TONIGHT AT 8pm: Just together... a celebration!

TONIGHT at 8pm, we celebrate what has been another extraordinary and record-breaking Just Festival (formerly the Festival of Spirituality and Peace) with a 'wrap event' at St John's Church.

Scots pipers will welcome us in and see us out. There will be a swansong or two for Just from the amazing Africa Entsha - of course - along with dance from Ragmala, Polish music, a cameo from Creepie Stool, a reflection from Rabbi Rosen, the Just Festival volunteers bursting into song, and more...

We also look forward to hearing from festival director Katherine Newbigging and chair of the hard-working board, Raymond Baudon.  There will be refreshments in the church hall afterwards.

But don't get the idea that this is the end of Just for 2013!

We will still have a full day left, Monday 26th August. That will be your last chance to see the moving Tejas Verdes, to reflect on Living Our Values, to meet Young Peacemakers, to hear the Canto del Paradiso, to be moved by Sacred Earth, to hear Africa Entsha, to see Creepie Stool... and to answer the question (in a multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-belief society), "More Tea Imam?"

Also, of course, you can have a final peak at the remarkable In Sight of Peace photo-exhibition: Ian Berry of Magnum offers a unique view of South Africa, past and present, in its quest to leave apartheid behind - without forgetting the torment, and while learning the lessons.

Further previews of all of those events coming up soon here on Just Festival News...

Meantime, Just Together, the official closing event - tonight, 8pm, St John's Church Edinburgh (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, venue 127).

It's free, but donations to our charities, Mary's Meals and Waverley Care, and to the ongoing work of Just, will be welcome.

Getting stuck in to the future

WELL, no, we don't mean in an aggressive way - but not just talking, finding a new way of putting together our views so that we can make a difference!

That was what happened at Just Festival the other evening, as part of the session looking at citizenship and identity in Scotland, whichever way the referendum goes in September 2014 (and as part of the public exchange in the build-up to it).

Perry Walker of the inspirational New Economics Foundation (nef) brought along with him an abbreviated version of a word game which enables people to express themselves and hear one another in fresh ways. It involves choosing and linking words and phrases.

You can see people busy getting stuck in to the exchange (in the nicest way possible!) in our picture, with Perry supervising proceedings.

The Church of Scotland (with Imagining Scotland's Future) and So Say Scotland, who also held a Just workshop,  are among those rolling out cafe-style civic conversations and we think about the future direction of our country, these islands. Europe and beyond.

The full live blog from the Just conversation about Scottish identity and citizenship can also be found here.

Thinking about citizenship and identity

"CITIZENSHIP - it's what we do," said Moira Tasker of Citizens Advice Edinburgh, introducing tonight's conversation at St John's on identity, citizenship and the 2014 independence referendum.

Moira is chairing the discussion, and the speakers are Iain G. Mitchell QC (in a personal capacity) and Perry Walker (New Economics Foundation, and a leading proponent of citizens' democracy).

Iain Mitchell started by talking about the debate of the head and the heart, and the very different feelings which people have about Scottish, British and European identities, individually and collectively.

"If we conduct the debate on independence without mutual respect from each others' identities, it will be very sterile," he declared.

Perry Walker began to look at the different 'narratives' involved. The pro-independence one might be, for example, "it's time to grow up". The counter-narrative would be about constraints from London and the EU, in terms of ownership.

On the pro-UK side the narrative may be about "the family of Britain". Again, the counter-argument might be about the suppression of the Scottish part of that identity as part of empire.

"Identity is about where we are comfortable being at home," Iain Mitchell responded. "But yer ain folk might be  the whole world, or a significant part of it."  History has a part to play. "I do have difficulty with the quasi-mysticism of identity with the land... because at its worst it can become exclusive."

At present, people born here or with the right of citizenship actually have two such legal citizenships - British and European - though many are not aware of this. Independence might, Mitchell suggested, challenge that. But to what extent is the sense of being a citizen a legal or a participation one?

He added that, with the possible exception of the EU, where he suggested that the broad legal consensus is that Scotland would be a new member and the other parts of what is now the UK would be a continuing member, Scottish membership of other international treaties and organisations would not be especially problematic under independence.

However, Mitchell said, what was needed was to define the debate better - again, both at the heart and head level.

Perry Walker explained that, as someone based in England, his interest was in citizens' participation and engagement, and that the card game he has brought along this evening is based on trying to listen to a variety of views across the political spectrum.

