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 Council
The SIC had its regular monthly Council meeting on Thursday 26th November, our last meeting of the year. We recently launched Transitioning Scotland: building the institutions for our new country, a report that will include a set of discussion papers that outline how the institutions and structures required by an independent Scotland could function. The first of these papers – Scotland’s Borders – examines how we can think differently about national borders of an independent Scotland. Bill Austin argues that Borders can help an independent Scotland prosper. You can read a bit more about this paper here.
The SIC Executive is ensuring we keep in regular contact with the SNP as the party of Government in Scotland. And we are seeking to build stronger links with the wider grassroots independence movement, to offer coordination and support, and to share resources and support.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 28th January, and people interested in joining the work of the SIC – campaigning for another referendum, building support for independence, and preparing for the institutions of independence – are welcome to join us. Please get in touch for more information.
SIC Member in focus: Scottish CND
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 Scottish CND.
Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (SCND), founded in 1958, is a not for profit organisation and one of the longest running peace organisations in Scotland. Funded by membership subscriptions and donations, they are a membership organisation with a small staff group focused on:
- campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction;
- advancing knowledge of nuclear weapons;
- informing the public about the implications of nuclear weapons use and possession.
SCND plays a vital role in building peace and justice. They work closely with churches and faith groups, trade unions, academics, politicians and other organisations and are the major Scottish peace organisation to campaign and organise demonstrations against nuclear weapons. They work with schools (via Peace Education Scotland) to promote information on conflict resolution and peace and encourage children to have knowledgeable debates and opinions about nuclear weapons.
Despite the clear opposition of the people of Scotland, STUC, churches, civil society and Scottish elected representatives, all of the UK’s nuclear weapons are based at Faslane. SCND highlight a range of reasons to abolish nuclear weapons, from humanitarian impact and morality to military relevance and international law, and of course, cost.
For more information, and details of how to join SCND, please visit their website.
Scotland’s Right to Choose
We have, along with other groups and organisations, been developing a campaign focused on our right, as a country, to determine our own future. It is clear that more people and organisations are starting to think that self-determination is the right approach for Scotland. Many civic organisations, including the Scottish Trades Union Congress (the STUC), believe that Scotland should have the right to choose its constitutional future. Working with these organisations and others, we are building support for the right to choose. If you or your organisation are interested in being part of this campaign, please do get in touch with us by email.
Voices for Scotland Update
Voices for Scotland is gearing up for The Big Indy Night In – the biggest (and best!) indy event of the year as we bow out of 2020 with a bang. Featuring Elaine C Smith, Dougie MacLean, Jackie Kay, Janey Godley, Eddi Reader, Val McDermid, Stuart Cosgrove, Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, Mike Small and Ruth Wishart and many more, this will be a great day of music, comedy, discussion and fun. Get your tickets here!
VfS’ regular Get Togethers continue to bring people from all over the country together to discuss issues that matter to you. Most recently, BIll Austin joined the VfS team to discuss how we can change our thinking around national borders and customs relationships, having just produced a paper on this topic for the SIC. Bill contributed to the latest Voices podcast too, which you can listen to here.
And at the end of November, VfS launched Be A Voice – a new campaign initiative designed to connect people across Scotland in a community of ideas, hopes and visions for an independent Scotland. You can add your voice to this community – more information is on the Be A Voice website.
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.
If you would like to support the work of Voices for Scotland, as they reach new audiences and give more people in Scotland a voice, please do visit the donate page and become a regular donor. You can find out more about VfS via its Facebook and Twitter accounts, or by emailing them at info@voicesforscotland.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 events or discussions:
- Why should we decolonise – what was so wrong with colonialism, Monday 7th December, 7pm, organised by the Aberdeen Independence Movement
- YES for EU Scottish independence and Europe – campaigning during a pandemic, Tuesday 8th December, organised by
- The Big Indy Night In, Saturday 12th December, 3-10pm, organised by Voices for Scotland
We want to hear from you!
That’s it for this month. We will be back with the next SIC newsletter in the New Year. If you have anything you’d like to share with the wider independence movement (this email goes to several thousand people!), 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