Welcome to the latest news from the SIC. Every month, we will bring you updates from the SIC (what we’ve been up to, what we are planning, news from our members) and information from across the independence movement! We want to share your news and events too: please do get in touch and let us know what you would like to see in this newsletter.
Update from SIC AGM
SIC’s AGM took place on Thursday 27th August. As part of the meeting, which took place online, the following people were confirmed as members of the Executive Committee, and will oversee the work of the SIC for the coming year:
- Co-conveners: Maggie Chapman and Iain Black
- Treasurer: Ann Ballinger
- Ordinary members: Mary McCabe, Greg McCarra, Josh Mennie, Nina Munday
The Exec’s focus for the coming months will be on three key areas of work: supporting the “Scotland’s Right to Choose” campaign that seeks to build support for another referendum; developing the Transitions work (see below) that will take us from a vote for independence to being a fully independent country, and outreach and communications with the wider movement. If you would like to be involved in any of these areas of work, or have ideas or suggestions, please do let us know! And, if you want to hear Maggie speak more about the work of the SIC, tune into Broadcasting Scotland’s Scotland at 7 programme from last Friday.
The AGM also heard from Clare MacGillivray from Making Rights Real, a new grassroots human rights organisation in Scotland seeking to use rights-based models to support the most marginalised communities address human rights concerns. Clare outlined the importance of such approaches that engage and empower communities and allow them to understand, name and claim their rights. More information about this work is available on the SIC website.
Transition: from winning a referendum to independence
The Transitions Group was set up in January of this year to bring together a group of experts able to plan the Transition from a vote to leave the UK to a fully independent country. Several folk are already working on papers and reports detailing the steps needed to unravel our policies and procedures from those of Westminster, and prepare for a newly independent Scotland. More expertise are required for a variety of different areas of work. If you have someone in mind, or think you may be able to help, please get in touch – we’ll be delighted to hear from you!
After some discussion, those in the Transitions working group decided that it would be better to work in clusters, linking different areas of work together. It is clear, for instance, that health policy cannot be determined without also sorting out poverty, housing, social security, welfare and employment. These clusters are:
- International: including treaties, customs and borders, defence and foreign policy
- Social: health and wellbeing, social security, education, homes
- Economic: currency, taxation, banking, debts and assets, technological and digital
- Environment: energy, waste, travel, species
- Constitutional & Legal: process/models, succession, codification, timetable, legal
We will be publishing papers and reports from this work over the coming months – do look out for them and share them with your contacts. We hope they will be useful in conversations with others about independence as well as providing a structure for what happens in Scotland after we win the next independence referendum.
Voices for Scotland Update
The VfS Get Togethers are now well established weekly conversations with a range of different people interested in Scotland’s future, designed to generate discussion beyond the constraints of party politics, and to give more people the space to have their voices heard. The next Get Together is this Thursday, 3rd September, from 6pm. Clara and Allan, the two VfS Campaign organisers, will be talking about the basics of Independence – Independence 101. Next week, we are very excited to have David Hayman join the conversation.
If you are interested in sharing your thoughts in these conversations, or want to hear what others have to say, do join the Voices team. You can find out more on the Voices for Scotland Facebook and Twitter accounts, or email them at info@voicesforscotland.scot.
As well as the weekly Get Togethers and conversations, VfS also has a monthly column in The National. This month, Maggie Chapman discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and how we need to have collective responses to such issues – something that does not really seem possible with the current Westminster government.
VfS is keen to be a resource for campaigners and groups across the country. You might also be interested in the resources they have developed or gathered so far, but if you have any other resources you’d like to share with the wider movement, do let them know.
SIC Member in focus: Aberdeen Independence Movement
SIC is a member-led organisation, and we want to help spread information about our members with the wider independence movement. This month, we feature the Aberdeen Independence Movement (AIM).
AIM was set up by a group of local activists and professionals to campaign for Scottish independence. They believe that the best way for Scotland to fulfil its potential is to become an independent country. They are an umbrella organisation for the city of Aberdeen and welcome anyone who is interested in learning why independence is the most positive outcome for Scotland.
AIM was founded on four pillars:
- Inclusiveness – welcoming the views of individuals and organisations from all backgrounds
- Localism – a bespoke strategy to Aberdeen is the best way to win over the Granite City
- Pragmatism – being realistic in campaign and organisation approach
- Professionalism – aiming for competence and professionalism, and advocating respect for one another
Aberdeen is a unique and diverse city, with its wide range of industries and different academic institutions. AIM wants to share a positive vision of a future Aberdeen in an independent Scotland, a vision built by the people that call Aberdeen and Scotland home.
AIM’s members come from many different backgrounds and political ideas: they are not party political, and welcome discussion about the different visions for Scotland. Once Scotland has power over the social, fiscal, legal and economic frameworks, then the people of Scotland can decide how best to use that power, and what decisions to make. The purpose of AIM is to get Aberdeen to that point. It’s up to all of us to make the positive case for Scotland, and it’s up to AIM to show Aberdeen that we can aim for more, aim for better, aim for independence.
For more information about AIM, please go to their website: https://aim.scot/.
Events for your diary
We know that there are lots of different things happening across Scotland, organised by campaign groups and others. If you would like your events featured in this newsletter, please let us know! Keep an eye on the SIC Facebook page where events we think are of interest will be shared.
You might be interested in the following upcoming events organised by SIC members:
- Keep an eye on https://constitutionforscotland.scot/ for exciting things happening next month
- An evening with Michelle Thomson: discussing the impact of independence on business, organised by the Aberdeen Independence Movement, 14th September, https://www.facebook.com/events/3203830839706307/
- From No to Yes: a discussion with those who have become supporters of independence since 2014, organised by the Aberdeen Independence Movement, 30th September, https://www.facebook.com/events/3316263391791526/
We want to hear from you!
That’s it for this month. If you have anything you’d like to share with the wider independence movement, please do let us know. And do let us know what you think about this newsletter, and how we can make it better!
Thanks all.
Take care, and stay well.
The SIC Comms team
The Scottish Independence Convention
e: info@theconvention.scot f: facebook.com/ScotConvention t: twitter.com/ScotConvention w: independenceconvention.scot