THIS EVENING Young peaceworkers at work

PEACE. It's a great idea. But what does it mean in practice, and how do you actually do it, on the the ground, in day-to-day realistic situations?

Young Peaceworkers at work is an interactive workshop presented by two young Quakers who will not only tell you, but show you and involve you too.

Rhiannon Redpath is placed with Gender Action for Peace and Security, working on the issue of women in Afghanistan.

Owen Everett is placed jointly with War Resisters' International and Forces Watch, working on countering the militarisation of young people.

They are part of the one-year popular Peaceworker scheme run by Quaker Peace and Social Witness for the last 20 years.

Hear about their experiences, share their enthusiasm. Inspiration is guaranteed!

The talk and workshop runs on Monday 26th August 2013, from 7.30-9.00pm, at the central Quaker Meeting House in Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL. Tickets can be bought at the venue and cost £5.

This is part of the joint Just Festival, Edinburgh Peace Initiative and Quaker lecture series.

More here.

THIS AFTERNOON Living Our Values

AT 2pm in St John's Church there will be a presentation and workshop based on the newly launched, empowering and inspiring book Living Our Values. 

The book, by Brahma Kumaris, presents what the author calls "an inside-out approach to changing your world for the better."

It is is based on the wisdom of some of those considered to be among the world’s leading spiritual coaches and provides a comprehensive range of activities and possibilities.

Entry is by donation.

Beginning again with religion

RELIGION is a 'hot topic' one way or another. Some love, some loathe, many go meh... but you can't ignore the diverse belief mix that now makes up a modern plural society.

Many of us think we know a lot about one faith or another, but we're also embarrassed by how little we know. What's more, as author Owen Cole once wisely observed: "People who have different beliefs to you don't live in books, they live down your street."

So... Ever wondered what makes food halal? How karma works? Or why Sikh people wear turbans? 

In the series 'A beginner's guide to religion' you will get to find out this and much, much more.

Each evening we will explore a different religion with a speaker from that faith.

Learn the history and teachings of each belief system, and hear personal accounts belonging to a faith tradition in 21st century Scotland and beyond.

The series is being put on by the Edinburgh Inter Faith Association. You can find full details here. Continues 21st  and 22nd • 17:30 – 18:30 each of those evenings.

By donation. Venue: Cornerstone Bookshop, EH2 4BJ (at St John's Church, corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, Edinburgh).

Exploring the resonance of Lindisfarne

THIS is Edinburgh’s and Just Festival's contribution to the 1300th anniversary celebrations of 'The Lindisfarne Gospels' which contain the earliest surviving translation of the Gospels into English.

Dedicated to St Cuthbert, who established Edinburgh’s first church nearby, it reveals an amazing blend of Scots, Saxon, Roman, Coptic and Muslim influences.

Ray Simpson of Lindisfarne, author and founding guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda, tells the amazing story of the Gospels, discusses how they may inform Scotland’s independence debate and inspire Christian-Muslim interface.

The tale leads into a meditation on the portraits of the Four Gospel writers as archetypes of the Warrior, Magus, Lover and King.

Signed copies of Ray’s new book 'The Lindisfarne Gospels' will be available.

Full details here.

Banking on the future

HERE we are at the Quaker Meeting House in central Edinburgh, ready to learn about a different approach to banking and how an enterprise like Triodos can make a real difference.

"Triodos is a global pioneer of sustainable banking. Our mission is to make money work for positive social, environmental and cultural change.

"More specifically, we are in business to help create a society that protects and promotes the quality of life of all its members; to enable individuals, organisations and businesses to use their money in ways that benefit people and the environment and promote sustainable development; and to provide our customers with innovative financial products and high quality service."

 All that sounds very noble. But what does it mean?

Now is not a good time to be a banker. "We may have the liberty to do certain things, but are they morally correct," said Neil Hewitt. "So welcome to sustainable banking." This is about being conscious of the environmental and social impact money, transparency, linking savers and investors, focussing on the needs of future generations as well as our own.

Triodos lends deposits on for social benefit. It originated 30 years ago in the Netherlands, out of a banking crisis. The bank now has over 700 co-workers (as they are called), having grown significantly.  It has been in the UK for 17 years, and five in Scotland. It took over Mercury Provident in Brighton, moving to Bristol (not London).

The aim of the organisation is to help people, both individually and collectively, to become much more aware of how money is generated and used.

