CommonWeal launches 2016 Our Land Festival Programme
AFTER the success of the first Our Land festival in 2015, the countdown to Our Land 2016 is underway.
Common Weal has launched the programme for its 2016 Our Land festival with a varied programme of events. The grassroots festival was launched last year to celebrate Scotland’s growing land reform movement and is back with events all across Scotland. The festival will launch on 12 August with events running until mid-September.
Our Land events will be taking place all over Scotland
After the success of the first festival in 2015, the festival has launched this year with events that focus on urban and rural land reform issues and in part aims to “reinforce the campaign’s call for bolder and braver legislation” than what was passed by the Scottish Government earlier this year. Events will be free or donation-based to cover running costs and are being organised locally by both Common Weal and grassroots groups.
The #BeBrave campaign was launched by Our Land in September 2015
In addition to nationally organised Our Land fesitval events with speakers including journalist Lesley Riddoch, Common Weal director Robin McAlpine and Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman, there are a fantastic variety of events on offer from local grassroots organisations. Highlights so far include ‘Women and the Distribution of Land in Scotland’ in Blairgowrie on 30 August, a screening of Common Weal’s Land Terra at the Ex-Serviceman’s Club in Huntly on 18 August, the Wish Tree Project on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street on 27 August and a mass gathering in Dalkeith country park on 27 August.
Our Land campaigners in 2015
The Our Land campaign and festival is an initiative created and organised by a coalition of Common Weal, Women for Independence, Scottish Land Action Movement, Radical Independence, Global Justice Now Scotland and land reform campaigners Andy Wightman and Lesley Riddoch. Our Land organiser Samantha Steele from Rosyth spoke about the importance of the festival, saying: "Our Land is important because it takes a village to raise a child. For too long that community spirit was lost. We are bringing it back." After last year’s success and high interest in this year’s festival, events may still be submitted for inclusion in the programme, so if you’d like to organise something check out the Our Land website for more details.
Pictures courtesy of CommonWeal and CommonSpace
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