Stonehouse ECO Festival 2022
John Young - 19th May 2022
Guest John Young invites Common Weal supporters to the Stonehouse Eco Festival in May 2022. A culmination of local activity spurred on by the need for action on climate change. He says we are at our best when we lead initiative ourselves in order to shift government priorities. The volunteers organising this event are part of the transformation that Scotland needs to rethink its relationship to the environment.
Around 2015 I attended a meeting of Common Weal Groups from across Scotland in Stirling. Representing my local area Group, ‘South Lanarkshire Common Weal’, I was inspired by the number of individuals who shared my values and community activism. This hotbed of ideas and possibilities led me to establish a meeting place in the village of Stonehouse called the Philosophers Cafe where people of all ages, political leanings and none could meet to talk about the issues of the day and the irrelevant. This ‘peoples cafe’ so to speak, has now been meeting for over four years and as well as opening minds to alternative thinking, views and possibilities, led in part to another idea, shaped in action, which is about to take place on Saturday 21st May in the village, namely ‘Stonehouse EcoFestival’.
What I have learned through the Common Weal and 30 years of community activism is, that if we are to succeed as communities during times of financial restraint and austerity, we are at our best when we lead initiative ourselves. This can be directly through community action or indirectly through community campaigning to pressure those in power to address the issues that affect our communities and our lives. The idea of holding an EcoFestival seemed a natural evolution of debate, experience and the reality of the changing environment we see from our windows. If we are to influence change nationally, we as individuals need to be the catalyst for change in the actions we take locally. I think this is at the very heart of what it is to be part of the Common Weal movement.
Stonehouse EcoFestival is a community led initiative of volunteers established in South Lanarkshire to share ideas and promote a greater awareness of the threats of Climate Change to our planet and in our communities. This event will bring together over twenty national and local organisations to provide information and support that we can share in our understanding of Climate Change and explore opportunities we might grasp to influence change in our lives for the benefit of all and the environment around us.
By engaging the community, the EcoFestival will provide everyone with the chance to express their views, especially those whose voices aren’t often heard. We believe communities across Scotland can contribute to the change needed to influence governments locally, nationally and internationally to prioritise Climate Action now. We hope this event will enlighten and embolden young and old alike to become community activists in sharing their thoughts, ambitions and ideas through the stalls, workshops and speakers at the EcoFestival. Further, this initiative has been created to encourage participation and discussion by those who share our vision of a more sustainable environment and a world free of pollution. As well as a number of eco friendly local producers and groups involved protecting our environment, national organisations including, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Home Energy Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Woodland Trust, South Lanarkshire Council and the Cooperative have confirmed their intent to be involved in the event.
In light of COP26, we believe communities across Scotland can contribute to the change needed to influence governments locally, nationally and internationally to prioritise the current Climate Emergency. We hope this event will enlighten and embolden young and old alike to become community activists by sharing their thoughts, ambitions and ideas through the stalls, workshops and speakers at the EcoFestival.
The event is FREE and open to all ages. Further information is available on the event including a programme outlining the activities and opportunities on the day. We hope this will be the first of many such events throughout Lanarkshire in influencing other communities to do likewise. For further information contact Stonehouse EcoFestival on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StonehouseEcoFestival
If you feel inspired to meet other Common Weal supporters in your local area, create discussion and get organising together. Check out our website for more details on our local groups:
Want to be part of driving Common Weal’s proposal for a Green New Deal in Scotland? This week we launched Our Common Home, a full package of measures to avert all the environmental crises Scotland faces. Over the next 12 weeks we are releasing a range of weekly materials and resources to unpack each chapter. Head here to find out more.
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