The Scottish Diaspora Forum: Ways forward from 2009
by Professor Elizabeth Ewan of the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
“I hope it will be the first of many opportunities to stay connected with Scotland from a distance” – comment from attendee at Scottish Diaspora Forum
Overview
Contact with other cultures and ideas broadens one’s own perspective. It was just such a broadening of perspective which the Scottish Diaspora Forum (SDF) set out to achieve and, judging by feedback from participants and media coverage, it has been successful in its aim. The SDF provided a forum for the exchange of innovative and stimulating ideas about how Scotland can build on the success of Homecoming 2009 to encourage ongoing interaction with a diaspora that has a real sense of commitment to and connection with Scotland. The report which follows presents the outcomes of the Forum in terms of:
A) Major themes which emerged from the day
B) Some practical suggestions for fostering connections which emerged from the Forum.
*NB: The order in which the points are presented does not imply any priority.
An Appendix provides further details about the SDF and a summary of the day’s proceedings
A) Major themes
1. Cooperation and partnership
Working with the diaspora is a partnership, a two-way relationship, from which both partners can benefit. Initiatives outside Scotland must be allowed to develop ‘in-country’, arising from the different cultures and societies in which the Scottish diaspora has its home. These initiatives can interact with those of the home country to enrich both. Government can facilitate such developments, but should not seek to direct them.
2. Scottish identities
There is no one Scottish identity but rather a multiplicity of Scottish identities, both outside Scotland and within Scotland. This is a strength on which Scotland can draw as it charts its future path in an increasingly cosmopolitan world. Scots emigrants have interacted with their host cultures for centuries, forging new hybrid identities, and it is important to respect these while also promoting a sense of familiarity with contemporary Scotland. Sensitivity to these different perspectives will be important in developing further engagement between Scots and their diaspora.
Modern Scotland is increasingly a home to immigrants, bringing their own cultures and traditions and enriching the sense of what it means to be Scottish. The ‘emigrant experience’ is a factor which links the diaspora with a growing number of Scottish citizens in the twenty-first century.
It is also important to recognize that what are often identified as ‘Scottish values’ (eg egalitarianism, belief in education, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical standards) are not a sign of Scottish exceptionalism, but rather values which Scots are proud to share in with much of the world and to promote.
3. Education and Culture
Scotland can build on its historic commitment to education in order to train its citizens to interact with an increasingly globalised world. This includes educating Scots about their own past as well as the history of Scots worldwide in order to encourage confidence in their own heritage and identity as they interact with other cultures and peoples. Initiatives which increase the opportunities for Scots, particularly young people, to interact with the world outside Scotland, will benefit both Scotland and the diaspora, bringing Scottish expertise to the rest of the world, and enabling Scotland to learn from the international experience of its citizens.
Education should also encourage independent thought, allowing for innovative ideas as well as the necessary criticism and self-reflection which enable a society to develop. A new Enlightenment can only develop where creativity is encouraged, even when, or especially when, that creativity questions the status quo. ‘Renewable intellectual energy’ is crucial to Scotland’s future growth and development.
4. Technology
Technology, by facilitating communication, is key to long-term interaction with the diaspora, both for the continued fruitful interchange of ideas and in encouraging future practical interactions. Technology facilitates diaspora investment, both intellectual and economic, in the country. It engages young people on their own terms through, for example, social networking sites. It also allows the creation of new enterprises, entrepreneurial, educational, and creative, which involve Scotland in truly international partnerships.
5. A long-term process
The Diaspora Forum is only the beginning of what should become a long-term conversation. There needs to be continued discussion of these issues and the bringing together of a wide range of perspectives, both from within Scotland and the diaspora.
(see Section B).
B. Some Proposals
· Create a virtual international Scottish hall of fame to highlight the accomplishments of Scots in Scotland and in the rest of the world.
· Create an association of Scottish organizations around the world so that the activities and efforts of different societies can be co-ordinated and assisted.
· Invest in Islands infrastructure to allow the area to develop its resources of renewable energy to serve the information-processing needs of the world and to provide opportunities for its young people to remain in the area.
· Encourage diaspora connections with individual communities within Scotland through such bodies as the Scottish Communities Foundation. Philanthropic and local connections can provide a base from which wider connections to Scottish society can grow.
· Encourage the continued pursuit of excellence by Scotland’s educational institutions. A renewed commitment to business education, for example, focusing on traditional ethical values, could show that the recent setbacks in some of its financial institutions is not characteristic of the financial services industry as a whole.
· Develop the schools curriculum so that children learn more both about their own history and culture and about the part played by Scots in cultures around the world. Internet educational sites could also be used to provide resources for children in schools elsewhere to learn about Scotland, both its past and its present, and to encourage networking between Scottish children and those in other countries. Such education will also help to inform diaspora Scots about Scotland’s modern culture and society as well as its past.
· Encourage modern Scotland’s sense of identification with increasingly diverse cultures around the world through, for example, the celebration of St Columba’s day (9 June), a celebration of the great contribution of a refugee immigrant to Scotland.
· Encourage and publicize international cultural and educational exchanges and apprenticeship schemes such as that of the Saltire Foundation and Saltire Scholarships which allow Scots to interact with the rest of the world and young people from elsewhere to come to Scotland. Establish a new Diaspora Fund which would enable young Scots to engage in international development and volunteer work.
· Encourage research, both within post-secondary educational centres such as the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies and elsewhere, into the nature and history of the Scottish diaspora, as well as other diaspora groups (for example, the Irish) in order to foster greater understanding between Scotland and its diaspora. Such research should look at Scots around the world, not only in the areas traditionally associated with the Diaspora It can also examine modern connections through a multi-disciplinary approach and suggest ways in which Scotland can engage the twenty-first century diaspora.