"For every expert there is an equal and opposite expert, it has been said," he added. "The decision we take is partly going to be about choosing narratives."

On the economic front, there are choices, but also assessments about the political probability of moving one way or another, Perry suggested. Iain felt there was little real room for manoeuvre.

An audience member said that she felt, however, that decisions for public ownership and industrial/social support would be both significant and possible.

After engaging with the card game, people said that they wanted a less politically charged debate, more information, and an acknowledgement that the decisions involved confidence (or not) in those who would have to negotiate and decide at the governmental level - but with influence and participation of people and communities.

The aim of the evening was not to have a partisan argument, but to deepen understanding and the ability to engage. The sense was that those taking part were grateful for that.

[Image: Focus Scotland].

This is an evolving live blog...

Scottish identity and citizenship

THE Scottish Independence Referendum has opened up serious discussions about Scotland’s identity and citizenship.

How might Scotland’s sense of self be defined after centuries of Union and immigration? Will this affect the voting in September 2014, and if so how?

Equally, what should be taken into account while revisiting legal aspects of granting citizenship? How will the Referendum shape intra-British and European relations?

These and other issues will be considered today in a conversation on Citizenship and Identity as part of Just Festival 2013, co-sponsored by the European Movement in Scotland.

The Speakers will be Iain G. Mitchell QC (Murray Stable) and Perry Walker (New Economics Foundation, and a leading proponent of citizens' democracy). The chair will be Moira Tasker (Citizen Advice Edinburgh).

The conversation runs from 4-5.30pm, Friday 23rd August, in the hall at St John's Church (venue 127).

Full details and booking here.

Tickets, which are £5, can also be purchased on the day at the venue's cash-only ticket office.

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.

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.

'Creepie Stool' is proving a hit

CREEPIE Stool continues its run in the hall at St John's at 8.30pm tonight, and then tomorrow (21st), with a  finale on the 26th at Just Festival.

"A flair for irony, subtle provocation, detailed observation and wry wit," says EdinburghSpotlight of Scottish playwright Jen McGregor. This is her new play.

The scene is set in Edinburgh, 24 July 1637. Jenny Geddes flings a stool at a minister and starts a riot in St Giles, a three-day brawl and, indirectly, the Covenanters’ War.

While Calvinists and Catholics clash violently on the city’s streets, Jenny’s employer demands an explanation – leading to unwelcome discoveries behind closed doors.

Creepie Stool is a story of secrets, lies, inept leadership, early Scottish sectarianism and the uncontrollable consequences of a single act of defiance.

It is also inspired by a true story, and it has strong resonances with the current debate about sectarianism and how to handle it in Scotand and elsewhere.

Booking details here. 

Positive approaches to migration

THE organisations behind today's YES/NO Immigrants conversation at St John's do vital work. Here is a little more about them.

Migrants' Rights Scotland (http://migrantsrightsscotland.org.uk) works alongside migrants and their community organisations (MCOs) for a rights-based approach to migration, supporting their engagement in developing the policies and procedures which affect their lives in Scotland and in the UK.

Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations Scotland (CEMVO) was set up in April 2003, with the aim of building the capacity of Scotland's minority ethnic voluntary and community sector. CEMVO Scotland (http://www.cemvoscotland.org.uk) is a strategic partner of the Scottish Government with a network of over 600 ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations and community groups throughout the country.

The Welcoming project (http://thewelcoming.btck.co.uk/) brings together refugees, asylum seekers and people from Scottish and local minority ethnic communities.

The aim is to welcome newcomers, learn together and improve English language and literacy skills.

The project supports new migrants to get to know the local culture through outings, music, drama, visual arts and talks. There are visits from service providers in law, housing, employment and education.

Making Scotland a welcoming society

HOW will the increasing rate of migration to Scotland play out in the developing Scottish Independence Referendum discussion?

Can Scotland become a welcoming society, whichever way the vote goes? And what of the living conditions, economic and social / cultural contributions and aspirations of those coming to the country, both on a temporary basis and more long-term?

These and other issues will be discussed in this important conversation today (Saturday 17th August, 2-3.30pm, £5) at St John's Church Hall, as part of Just Festival 2013.

The speakers will be Hanzala Malik MSP, Pat Elsmie (Migrants' Rights Scotland), Fiaz Khan (Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations Scotland), and Jon Busby & Joyce Juma Phiri (the Welcoming Association). The chair will be Denboba K. Natie (LINKNet).

Full booking details here, or buy a ticket at the cash box office at the venue.