The projects Triodos supports have to environmentally and socially beneficial, but also financially sustainable: that the business is there not only for today, but for tomorrow.

"Transparency is our leading way of ensuring that depositors, our customers, know where the money goes," Neil declared. All the information about the projects is published. There is no hidden funding of armaments or other negative industries.

Excellence and credibility is necessary to solidify people's relationship with the bank, because they are not just buying into values but also entrusting their resources. The management of a business that seeks to be on the leading edge has to be entrepreneurial, but also informed: about what political and funding changes are driving things like healthcare, for example.

This means that policies and products can be effective, but also support innovators in the fields where investment is going on.

Changes in the Charities Act have had a positive impact on deposit range, matching the need for a financial return with other aims.

Organic farming and ethical trading businesses (Cafe Direct, River Cottage, etc.) are an important part of what Triodos supports in the agricultural and commercial field.

Hydro, solar and other renewable energy resources are elements of the environment team's engagement, supporting industry and jobs.

The social and cultural team's work varies across housing associations, to health, faith groups, charities and more.

There is a longstanding relationship with the Camp Hill community movement, in Scotland (it started in Aberdeen after the war) and Ireland. That includes green waste and recycling in Edinburgh, as well as small holding elsewhere. "Our money is being used in a very constructive way."

When faith groups are supported, it is because of community involvement (youth, elderly people, food banks), not as a way of endorsing a particular belief system. There should not be obstacles put in the way of service.

Quakers especially, but also evangelical Christians, Buddhists and a Sikh group are among the partners.

Growth in lending, now at £580 million, has extended by 16% in the last year or so. Bad debts, meanwhile, have dwindled and are not a problem - 0.16% of the entire loan book.

But there is an awareness that the financial crisis and cuts are hitting individuals, charities, service providers and others. So Triodos seeks to work closely with them to move forward and address the issues.

So there is no 'big black book', but a determination to manage risk responsibly.

People, planet and profit are the triple 'bottom line'. Triodos declares: "Our approach is based on the fundamental belief that economic activity can and should have a positive impact on society, the environment and culture. We value people, planet and profit - and take all three into account in everything we do.

"We call this sustainable banking. And it explains why we invest only in, or lend only to, organisations that contribute to a more sustainable society."

Triodos does not have a counter service, but in Scotland uses RBS as a high street facility for its savings accounts. At present, it doesn't have a current account, but is investigating that possibility.

Questions started off with the assessment of risk, given the difficulty of predicting the return from social enterprises. How does a different lending model operate? By being mobile, intelligent and engaged.

There are no collaterialised securities, inter-bank loans etc. All is done through lending on deposit. Loans and interest are commercially priced. "We are not the cheapest, and we can't be just on price... it's the whole package."

Is liquidity a worry? "No, we're ahead of the game.." A transparent model is commercially successful, as people flee from failing 'orthodox' model.

[Note: Just Festival does not endorse particular financial products and services]

This has been an evolving live blog... please do add comments or corrections. 

Ethics, the economy and peace building

FOLLOWING hot on the heel of 'Business for the other 99%' at St John's Church this evening is an important session that is part of the joint Quaker and Just Festival lecture series, looking at Ethics in the economy in relation to peace building.

Presented by Neil Hewitt, Social and Cultural Team leader at Triodos Bank, this session will look at the important role that finance can play in making for a better world - in contrast to the scandal surrounding the speculative end of the banking industry.

Neil is responsible for a team of people at Triodos that collectively provides a total of £420 million of funding into social housing, charities, social enterprises, health, care, belief and faith groups, and arts and culture organisations.

In addition to supporting the 460 borrowing customers, the team manages over 600 deposit relationships, with funds entrusted exceeding £40 million.

This diversity enables Triodos to understand the challenges that each of these very different sectors are facing, both on a strategic and operational level.

Neil will explain why and how he is committed to making a difference, and based on the Triodos banking model, is convinced that with more conscious use of money, we can deliver a more sustainable future.

* The talk is at 8.30pm at the central Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL. It cost £5 and will end by 9.45pm. Tickets at the venue. Or online via the Hub here.

Participation is the key to Scotland's future

THINKING Together: Co-Creating Peace is underway at the Quaker Meeting House in central Edinburgh, as part of Just Festival and the Quaker festival lecture series.

