Dozens of delegates at SCVO’s Gathering in Edinburgh on Wednesday 5th February took part in SIDA’s seminar ‘Global Citizenship – it’s for you!’
The Gathering brings together people from across Scotland’s diverse voluntary sector, and SIDA’s session aimed to show that whatever an organisation’s mission, every voice in the sector has a role to play in building a fairer world. Participants heard from a number of inspiring speakers discussing our shared responsibilities to each other, our neighbours around the world and the planet.
Professor Angela O’Hagan, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, spoke about the role of the commission protecting and promoting human rights, a mission as important in Scotland as in every other country around the world. She also reflected on the twentieth anniversary of the Make Poverty History Campaign and her role as the chair of the campaign in Scotland.
Madison Safdari, an urban planner and women’s rights advocate, gave powerful testimony about her lived experience of displacement from Afghanistan to Iran and then to Scotland, and said that global citizenship must be a way of seeing the world.
Johannes Gonani, who runs the Pachedu community group in Paisley, argued that current political, economic and social challenges are too great for any one country to solve on their own, and emphasised the shared-humanity concept of ubuntu found in many African countries – “I am because you are.”
Chairing the session, SIDA Chief Executive Frances Guy made the connection between developing global citizenship perspectives and efforts to achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development by the 2030 target date. Brainstorming and small-group discussion also led to a wider range of practical examples being shared from groups across Scotland adopting global citizenship perspectives in their work – from multi-cultural and international Burns Suppers, to communities in Edinburgh and Tanzania connecting to tackle period poverty.
SIDA has recently begun a process of integrating our work with IDEAS – the International Development Education Association of Scotland. Together, we define Global Citizenship as:
‘A sense of belonging to a larger global community, a recognition that every person is a citizen of the world and that we all have responsibilities to each other and to our planet. Global citizenship involves understanding and appreciating diverse cultures, perspectives, and ways of life, as well as recognizing and addressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality and armed conflict. A global citizen strives to be informed and engaged in both local and global issues, collaborating with others to promote a kinder, fairer and more sustainable world for all.’
We are delighted that a number of participants at the Gathering have joined our Global Citizenship Community – more information can be found here: Join our Global Citizenship Community – Scotland’s International Development Alliance.
Members of the SIDA team also took part in a range of workshops and discussion sessions over the two-day Gathering at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. We heard from keynote speakers including First Minister John Swinney, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill MP. Other events included explorations of local climate action, transparency and lobbying, developing boards of trustees and best practice around IT security.
SIDA will be hosting our own Spring Conference with the theme of ‘engage for impact and unite for change’ on 1st April – more information can be found here: SIDA Spring Conference 2025 | Engage for impact and unite for change – Scotland’s International Development Alliance.