Last chance to see Kiss, Cuddle, Torture

KISS, Cuddle, Torture has been getting great notices, but tonight's performance will be the final one this time round at Just Festival - so make sure you don't miss out!

In a town known for its social and religious issues, three women battling their own demons at home, face the possibility of being expelled from their only refuge - the cold and crumbling school building where they work.

Bonding over relationships, children and the importance of wearing marigolds, Lynn, Sue and Lucy are pushed to breaking point, forcing them into a life on the edge of escape.

This is the debut full-length play from emerging Edinburgh playwright, Jennifer Adam. 8.30pm at St John's, Edinburgh.

Religion and state in Scotland: a conversation

SCOTLAND'S faith communities have helped shape the Scotland we know today, many would contend.

Our education system, our prison communities, our sense of the egalitarian and the ideal of "we're all Jock Tamson bairns" are part of that story.

 Whatever the outcome of the 2014 independence referendum, how will they have a space to make a similar contribution in our multi-cultural 21st century Scotland?

 Is it possible to recognise the place of faith and belief communities in a modern, plural democracy without privileging them? If so, how?

The speakers at a conversation about this topic tonight (Tuesday 13th August), from 6-7.30pm at St John's Church hall, Edinburgh, are Rev Sally Foster Fulton (Convenor of the Church of Scotland Church and Society Council), Fayaz Alibhai (from the Alwaleed Centre) and chair the Rev Ewan Aitken (Church of Scotland, former leader of Edinburgh City Council).

Full booking details here.

Acclaim for 'Kiss, Cuddle, Torture'

THE stirring new play Kiss, Cuddle, Torture sold out for its first night at Just Festival last week, and is proving a hit with both audiences and those looking for what's hot in Edinburgh right now.

It's running tonight (Sunday 11th August), Monday and Tuesday. Don't miss out, book your ticket right now!

Here's the scenario: In a town known for its social and religious issues, three women battling their own demons at home face the possibility of being expelled from their only refuge - the cold and crumbling school building where they work as cleaners.

In the debut full-length play by emerging Edinburgh playwright Jennifer Adam, Lynn, Sue and Lucy are pushed to breaking point, forcing them into a life on the edge of escape.

Kiss, Cuddle, Torture is one of a trio of plays on sectarianism in Scotland commissioned by Just Festival, from Edinburgh's Black Dingo Productions.

Black Dingo Productions is a not-for-profit organisation with a DIY ethic, established to help the development of grassroots and off the beaten track theatre in Edinburgh.

The play runs in the hall at St John's Church (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road) from August 9-14th and then the 23rd, 20:30 – 21:30. Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions).

Full booking information here.

Just premieres powerful plays

BIGOTRY, suspicion and sectarianism - how do they emerge in human relationships and in history? The issue is a hot one in Scotland at the moment - writes Anna Schwoub.

Both government and civil society groups are looking at how to transcend destructive forms of tribalism while recognising people's need for security and a sense of identity.

Debate and politics are one thing. But how do we get a real feel for the situation, short of (or in addition to) direct engagement at street level?

Drama continues to be an important avenue for introducing and illuminating what is going on, and in particular how history can resonate painfully in the insecurities of the present.

The 2013 Just festival is featuring three small-scale productions with an underlying theme of understanding the often subtle and sometime stark dynamics of sectarianism in Scotland.

Read the full article here. 

Action on trafficking and exploitation urged

COMMUNITIES, churches, statutory authorities, survivor groups, police and NGOs need to work together better to tackle modern day slavery in Scotland and across the UK.

That was the message coming out of a conversation asking 'Does Slavery Exist in Scotland Today?' at Just Festival in Edinburgh.

 Human trafficking, exploitation of migrant labour, forced prostitution, child exploitation, selling of organs, organised sexual abuse and domestic servitude are only a few examples of modern human enslavement, and it has been a growing problem, participants in the discussion at St John's Episcopal Church heard.

Picture: Just director Katherine Newbigging (left) introduces the panellists at the beginning of tonight's discussion.

Read more here.

Tackling enslavement in Scotland

HUMAN trafficking, exploitation of migrant labour, prostitution and domestic servitude are only a few examples of human enslavement in Scotland today. 

How should human exploitation be tackled from a legal, social and political perspective? How can we identify when we come into contact with a trafficked person and what can we do to help? ​

The speakers tonight are Detective Chief Supt Gillian Imery from the Scottish Police Divisional Crime and Public Protection unit, along with Jeremy Alford of the NGO Hope for Justice. ​ The chair is Sheriff Rita E. A. Rae QC.