More a workshop and discussion than a presentation, the emphasis is on how dialogue, creativity, empowerment, participation and networking can help to generate the democratic innovation needed for developing Scotland's future in a positive way.

Obviously the upcoming independence referendum has focussed attention on where the country is going, but the idea of this evening is not to get into a 'yes' versus 'no' debate, but to see how people in Scotland can find new ways of working together whatever the outcome of 2014.

Inspired by a process used in Iceland, and supported by a bevy of collaborating partners and volunteers, So Say Scotland hosted their first Citizens' Assembly earlier this year.

 'Thinking Together' was and is a people's process, drawing on an enabled gathering of 76 people at the galvanising event, who were encouraged to "exercise their democratic muscle".

Issues of what we mean by and want from welfare, environment, economy, politics and more came to the fore in the conversations - starting with the sharing of values.

"There is an energy that comes from coming together",  one participant said. The process was designed to ensure that all voices were heard, with an opportunity for people to gather and synthesise ideas themselves, rather than have it done for them or to them.

So say Scotland says: "Participative and deliberative democracy is a complement to and an evolution of representative democracy: anywhere a citizen gets closer to the decision making process and does that in collaboration with others.

"Every process and tool has different elements of participation and deliberation, understanding this is also essential to effective use of the process and tools. Deliberation can be defined as ‘an exchange of reasons aimed at transforming the preference of others’.

This means things like: Open Space, World Café, Wisdom Councils, Referendums, Cooperatives/Employee Ownership, Community Land Buy Out, Citizen Assemblies/Juries/Panels & Deliberative Polling, Participatory Budgeting, Pupils Councils, DEMOCS, and Co‐production.

More information here.

Justice and peace need to embrace

IN his powerful address at the opening of Just Festival earlier this month, the Rt Rev Dr John Armes, the Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh, explored some themes that are key for the Festival - ones that have resonated strongly over the past few weeks.

He declared: "Peace and justice belong together – like the old name of this festival that speaks of peace and the new name that speaks of justice. Without justice there cannot be peace, not real peace, not the deep peace of shalom, salaam, [shanti]; the peace in which people live together and thrive together – in which ‘the wolf lies down with the lamb and the little child feeds them’, as the Hebrew Scriptures put it.

"Yet justice alone is not the same as peace..."

Read the full address here.

Dr Armes is chairing the conversation on 'A Good Society' at 6pm, Tuesday 20th August, in the hall at St John's Church. Tickets are £5 and may be purchased from the cash-only box office at the venue (no. 127).

Thinking together about Scotland's future

LOOK out for a unique opportunity to find out how people can  have a real say about Scotland's future tonight (Tuesday, 20th August), in the Thinking Together: Co-Creating Peace event.   

The organisers say: "Thinking Together is a treasure hunt for the future, where the clues are hidden in the wisdom of the crowd. Each person's life experience maps the terrain, and the courage to hear each other lights the way forward."

"We are daring to drive people power, through facilitating collaboration, consensus and collective action. Imagining Scotland as a Hub of Democratic Innovation. A Scotland - a world - where everyone has a say!

"Inspired by a process used in Iceland, and supported by a bevy of collaborating partners and volunteers, So Say Scotland hosted their first citizen assembly earlier this year asking the question 'How do we make Scotland a better place?'

This powerful meaning-making experience allows participants to move beyond difference into collaboration and is at the heart of co-creating peace.

So Say Scotland are a politically neutral, broad minded, nonprofit and currently voluntary project, imagining Scotland as a Hub of Democratic Innovation.
 Come along to hear more and to experience a little of the process. Quaker Meeting House, 20:30-21:45, Tuesday August 20th, £5. Buy tickets at the Hub here.

Releasing the power of silence

AS part of the very condition of the modern world, we are assaulted on all sides by noise. But silence can reorient you and change your life, and a talk at Just Festival today (Thursday 15th August) explains why and how.

Graham Turner explores the power that can be found in silence through interviewing monastics, religious leaders, composers, actors, psychotherapists, prisoners and peace workers about their experiences of practising silence.

Ranging from Christian contemplation in the Egyptian desert to Vipassana meditation in India, from the shared silence of Quaker meetings in Oxford to the profound stillness of the Alps, Turner fills a substantial gap in modern human awareness.

Running from 4-5pm in the hall at St John's Church (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road), Edinburgh, this session on The Power of Silence costs £5. You can purchase tickets online or from the cash box office at the venue. Full details here.

