The Scottish Diaspora Forum

The Highland Homecoming – ur beatha dhan dùthaich! begins in four weeks time (19 to 31 October). Visit www.highlandeventsandfestivals.com now for full details of the exciting programme of events featuring music, theatre, song, dance, storytelling, exhibitions, street theatre, talks and ceilidhs. Don’t delay; book your tickets now!

 

The highlight of Highland Homecoming is a major history event, Scotland’s Global Impact, taking place in Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, from 22 to 24 October. This is an exceptional, once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone interested in history and heritage to hear at first hand from world experts in the field. Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch will host lively debates and discussions throughout the programme, making sure everyone has an opportunity to have their say.  

• Day one: the people who made Scotland and early emigration from our country.
• Day two: why emigrants left Scotland and the impact of individuals and communities of emigrants and sojourners on their destinations, and the effects of such migration on Scotland itself.
• Day three: the Scottish solider at home and abroad during the 17^th to 19^th centuries. 

Choose your day according to your interest – or join us for all three!

 

Group rates available for five people or more (contact Eden Court Box Office on 01463 234234 and ask for the corporate group rate).  For full details visit www.scotlandsglobalimpact.com .

 

A special ‘2-for-1’ offer on all Highland Homecoming events is available to ticket holders for Scotland’s Global Impact. For full details of all events, visit www.highlandeventsandfestivals.com.

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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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“In today’s global village, Scotland is not just a country of 5‐
million people. It is a community of 40‐million people. Sell me a
plan which brings them together for their mutual benefit.”

Below are notes from the Pitchers who took part in the Dragon’s Glen at the Scottish Diaspora Forum:

 
 
 Lesley Riddoch’s pitch  
1.Much of the pain, hurt and depopulation that led to mass emigration and the creation of a 
diaspora occurred on Scottish islands. 
2.Since then, Scottish islands have had a mixed track record – but with or without oil almost all 
are facing depopulation. 
3.On the other hand, Scottish islands are natural repositories of Scottish, Celtic and Nordic 
heritage ‐‐ musically, culturally, archaeologically, and linguistically. Importantly – Scotland’s 
islands are not museums – they are centres of living heritage. The mother‐load for the 40 million “Scots” around the world. 
4.Islands are small enough to work together and work quickly on new ideas. Whether it’s 
Orkney Islands with renewable energy, Eigg with land deals for young house‐builders orEishken on Lewis with plans for a state of the art old folk’s home with the proceeds of their 
wind farm. 
5So here’s a plan to make Scotland home for the entire Scottish disapora – thanks to the 
massive renewable potential of its islands.  
6..scot is a new suffix that will be available to companies and individuals whose servers and 
data centres are based on Scottish islands – and powered by their Green tidal and wave 
energy. 
7. Why? The volume of data is growing almost exponentially around the world. 
8. Scottish Islands have major advantages when it comes to data storage 
‐ Cool climate 
‐ Renewable energy  
‐ Local engineering expertise (IBM, CISCO, NCR etc created highly skilled Scottish ICT 
w/force) 
‐ Safe and stable ‐‐ geologically and socially 
9.Scottish islands currently can’t get their green energy out. The solution is to change the way 
we’re looking at the problem ‐‐ – don’t get energy out, get the world’s data in.  
10.It’s cheaper to lay fibre optic cables than power cables /more efficient to run and no energy 
is lost in transmission. Biz wants data stored away from its main operating centre. Safe in 
Scotland. Safe on Scottish islands. 
11.What do Scottish islands get – jobs, esteem, population, purpose, and international profile 
with the server business and the .scot domain.  
12. The  jobs will be in construction, engineering and design for fibre optics, 
maintenance/operational jobs, ICT, servicing the .scot domain, marketing and R&D into 
marine energy and server system plus long term energy jobs (with dependable door‐step customers who are not reliant on Ofgen’s unfair pricing regime to get going) 
13.Free energy for all islanders will be a byproduct – the hot air and hot water from cooling the 
server racks can create district heating systems. 
14. What does the disapora get? The chance to make Scotland home without moving an inch. 
The chance to trust Scotland with its most precious things – knowledge and memory. The 
chance to transform Scotland’s island communities into viable, knowledge‐based societies.  
The chance to benefit directly as learning is rolled out to wider geographies throughout 
Scotland and other “remote but energy rich” diaspora hot spots across the world – perhaps 
using the Globalscot network to access world‐class diaspora expertise. 
15.The past, present and future of the disapora will be stored where its heritage, language and 
memory have always been stored – in the Scottish islands. And to show that they’ve made 
Scotland home – diaspora Scots will be able to use. scot. 
16This can happen. Next spring .scot becomes a tradable suffix. The Scottish government 
should buy it and aim for having three disapora firms to trial tidally powered servers and 
data centres on Orkney by the end of 2011 – Scotland’s Year of Islands. By 2015 ‐‐ Scotland 
should be able to become home for thousands of disapora businesses. 
17.To do this Scottish islands will have to be freed from the appalling bureaucracy that blights 
progress on the mainland. So in 2011, all of Scotland’s islands should be given Special 
Development Status to let them pursue a future of green server provision and data storage.  
18.Witness the transformation – with the help of the disapora from places of sorrow to 
inspiring centres of fresh thinking. 
19. .scot. Making Scotland home for the world. 

 

 Jim Hunter’s Pitch:

For hundreds of years before that interloper Andrew muscled in, Scotland’s patron saint was one of our own people.

Well, one of our own people in a way.

Because this person was an immigrant; an economic migrant; indeed – being on the run from those in charge where he’d been born – he was, you might say, an asylum seeker.