DCS Gillian Imery began by saying that the newly unified Scottish police force enables a set of priorities and practices to be agreed and implemented more quickly. "Keeping people safe" is the core of what policing means in this context, alongside rooting out those perpetuating human slavery.

Sex trafficking deprives people of liberty, dignity and economic independence, she stressed. It is about exploiting community as well as individuals. The police priority is getting to those who carry out and benefit from such criminal activities - also including organised shoplifting.

It is not about prosecuting the victims, who include those forced into such activities, including cultivation of cannabis, for example.

Only six people in three cases have been prosecuted, which Imery described as "puny" in relation to the situation in Scotland. There are all kinds of pressures and blockages that can conspire to stop traffickers and exploiters being brought to court and to justice. It is a shocking crime that has a life-long impact.

Hope for Justice is a small Christian-based charity. It works primarily in England, but has a wider interest in the problem of enforced labour and entrapment throughout these islands.

In Scotland, Migrant Help and Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) offer safe houses.

Jeremy Alford said that "there were fourteen prosecutions in England, which is better than three, but still wholly inadequate."

His organisation, he explained "is an anti-human trafficking organisation working to uncover and abolish the hidden crime of modern-day slavery. As a non-governmental organisation (NGO) we gather intelligence and assist in the process of removing victims from exploitation within the country."

The low level of prosecution at the end of long chains of enquiry is indicative of the problems along the way, said DCS Gillian Imery. The victims (Alford far prefers the word 'survivors', because that makes them protagonists, not just passive) are often afrioad to come forward for fear that they will face imprisonment. There may be immigration or other issues involved.

Also, added Sheriff Rita, there is a need to raise public awareness of the issues of enslavement in general, and of the profile of those trapped by it.

Police officers also need to be trained, said Imery, and slavery and trafficking matters 'mainstreamed'. "This is absolutely vital", agreed Alford, who is seeking to work with Police and Crime Commissioners down south.

"The leaflet and information that Police Scotland have put out, for example about the problem in the hotel and tourism industry, is well ahead of the game," said Alford. Factory owners and others often do not realise that they are employing forced workers, because the 'agency' they is trafficking and the money goes to them.

"There is a lot of ignorance out there; a lot of people who think they are doing the right thing... because traffickers are often clever people, as well as malign," he explained. "Information is key, because it may be the piece of the jigsaw needed to open up an investigation."

The picture (above), by the way, is an early stage of the now-completed mural outside St John's Church, the venue for this conversation, which highlights a range of exploitations and their relation to the festival season.

(This is a developing live blog)

Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA)

ANOTHER vital organisation working to combat trafficking and exploitation in Scotland is Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA).

Their work was raised at the Just Festival session on slavery in Scotland today (7th August).

Newsletters from the TARA project provide regular updates on their work and the local, national and international developments on the issue of trafficking of women for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation.

ATLAS (Action for Training and Learning for Asylum Seekers) is a TARA related project. "This project is in the very early stages of an audit of the Glasgow ‘sex industry’ to understand the scale of ‘trafficking’ in Glasgow, using the information to lay the foundations for the future development of our work. Trafficking is the fastest growing global criminal activity. It is generally accepted that where there is a ‘sex industry’ there are women trafficked to supply the demand generated.

"The project aims to assist women to flee their traffickers and rebuild their lives either in the UK or in their countries of origin. As the majority of trafficking victims are women trafficked for the ‘sex industry’, the project is targeting this group.

"The project has been working closely with Social Work Services, Health, the Legal Services Agency and the International Organisation for Migration in order to develop a specific service as a foundation for professional expertise in this area (promoting organisational capacity building), focused on prevention, protection and prosecution, as recommended by the UN Convention on Trafficking in Human Beings. For this issue, it is important to work closely with current and potential partners at local, national and international level to ensure the sharing of good practice and a consistent response for women."

Migrant help in Scotland

TONIGHT'S Just Festival conversation on enforced labour and trafficking in Scotland has also highlighted the important work of Migrant Help.

This is "a non-campaigning organisation committed to providing support and guidance to migrants in distress and victims of modern day slavery known as Human Trafficking.

