The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Scotland. It's an introduction to networks, community involvement, and events. Other pages include Scotland community resources, Climate action Scotland, Ecological restoration Scotland and Towards sustainable economies Scotland. The majority of our information about community action across Scotland is collated via our place pages...Near you.
People already live alongside predators in India and Kenya – here’s how it could work in Scotland, theconversation.com (Dec 19, 2024) - SPRING: From its ambition to create an "urban croft" (or food producer) in the heart of Leith, Earth In Common is becoming a powerful CAN, Daily Alternative (Nov 21, 2024)
- Ecocide Bill lodged in Scottish Parliament, stopecocide.earth (Nov 12, 2024)
Scotland networks, alliances and community support organisations[edit | edit source]
- Scottish Community Alliance, "coalition of community based, national networks and intermediaries – each one representing a different aspect of Scotland’s diverse community sector. While each is very different in terms of their specific interests and areas of specialist knowledge, they all share a commitment to the principles of community empowerment and subsidiarity."
- Development Trusts Association Scotland, independent, member-led organisation aiming to promote, support and represent development trusts in Scotland. DTA Scotland now has over 350 development trust members – community-led organisations using a combination of enterprise and creativity to improve the quality of life for local people in urban, rural and island communities across Scotland. Video: DTA Scotland on youtube.comadded 15:49, 21 October 2023 (UTC)
Scottish Islands Federation
The Scottish Islands Federation, founded in November 2007, claims that it aims to promote, publicise and advance the interests of Scotland's islands. It grew out of the informal Scottish Islands Network, which had existed since 2001.
The inaugural conference was held at Craignure on the Isle of Mull. A survey of islanders found that nearly 90% believe that all of Scotland's 90 or more inhabited islands should be able to speak with a common voice and that 77% believe that the Scottish Government should include a minister with specific responsibility for the islands. There was also overwhelming support for a forthcoming pilot scheme to introduce road equivalent tariff that could reduce ferry fares. It was also noted that Scotland's islands have a combined population of nearly 100,000 but have no special government provision, whereas the 3,000 Irish islanders do.
Willie Roe, the Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise speaking at the conference said that here was a new feeling of self-belief among islanders, encouraged by community-based developments on, for example, Gigha, Eigg and Harris and that "our islands are quite exceptional in world terms". Jim Mather, the Scottish Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism stated that "I think it is a self-evident truth that Scotland hasn't properly valued her islands… but we are seeing a quiet revolution".
- Scottish Islands Federation, "Promoting the interests and sustainability of Scotland’s island communities." added 14:18, 21 October 2023 (UTC)
Bioregionalism
- Bioregioning Tayside, Map, Bioregioning in Tayside, bioregioningtayside.scot, added 17:07, 24 November 2023 (UTC)
- Findhorn Watershed Initiative, "multi-generational vision to restore a mosaic of nature rich habitats, grow a local culture of nature connection and enable a thriving nature-based economy for the people and places of the Findhorn watershed, from the Monadhliath Mountains to the Moray Firth.", added 08:20, 15 May 2024 (UTC)
Ecovillages
see: Findhorn Ecovillage, Moray
Community involvement[edit | edit source]
- Generations Working Together, provides information, delivers support and encourages involvement to benefit all of Scotland's generations, by working, learning, volunteering and living together. added 15:44, 4 March 2021 (UTC)
Co-production
Participatory budgeting
The Scottish Government has made a commitment to participatory budgeting, saying "We support PB as a tool for community engagement and for developing participatory democracy in Scotland". In addition, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities have agreed that at least 1% of local government budgets will be subject to participatory budgeting by the end of 2021, potentially amounting to £100million.
The Scottish Government allocates funding for participatory budgeting through the Community Choices Fund, delivered in partnership between the Government, local authorities, communities and third sector organisations.
There is a national network to support participatory budgeting called the PB Scotland Network. Glasgow Community Planning Partnership has worked with What Works Scotland to develop a toolkit to assess the impact of its PB activities and develop an improvement plan. W
Scottish rural parliament
In March 2012 Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead announced that the Scottish Government was moving ahead with its plans for a Scottish rural parliament, as outlined in Programme for Scotland 2011–2012.
The inaugural Scottish Rural Parliament was held from 6–8 November 2014, in Oban, Argyll & Bute.
An independent organization, Scottish Rural Action, was formed to take forward the proposals. Directors include the chair, John Hutchison of Community Land Scotland, who is a Community Advocate based in the West Highlands. He also chairs the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and is former Chairman of the John Muir Trust.
The themes or topics for the Rural Parliament will be decided by people who live and work in rural Scotland using a survey. W
- Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament, Video: Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament on youtube.com
Citizens' Assembly of Scotland
The Citizens' Assembly of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Seanadh Saoranaich na h-Alba) is a citizens' assembly that was established in 2019 by the Scottish Government to deliberate on three broad issues of Scottish society:
- What kind of country are we seeking to build?
- How can we best overcome the challenges we face, including those arising from Brexit?
- What further work should be carried out to give people the detail they need to make informed choices about the future of the country?
- Citizens' Assembly of Scotland: research report, Published 25 January 2022, gov.scot
Community empowerment
- Community empowerment, information from the Scottish government, gov.scot
Community and voluntary action[edit | edit source]
Community Development Alliance Scotland (CDAS) is a network of organisations that are concerned with community development in Scotland. CDAS is a member of the Scottish Government's Better Community Engagement national advisory group and submits formal responses to relevant Scottish Government policy consultations, such as the 2008 Local Healthcare Bill and the 2011 'Building a Sustainable Future' regeneration discussion paper.
- Community Development Alliance Scotland
- Communities Channel Scotland, puts communities in the spotlight by connecting people and sharing ideas.
- VIDEO: SCDC & CHEX (Scottish Community Development Centre & Community Health Exchange) channel on youtube.com
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is the national membership body for Scotland’s charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. SCVO works to support people to take voluntary action to help themselves and others, and to bring about social change. It provides services and support to the third sector in Scotland to advance shared values and interests. SCVO has approximately 2,800 members, ranging from individuals and grassroots groups, to Scotland-wide organisations and intermediary bodies. The organisation employs approximately 100 staff.
Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoE Scotland) is a Scottish charity and an independent member of the Friends of the Earth International network of 73 environmental organisations. It is one of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe represents and unites at the European level.
FoE Scotland has a membership of around 3,000 people in Scotland.
- Friends of the Earth Scotland, Press releases, foe.scot, Friends of the Earth Scotland on youtube.com, added 15:41, 21 November 2023 (UTC)
Near you[edit | edit source]
About Scotland[edit | edit source]
Past events
- April 25, 2015, Pedal on Parliament
- May 17, 2014, Warming up for the Commonwealth Games at Lang Craigs, plant a tree in the Commonwealth Grove at Lang Craigs
Scotland (Scots: Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjacent islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. To the south-east, Scotland has its only land border, which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England; the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. The population in 2022 was 5,439,842. Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is the most populous of the cities of Scotland.
In 1999, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members, having authority over many areas of domestic policy. The head of the Scottish Government is the first minister. Scotland is represented in the United Kingdom Parliament by 59 members of parliament (MPs). Scotland is a member of the British–Irish Council, the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the Heads of Government Council. W
See also[edit | edit source]
- Topic overview: Networks, Community involvement, Community and voluntary action
- UK context: Networks UK, Community involvement UK, Community and voluntary action UK
External links
- Wikipedia: Sustainable development in Scotland
