Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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The art of activism post-pandemic
JAMIE CALDWELL explains how Unite Community is using creative skills developed during lockdown for future organising
Cartoonist Bob Starrett with Jamie Caldwell
[Craig Maclean]
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
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NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
THINK back to the agenda of events pre-pandemic with video calls that didn’t happen or gave up the ghost after 30 minutes of connection and reconnection headaches.
Now it’s hard to remember the fears of April 2020 and the challenges it presented to the movement of organising collectively when everyone is in isolation.
For me, I was challenged to consider how we organise communities across Scotland from our kitchens against the backdrop of the pandemic.
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