· Facilitate and promote the creation of internet sites such as the social networking site PanAlba.com, Scotland.org, ScotlandsPeople. Provide a digital space for Scottish cultural exchange. Create a dot.scot which has a cultural rather than national identity. Encourage creative interaction with and dialogue about the impact of technology on culture and society.
· Continue to publicize and promote Scottish innovation and enterprise in order to enhance Scotland’s reputation as a modern society. Bring together the various bodies which work in this area to foster a united approach.
· Build on the tremendous good-will and commitment generated by the Year of Homecoming, as well as the reputation of the People’s Parliament, by establishing a body to oversee the continuation of conversations and debates about Scotland’s connection with its diaspora. The body should bring together Scots and representatives of the Diaspora.
Appendix: The Scottish Diaspora Forum: Organization and Proceedings
The plan for the Scottish Diaspora Forum was developed in 2008 by Kirsty MacGregor of The MacGregor Consultancy with the help of a steering committee.
The members of the committee were the Rt Hon Lord Steel, KT; the Rt Hon George Reid; Irene Johnston, Scottish Enterprise and Executive Director of the Saltire Foundation; Young Dawkins, Vice Principal of Edinburgh University; Mark Strudwick MBE, Chief Executive of PSYBT; Lord Sempill, Director of the Gathering; and Professor Elizabeth Ewan, Centre for Scottish Studies, University of Guelph, Canada.
The Forum involved partnership with the Scottish Government, Homecoming Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Glenfiddich, Walkers, Ella Drinks Ltd, Scotland on Sunday, Hotel du Vin, and the University of Edinburgh, The Saltire Foundation and the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust.
The Forum was held on Saturday 25 July at the Scottish Parliament, as part of a series of events in Edinburgh connected with Homecoming 2009. It is also available as a webcast at SITE URL: www.holyrood.tv/art.asp. There were invited delegates, representing culture, business, education, media and the diaspora as well as an audience from the general public. The event was webcast on the parliamentary website.
Proceedings were opened by the Presiding Officer, who welcomed delegates to the Scottish Parliament, and introduced Michael Russell, MSP, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution. In his talk, the Minister stressed that one of Scotland’s greatest strengths is its people, both within and outwith Scotland. In the great ‘cause unwon’ to understand modern Scotland and to build a better country, more knowledgeable, confident and able to communicate globally, Scots can benefit from the help of the diaspora. One of the aims of meetings such as the Forum is to explore the role of government in fostering such connections, bringing together Scots with the estimated 20-60 million diaspora Scots to create a common ‘kingdom of the mind.’
Following the Minister’s talk was the day’s keynote lecture, ‘Scots: A Global Diaspora’ by Professor Tom Devine of Edinburgh University’s Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies. In his lecture Professor Devine drew attention to the longevity, geographical range and scale of Scottish emigration and examined the factors which led to such massive migration over the centuries. He also stressed the importance of demonstrating to the current diaspora the scale of the transformation of modern Scotland from the Scotland which they left.
The lecture was followed by a panel discussion, chaired by Lord Steel, where Professor Devine was joined by speakers from the fields of the arts, education and business. The panel addressed the issue of whether Scotland is living on the laurels of the past or if there can be a new Scottish Enlightenment and the role of Scottish diaspora in achieving this. Richard Holloway, Chair of the Scottish Arts Council, noted that whilst it is not possible to “contrive” a period of enlightenment there are factors that create the conditions in which a time of enlightenment can flower. He spoke of role of the creative arts and of challenges to conventional thinking. He stressed the importance of the ‘hybrid vigour’ of modern Scotland with its mix of people and ideas and encouraged positive government policy in welcoming immigrants to Scotland. Dr Louise Richardson, Principal of St Andrews University, compared the experiences of the Irish and Scottish diasporas, and emphasized the role of the universities in contributing to modern society. Dr. Rabinda Butter, President of ClinTec International spoke of her very positive experiences in establishing her company in Scotland and the way in which such companies provide opportunities for young Scots. A wide-ranging audience discussion following the panel included such topics as the role of genealogy in encouraging modern diaspora engagement with Scotland, issues involving running international businesses, the role of the Irish government in fostering the Irish diaspora, the opportunities for international education of Scottish students, and the differences between diaspora and Scottish perceptions of identity.
The third session was a Dragon’s Glen, facilitated by George Reid, in which participants proposed concrete plans for forging connections between Scotland and its modern diaspora. Many of the details of these plans will be found in Section B above, as well as in the Pitcher’s notes at www.scottishdiasporaforum.org . Ideas were pitched by Professor James Hunter, Director of the UHI Centre for History, Gus Noble, President of the Illinois St Andrews Society, Lesley Riddoch, writer, commentator and broadcaster, Alan Mcfarlane, Managing Director of Walter Scott Investments and James Naughtie, Scottish journalist and BBC radio news presenter. The panel of dragons who critiqued the presentations consisted of Fraser Doherty, Managing Director of EatSuper, Bill Gordon, founder of Red Torpedo, and Joyce McMillan, theatre critic and political and social commentary writer for the Scotsman. An active audience discussion followed the presentation.
The Forum emphasized the important participation of young people in shaping Scotland’s future by showcasing in the Garden Lobby examples of the projects which have been supported by the Saltire Foundation and the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust. The public discussion was brought to a close with the contributions of these participants who strongly endorsed the value which international experience had brought to their lives and work. Their comments and enthusiasm provided an inspirational ending to the day and a reminder of the importance of such issues to Scotland’s future.
*URL weblink to Holyroodtv webcast of the Scottish Diaspora Forum: www.holyrood.tv/art.asp
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