Secure Scotland and Words & Actions

Hope is not blah blah blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. - Greta ThunbergAfter the 2014 independence referendum and the Brexit debate in 2016, when much of the lively and positive political engagement in Scotland was fading, internationalist considerations around peace and security were dropped or became mired in militarist definitions and exclusive hierarchies.As well as Scotland’s traditional resistance to nuclear weapons, the changes needed in policies on climate, economy, migration, human rights, the environment, and other urgent issues needed to be tackled together, as interlinked and interdependent. Secure Scotland, a small group, was inspired by the Rethinking Security UK network, and the distinctive social, demographic and political nature of Scotland.  The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) provided funds for this. The group initiated conversations to explore prevailing ideas of security, challenging language that informs oppression or violence, and raising the question of how entitlement is justified through ambiguous and inaccurate language - and what that could mean in a Scotland whose First Minister could always be relied on to fully understand and uphold International Humanitarian Law. Many emerging groups and organisations are working hard for the change to a fairer, green well-being economy, and the real security issues like food, basic income, human rights, violence reduction, migration and climate justice instead of the continuation of practices that embed sexist, racist and patriarchal prejudices arising from patriarchal militarist and colonial impact. Secure Scotland aims to share and highlight their activities.Scotland’s separate legal, parliamentary, and education system must enable the real debate on changes that would be more difficult to discuss across the whole of the UK.  Scotland’s small size, proportional representation and the accessibility of our parliament can increase the impact this could have. In such a small country, modelling a different approach is possible when groups addressing different initiatives can work collaboratively. Furthermore, Scotland’s distinctive cultural identity can enable the arts to become a catalyst for social change – through its ability to enable people to imagine and plan for a different future, and through the emotional reach to an audience that may not have previously considered the issues.For Secure Scotland, flexibility, along with support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT), was a key to surviving the pandemic and in 2022 with their support Secure Scotland found and set up a public space and administrative centre.Words & Actions for Peace

It seems vital to me that our sensibility for the future brims with peace-positive cultures too. … We should strive not to snuff out our own possibility for civilisational development. But that striving has to start somewhere, in some polity or self-determining place, at various levels and scales – the village hall, the town or city, the region (or bioregion), the small nation. – Pat Kane at SCND AGM

The Edinburgh southside space we settled in near the university is Words & Actions for Peace, or WandA for short (which also became a home for Peace and Justice Scotland). A number of traditional and emerging groups also use the space for exhibitions, public meetings, workshops, acoustic gigs, film screenings, social events, window displays, parliamentary and political work. Every week, between 10 and 4.00 from Monday to Friday (and often at other times) there is someone at WandA, keeping the door open, and many people pop in, often to discuss the issues of the day, or just to say that they are glad we are here. The use of the arts is an integral part of starting conversations and delivering messages.Words & Actions for Peace is a gathering space, community resource centre, events venue and gallery. It can provide space to anyone who shares the idea that Scotland can and should contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable planet.There is a warm room to meet and work, free Wifi - no coffee-purchase needed (though everyone can make themselves a cuppa in the wee kitchen). WandA offers plenty of space to stage events or exhibitions, run workshops, do crafty work, or simply for storage. Various technical equipment is free to use, for example to host hybrid meetings or run film nights, as well as an open collection of books on relevant topics and pamphlets by various groups available to browse. There is a bit of room for peace-related retail (Secure Scotland’s and others’), and most importantly BIG WINDOWS to the streets to get messages of and calls to words and actions out there. For any groups that have posters or leaflets that they want to circulate, this is the place to bring them. As well as the support of JRCT, this is all kept afloat through donations, regular and one off contributions, and fundraising events to ensure that the space is affordable for all.The purpose of the Words and Actions space is twofold – a practical contribution of shareable resources, and a visible community-building exercise that can model something more hopeful at a time and in an environment when many of us are experiencing frustration and despair.Throughout the pandemic as part of a collaboration with Edinburgh Yes Hub we presented “The Weekend Starts Here” (a weekly hour-long Zoom event) on a wide range of topics: Degrowth, Nature and Humanity, Climate Change, Overlander’s ecological bike trip, Recovery, Inside the hospitality industry, Grass-roots resistance to closure of public places and spaces, Scotland’s fishing challenges, Just Transition, Living at Faslane Peace Camp, Casualties of War, Food Security, Universal Basic Income, Travelling people, Scotland’s Energy all figured in that series and could be repeated as a live event for 2025.Building on the conviction that those committed to social and economic progression should not be in competition with each other, Words and Actions is a home for organisations, groups and individuals committed to peace, justice and sustainability. It encourages connection, collaboration and building community. Both Larger groups and individuals acting on their own are welcome, and can help keep WandA open, share more about what they do, and suggest ways for WandA to promote and contribute to their cause! Words & Actions is also always looking to collaborate on exhibitions, book readings, workshops or creative projects with other community spaces. Let’s get together!One example of this openness to collaboration is the Words & Actions free community lunch, on the last Sunday of every month, sometimes themed, sometimes not, but always offering soup, bread, chat and a catch up time to gather ideas for constantly working on making the space as accessible as possible for everyone. Another is the ‘alert’ list which goes out to subscribers and supporters about events at the space, and views from Words and Actions user groupsWords & Actions for Peace (WandA), is hosted by Secure Scotland, which receives financial support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable TrustWandA is drop-in gallery and resource base - available for public or private meetings, film and acoustic music nightsGeneral enquiries contact@wordsandactions.scotOpen Monday - Friday 10.00 - 16.00 WandA phone 07949479977Media enquiries +44 (0)7795594573 or +44 (0)7876593016Secure Scotland Project enquiries hello@securescotland.scotSocials : @securescotland is on Substack, Instagram, Youtube, X , Facebook , Bluesky