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
Latest editorial
Beyond the shouting: building lasting solidarity against the far right
Pushing back fascists requires more than weekend protests, argues MATT KERR, as he recounts lessons from a year-long campaign to defend refugees in Erskine and calls for sustained community engagement
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
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
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
LIKE hundreds of others, I found myself standing in Glasgow’s George Square last weekend for a rally against racism.
Loitering at the back, we struggled to hear or even see the speakers for much of the time, but soon heard a voice from behind on a loudhailer.
“I’m Alastair McConnachie …” he said, walking towards the rally with his grinning chum, holding aloft a placard reading “asylum frauds out.”
Similar stories
As Scotland heads to the polls, the main parties offer variations on the same script, says MATT KERR
ROZ FOYER explains the significance and tradition of today’s St Andrew’s Day March and Rally
Remembering the 1787 Calton Weavers strike, MATT KERR argues that golden thread of our history needs weaving into the fabric of every community in the land
