Our weekly look at international news from a Scottish perspective, Scotland’s place in the world, and stories about people who make our communities their home.
In the footsteps of William Wallace: Political parties and universities unite for new foreign policy initiative
There’s a lot of discussion focused around the constitution and whether Scotland should have its own distinctive foreign policy or not. Now, a group of the country’s leading universities – backed by the Scottish Government, Scottish Labour, the SNP and Liberal Democrats – are set to launch a new think tank called the Scottish Council on Global Affairs.
“The idea is to put expertise on international affairs at the disposal of public policy” explains Professor Peter Jackson from the University of Glasgow.
“But there’s also an important role to play which is to explain Scotland to the world and even more importantly the world to Scotland.
Scotland has had a foreign policy doctrine dating back to the days of William Wallace in the 13th century, when he wrote to the Hanseatic League – the European Union of its time – to let them know that Scotland was open for business.
These days the country is represented overseas in major capitals by Scottish Government diplomats and a network of Scotland House hubs that bring together businesses, arts and academia under one roof.
“From a Scottish foreign policy perspective we’re deeply affected by the international community around us whether we like it or not” explains Stephen Gethins from the University of St. Andrews.
Read more about the new Scottish Council in our story here.
News in brief
- An Aberdeenshire sheep breeder is celebrating after securing safe passage across the skies for a consignment of her Suffolk sheep to Georgia. Ewe really don’t want to miss this story – it’s a wild tail!
- Double vaccinated travellers from the US and the EU can now travel to Scotland without quarantining. Read more.
- An alliance of more than 100 organisations is demanding that trawlers be banned from fishing within three miles of Scotland’s coasts. Read more.
Should Scotland take the lead on talks about slave trade reparations?
A respected author, academic and activist is urging the Scottish Government to engage more with discussions about paying reparations for historical slave trade atrocities.
Verene Shepherd, director of the Centre for Reparation Research at the University of the West Indies, has written to Nicola Sturgeon and education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville following the revelation that a north-east teacher training fund, called the Dick Bequest, had been founded using profits from slavery.
Professor Shepherd, who has previously served as chairwoman of the United Nations working group of experts on people of African descent, said this £1.7 million fund was “not the total obligation of Scotland to Jamaica”, and is calling on the SNP to enter into a conversation about ways to “right the wrongs of the past”.
You can read more at our story here.
A’bdy welcome! Doric lessons to help foreign settlers feel more at home in Fraserburgh
Moving to a new country can pose many challenges, and learning another language is among the toughest.
Spare a thought then for folk who have relocated to the north-east, where picking up English is only half the battle.
To really understand locals, any incomers will have to become fluent in Doric too.
And help is now at hand to help teach new Brochers a’hing they need to ken about the traditional tongue.
Big planet, small country: How can Scotland make its voice heard on the world stage?
In case you missed it, here’s another chance to read our interview with Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid.
The Baltic leader explains how her country has become an effective player on the international stage, securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council, and offers some advice for Scotland ahead of the COP26 conference in Glasgow later this year.