Photojournalism and conflict transformation

ONE of the highlights of Just Festival has been the 'In Sight of Peace' exhibition showing in St John's hall which bears moving witness to South Africa’s extraordinary journey from segregation and inequality towards justice, peace and reconciliation.

But what of the wider role of photojournalism in political and social contexts, and in the quest for peacemaking? Following the conversation with doyen photographer Ian Berry at 12.30-1.30pm, there will be a panel discussion (2-3pm) to dig deeper into the part photojournalism can play in processes of conflict transformation.

The panel consists of Professor Jolyon Mitchell (University of Edinburgh, centre for Theology and Public Issues), Professor Scott Appleby (Kroc Institute of International Peacebuilding, Notre Dame University, USA), Ian Berry (Magnum Photos) and chair Dr Theodora Hawksley (University of Edinburgh).

Full booking details here.

Photographer Ian Berry in conversation

RENOWNED Magnum photographer Ian Berry first set out to South Africa as a boy of 17 years, recording ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances. 

His latest extraordinary exhibition, In Sight of Peace, takes us on the journey from apartheid to freedom in South Africa, with many poignant moments and images along the way.


A talk exploring the fascinating story of Berry's work will take place in the Hall at St John's Church (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, Edinburgh), from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Wednesday 14th August, alongside some of his most challenging and moving pictures - £5 admission.

Then from 2-3pm there will be a conversation on The Role of Photojournalism in Peacebuilding, again in St John's Hall for £5.

Returning many times over the next 40 years, Berry was to capture some of the most significant moments in South Africa's journey from segregation and inequality towards justice and reconciliation.

His iconic photographs form a remarkable documentary record of the collapse of the old racist system, the rise of Nelson Mandela, and the challenges facing South Africa in this present moment.

In Sight of Peace is viewable throughout Just Festival, from 10.00am - 1.30pm each day (not Saturday).

Full booking details here.

Damned rebel bitches

YES, you read that right! An afternoon of rebellion was enjoyed by participants at Just Festival yesterday afternoon (Saturday 10th August), gathering at the Quaker Meeting House in Edinburgh.

The 'Damned Rebel Bitches' in question were four remarkable, unsung Quaker women whose actions reverberated around the 19th century - writes Anna Schwoub.

"History-based fun" was on the agenda, with guest speakers including the eminent historian, James Walvin.

The event, sponsored by the DRBs Scottish Women’s History group, included art and debate. "Heroic women are sparsely commemorated - let's create our response," was the message.

Just how sparsely? Well, it was revealed that there are over 200 statues in Edinburgh alone. Of these, shockingly, just two are of women and two are of dogs.

That's not limited to Edinburgh either, participants observed. And there was naturally talk of the abuse that women have faced on social media after the campaign around lack of women's images on postage stamps, too.

Making women visible is a major issue in addressing gender inequality, gender injustice and gender-based violence in these islands and beyond.

Linking history and present struggles, as well as acknowledging the heroes of the past, is a vital step forward.

Women’s History Scotland exists to promote study and research in women’s and gender history, particularly for those working in Scotland or working on Scottish themes. It has a commitment to history at all levels and aims to provide a network of information and support to all. Browse our website for news of activities and projects concerning women’s and gender history in Scotland.

A world of possibilities: Fourth World Art

AT the recent discussion on art and social change, Lillian Lee of Fourth World Art spoke movingly about the realities of working with artisans in post-earthquake Haiti, one of the poorest nations on earth.

Today (Sunday 11th August), you can learn more about Fourth World Art by coming to 'A World of Possibilities', which runs from 2-3pm (£5) in the chapel at St John's Church, on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road in Edinburgh.


'Men anpil, chay pa lou' is a Haitian proverb, translates to ‘Many hands, make the load lighter,’ epitomises Fourth World Art’s vision.

Come and listen to the founding story of the group, as they creatively advocate self-sufficiency and enterprise through artisan craft, using this as a means to rebuild communities in crisis.

Fourth World Art’s simple idea: buy art directly from Haitian artists (money is exchanged directly and fairly, economic boost), sell the art in UK, creating awareness of Haiti and UK employment, and finally, profits from the sale of the art, reinvested back into Haiti, a need that has a tangible impact.

Assisting Burmese refugees in Delhi

TRAVEL across the world in your mind's eye (and with visual assistance) to meet, live and face-to-face, three Burmese refugee women living and working in Delhi.