"In 2013 Migrant Help will reach its 50th year of providing an excellent service. In the early 1960's we worked mainly around the port of Dover and were born from the needs to support au pairs and other migrants that had been mistreated or abused. Due to our success as an organisation that provides a balanced and intelligent approach to addressing the risks and needs presented by the diverse challenges that can be faced by foreign nationals, our provision has grown considerably. Today we offer support, guidance and safe accommodation across the UK. We have strong European links and include EU migrants in our client group.

"Our website provides access to the advice, information and guidance you need. If you cannot find what you are looking for then please contact us directly using the button provided. We are a charity run by incredible staff and our work becomes ever more busy and complex. If you would like to help us, in any way, please get in touch and make a difference to the life of someone in distress. We run an extensive work placement/volunteer programme. This provides a tremendous opportunity for those interested in current affairs, social challenges and humanitarian issues to develop their knowledge and practical experience further."

Religion, education, identity and sectarianism

ONE of the many interesting dimensions of the problem of sectarianism discussed at Just Festival tonight (6th August 2013) included the question of how far religious communities might share a responsibility for it.

The point was made that many of those most readily identified as directing hate speech towards others seem to have little to do with regular church-going, say. But others pointed that some of the most vociferous groups deployed strong religious agendas and language.

The subtle business of rendering particular groups or persons 'close' or 'far', somehow 'acceptable' or 'less acceptable' can be deeply bound up with religious commitments and legitimation close to what might be regarded as the mainstream, it was suggested. So there was indeed an agenda for faith communities to address here.

But how does sectarianism differ from racism and sexism, say?  You can't change your ethnicity, and for most people not your gender, whereas beliefs and values can be shifted by conversion or evolution.

Ian Galloway (Church of Scotland minister) pointed out that sectarianism exists in a whole weave of identities, commitments, histories and conditionings. It needs its own focus, but should neither be seen in isolation nor exaggerated as the only problem of hatred or contention we face in society at large.

Awareness raising and education in schools, through educational training, civic organisations, arts and theatre was all significant the advisory group said - stressing that funding decisions were taken by government and local authorities, not by them.

There was some discussion of the issue of non-denominational or religious foundation schools, with different perceptions about the way faith-based education might be related to social or cultural division. Overall, the panel suggested the problem here could be exaggerated, but acknowledged it as a 'blue touchpaper' issue.

The panel this evening featured four of the five members of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, established by Roseanna Cunningham MSP, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs.

This article has been live-blogged at the event. More here. 

Thinking more deeply about sectarianism

FOUR of the five members of the Scottish government's expert advisory panel on tacking sectarianism have come together at Just Festival this evening, to look at how the debate can be moved forward.

Experienced Church of Scotland minister the Rev  Ian Galloway, chairing, introduced the panel, the topic and the work of the group.

Theologian Dr Cecilia Clegg stressed that sectarianism cannot simply be equated with 'religious bigotry' or indeed ignorance. Polite people can think and behave in sectarian ways. It is to do with religious difference, however, and what happens when that is used to exclude or stigmatise. Sporting allegiance, national allegiance and politics also comes into the mix. Football often acts as a proxy for other things, just as religion or belief can be used and abused negatively. Natural rivalries are blur into something more sinister.

Michael Rosie, Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, talked about his own discovery of the bile that can exist between different groups at a Hearts-Rangers match he attended a fan. His work since then has not focused on football but on other areas. However, his concern is to get beyond competing anecdotes to survey and other data. There is, however, a lack of high quality qualitative material, something the group is seeking to address, he said.

Margaret Lynch, a member of a faith-based community organisation in Coatbridge spoke out of her experience of moving between differently configured situations of religious interaction. Understanding experience and  accounting for history across and between 'green' and 'orange' convictions needs to be handled carefully, she said.

'Our identity' defined in opposition to someone else's is part of the narrative we inherit. We are conditioned in ways that are obvious and less obvious to us and to other people. This is why a conversation starting with "this is my experience", based on generosity, is needed to begin to overcome resentment and hostility, Ms Lynch suggested. That is where the hope for change is rooted.

Ian Galloway talked of his 40 years working experience in the Gorbals and other poor and deprived communities. Sectarian sentiment had always been part of the mix on street corners and in local life, he said. Positively, however, he has seen young people in Glasgow change as a result of exposure to the issue. Attitudes have definitely shifted.

Where locally can you find organisations that are experienced and trusted enough to be able to make a contribution to challenging sectarianism  That is one of the challenges, Dr Galloway explained.  Likewise, how can churches learn to need one another genuinely, rather than to see themselves being in competition?

This article has been live-blogged at the event. More here.