third party reporting and the event is organised by Amina – the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC) which has become a third party reporting agency in recent years.  Samina Ansari, a young Pakistani Scottish mother, who is the MWRC Helpline Officer for South Scotland, describes the background of increasing harrassment behind the event:

“It has been noted from our development and helpline  case work across Scotland that there has been a rise in Islamophobic and racist incidents and women are not likely to report these crimes.

“Sometimes a victim will not want police involvement for  fear the problem may get worse. But they  have an option of reporting to a third party reporting site.”

Amina–MWRC, which promotes the welfare and social inclusion of Muslim women, is one of the national agencies on a growing list of third party centres  on  the Lothian and Borders police website.  The system enables victims from minority communities to report incidents of harrassment to a third party who can offer support and advice as well as passing information on to police and local authorities

The Women’s Hate Crime event in York Place, Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December is an opportunity for women to discuss their experiences with police and victim support agencies.  In a two-way conversation open to Muslim and other women (interpreters can be provided if needed), the idea is to raise awareness of third party reporting and provide the real life stories which will enable police to improve the service and support they offer. As always perhaps some of the most valuable discussion will arise over a shared lunch at the end of the morning.

As Samina explains in an email to Leith Open Space: “Amina – MWRC proactively wish to prevent repeat victimisation and reduce the fear of crime and harassment.”

Amina – MWRC offers a wide range of events and services including training and friendship groups,  information advice drop in, helpline, and counselling services (see the website for more details – www.mwrc.org.uk). HELPLINE 0808 801 0301
helpline@mwrc.org.uk

Well, it looks like good news for the first News Group workshop anyway.  Gavin Crichton says there’s good response for the first current affairs workshop from ACTive Inquiry at Out of the Blue in Dalmeny Street on Saturday 28th Noember 10-12.  Meet in the cafe from 9.45 and bring a recent news story that has annoyed you in some way. 

As Gavin says: “One where you feel you may have wanted to do something but instead you just moaned to friends! We will use 1 or 2 of these in the workshop. They do not have to be major news stories.”

For more information contact

Gavin Crichton
Artistic Director
ACTive INquiry
gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk
www.activeinquiry.co.uk

“Interfaith dialogue is about building deeper human relationship not about conversion, evangelism or judgement of others beliefs.” Ewan Aitken.

Can you mix faith with politics? The subject is grasped by two men who should know at 6pm on Sunday 22 November in the Annandale Street Mosque during this year’s Interfaith programme. Expect a stimulating discussion – and take the chance to join in afterwards.

In conversation, Bashir Maan, a former politician, businessman and author meets Ewan Aitken, Church of Scotland minister, Poetry Garden champion and City Councillor, to explore whether someone’s faith determines their politics, whether religious beliefs jeopardise a career in politics, or whether faith and politics should be kept strictly apart.

Bashir Maan, currently Scotland’s representative on the Muslim Council of Great Britain,  became the UK’s first Pakistani politician to serve Glasgow’s Kingston Ward in 1970, and was the first immigrant to become Deputy Lieutenant of Glasgow. A keen advocate for integration, Bashir is actively involved in promoting the understanding of the needs of Scotland’s Asian communities.

Ewan Aitken, who describes himself as a Christian socialist, shares Bashir’s interest in integration and encouraging dialogue. “We all believe in something even if that there is nothing but us here on earth,” he says explaining why he is taking part in Sunday’s event.

“Those beliefs shape our living at its very core. Understanding other peoples beliefs means we will be better able to be in deep relationship with them. Interfaith dialogue is about building deeper human relationship not about conversion, evangelism or judgement of others beliefs.”

This is just one of the thought-provoking discussions taking place in the Interfaith week programme which runs from 22nd to 29th November throughout Edinburgh.  All events are free – and everyone is welcome, with or without faith!

Find out more from the Inter-Faith Association website and download your copy of the programme  by clicking here.