Answering questions directly through a Skype interview, the women and project workers will tell their stories. Followed by an open discussion about the challenges of working sustainably with groups of refugees, creating independence rather than dependence.

The discussion takes place today, Saturday 10th August, at St John's Church (Venue 27) from 2pm to 5pm.

The speakers are Chris Barr (Burma Assist), Habib Malik (Islamic Relief Worldwide) and the chair is David Hope Jones (Scotland Malawi Partnership).

Find out more about Burma Assist here. 

Nurses, patients, managers...

TODAY's PhD in an Hour session will be looking at the conflict between nurses’ duty of care to patients and the requirement for them to be accountable to managers.

Find out more, join the discussion and have a cuppa (or whatever takes your fancy) at 3.30pm, at Cafe on the Corner, 24A Hill Street, EH2 3JZ

What's it all about, by the way?

Well, "one PhD student, one fascinating topic, one café, one hour. Enjoy a cup tea while a PhD student shares his/her interesting findings and ground breaking ideas. With students from a wide range of subjects, there will be something to tempt everyone’s intellectual appetite. Make a PhD a piece of cake."

Book on Eventbrite.

Tales of my mother... and much more

"EVERYONE wants the honey, but they don't think about the bee." Yousef Ahadi, who heads up the Persian Tent teams at St John's for the duration of Just Festival is brimming with wisdom as well as hospitality. 

But beyond the beauty of the tent, the endeavour of the Persian Rug Village in Edinburgh, and the hard work that goes into preparing food and offering hospitality lies a long story and a good deal of history...

Yousef shared some of the story of his mother and a good chunk of the history of central and eastern Europe this afternoon. It began with the Russian revolution, in the year that she was born in Azerbiajan.   What followed was the horror and tragedy of civil war, tearing people's lives about.

Yousef's mother was part of the "new community of the dispossessed" at first. She struggled for almost a century against the authoritarian regimes of Stalin, the Shah of Iran and the international forces of occupation and exploitation in the East.

But the story does not end there. Through many twists and turns eventually she found herself a serene and peaceful resting place beside her children in Turkey...

Global and local: Yousef's mother's story

THE world is a big place, but all of the really large events that make and shake our lives involve little people... like you and me.

That's the premise behind the very personal, engaging presentation that will take place in the Persian Tent at St John's Church this afternoon, from 4-6pm

Yousef Ahadi (pictured), owner of the Persian Rug Village in Edinburgh, shares the real-life story of his mother.

She battled for almost a century against the authoritarian regimes of Stalin, the Shah of Iran and the international forces of occupation and exploitation in the East.

Eventually she found herself a serene and peaceful resting place beside her children in Turkey. It's a story of pain, courage, love and inspiration.

Come along to talk with Yousef, to gain a new insight into Iran, the Middle East, Turkey and much more... and enjoy some wonderful tea and food in the Persian Tent while you are there.

It's open throughout Just Festival, by the way: an oasis of tranquility in the midst of a vibrant but hectic period in the life of Scotland's capital.

Eye witness accounts from the occupied West Bank

WHAT is really going on in Israel and Palestine, and especially on the West Bank? There's a chance to find out first hand from a participant-observer today (Tuesday 6th August, 2-3pm) in the Persian Tent at St John's Church. 

Tricia recently spent three months in Bethlehem monitoring human rights and experiencing life under Occupation. She was there as an international volunteer with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

On the West Bank ecumenical accompaniers monitor the checkpoint, witness the conduct of Israeli soldiers outside schools and visit outlying villages to find out about the difficulties that Palestinians face living in the shadow of illegal Israeli settlements.

The presentation and discussion is free, but you can book on Eventbrite here.

The Scottish-Caribbean connection

MOST Jamaicans have family connections with Scotland, Professor Geoff Palmer revealed in a lively talk at the Persian Tent yesterday (Sunday 4th Augsut) as part of the Just Festival. 

 If you missed the presentation and discussion, fear not. It runs again from 4-6pm at the same venue on Tuesday 13th August.

Here you will discover that Edinburgh and Glasgow have strong historical links with Jamaica. This association extended from ordinary houses in Edinburgh to grand landmarks such as the Necropolis and the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow.

There is also a shadow side in relation to the slave trade of course. The entanglements of history are complex and many-sided.

The event is free, but bookings can be made through Eventbrite.