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 Co-op, anti-slavery and the Lancashire cotton famine
NICK MATTHEWS charts the amazing story of how the working people of Manchester helped in the fight against slavery in the American civil war
The first battle of Bull Run, which was the first major battle of the American civil war
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
IN 2017 the Co-op Group was presented with the Thomson-Reuters Stop Slavery award.
This was made for its impressive work against modern-day slavery, winning praise for its Bright Futures programme which offers paid employment for slavery and trafficking victims.
I’m not sure if the founders of what had been the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) would have felt about this — pride no doubt that their values where still being upheld but shock that something they had fought against was still going on.
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KENNY MacASKILL reminds us of the unprecedented political career of a Scottish miner’s militant son who stayed the course and true to his roots
JIM JUMP looks forward to the International Brigade Memorial Trust AGM taking place in Belfast later this week where the spirit of solidarity will be rekindled
This time it is joined by famed Amazon union organiser Chris Smalls and the new vessel, the Handala, will carry baby formula for Gaza’s starving children just weeks after Israeli forces abducted the Madleen’s crew in international waters, reports ANA VRACAR
ANN HENDERSON on the exciting programme planned for this summer’s festival in the Scottish capital