His name was Colm or Calum; Colm Cille; Saint Columba.

And the community he set up on Iona became a centre of learning, culture, creativity of Europe-wide significance.

Latha Chaluim Chille, this asylum seeker’s saint day, is June ninth – a date we should bring back to prominence.

We’re a tiny country of five million.

But out there in the wider world are many times that number who know, believe or feel themselves to be of Scottish background.

That these folk are out there is, in some ways, our tragedy.

In that so many of our people had to leave to find the opportunities this country for so long denied them.

I’ve spent some time among this overseas diaspora, and I’ve come to share their pride in what our emigrants achieved.

Pride in the way that folk of Highland background – traders, politicians, railway-builders – practically invented Canada.

Pride in all those pioneer settlers, from the Carolinas to Otago, who made the American Dream, or its equivalents, for them at least, come true.

But our diaspora are in no way Scots or Scottish.

They’re  Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders of, as they’d say themselves, Scottish heritage.

If they choose to celebrate this heritage by doing things that most of us don’t do, like joining clan societies, that’s their business.

But clan societies and the like, for people here in Scotland, have no very great appeal.

Not least because, in today’s Scotland, this sort of stuff means nothing to, indeed excludes by definition, an awful lot of Scots.

That’s because, while our people were emigrants once, we’re beginning to be an immigrant society.

The most famous Scot of recent times is Sean Connery.

Nothing about his name is indigenous to Scotland.

And neither, incidentally, are the Devines a weel-kent clan.

This century, many Scots, perhaps eventually a majority, will be of English, Polish, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, African, Irish or some other ancestry.

They won’t, and can’t, connect with our diaspora, in the way we think of and relate to that diaspora – the way of clans, and chiefs, and gatherings.

But they could connect by way of something far more basic. Shared experience.

The experience of the economic migrant quitting 1950s Glasgow for Toronto; or coming here today from Bucharest for the same reasons.

The experience of a Highland family fleeing clearance; or a Darfur family fleeing things that are much worse.

The experience, the universal immigrant experience, of making a new life among strangers.

So let’s have one day annually in Scotland when we reach out to the diasporas here among us as well as to our own diaspora far away.

This day, for reasons stated, should be Latha Chaluim Chille, Saint Columba’s day, the ninth of June.

A cheerier time of year, by the way, for a holiday than poor old Andrew’s day at the dreich, wet, dark and dreary tail-end of November

 

Gus Noble’s Pitch:

The core themes of my “pitch” will be ENGAGEMENT and EXCHANGE.

Over the last couple of months, I have asked selected members of the Scottish American community to send me their views, so that I might be able to represent community perspective as well as my own. I have summarised and incorporated some of this input into my pitch. Appreciating that I only have 5 minutes, I will concentrate on the some of the following key points (though some may be better suited to coverage/expansion during the discussion session) and make some practical suggestions for action:

1.     SCOTTISH IDENTITY – I will cover the mission of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society – “to nourish Scottish identity” – and, by explaining that we welcome everyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination, will recognise that multiple Scottish identities can exist and that, as a result, will argue that a mutli-faceted approach will be required to engage with Scots in the manner(s) of their choosing. I will make the point that increasingly, people will claim a variety of cultural identities and will focus on the relevance of Scottish identity by highlighting key values. I will mention that this Saint Andrew’s Day, Azeem Ibrahim will accept our Society’s Distinguished Citizen Award.

2.     SCOTTISH (AMERICAN) HALL OF FAME & POTENTIAL MUSEUM OF SCOTTISH DIASPORA – The Illinois Saint Andrew Society has established the Scottish American Hall of Fame to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Scots in USA. Until now this has been published as a book and as a physical collection of plaques mounted on a wall at our Society’s Scottish American Cultural Centre. I will propose that we develop this Hall of Fame to include an induction ceremony (induction will be based upon an individual’s accomplishments that reflect core Scottish values). I will suggest that the Hall of Fame be expanded to other areas of the world with input/nominations from Global community of Scots and that a web presence be developed as an educational tool for teachers and international Scottish cultural organisations. The Scottish Hall of Fame may also be expanded more broadly as a “Digital Museum” of Scottish Diaspora (or a network of actual, physical museums) to tell the stories of Scottish achievement and experience from around the world – this will lead my third  point.   

3.     DEVELOPMENT OF A “DIGITAL  SPACE FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE”  - Key to this will be partnership between Scotland (Government, Public, Academic and Non-Profit Sectors, Cultural Institutions in Scotland and others) and the international community of Scots and Scottish cultural organisations. I will suggest that a web 2.0 platform be developed to permit social networking and degrees of management by all constituents.  This digital space for cultural exchange will help engage with multiple Scottish identities, especially contemporary Scottish interests and issues.

4.     A JOINED-UP APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL SCOTTISH PHILANTHROPY – I will argue that engagement with Scottish global Diasporas should start in-country rather than be “pushed out” from Scotland and that in-country national leadership councils/governing boards must be developed to co-ordinate engagement with and support for charitable causes in Scotland – and, crucially, also for in-country Scottish causes. This being said, I will suggest that a body should be assigned responsibility for representing Scotland’s non-profits to Scottish global Diasporas (possibly Scottish Community Trust?).  

5.     APPOINTMENT OF IN-COUNTRY SCOTTISH “REPRESENTATIVES” – I will state that Scotland should identify and recruit representatives in target areas (countries/states) as specified by refinable  Government strategies for Scotland’s global engagement. These representatives will meet Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly to exchange agendas and pursue mutually agreed objectives.

6.     ASSOCIATION OF SCOTTISH ORGANIZATIONS – At last year’s Scottish North American Leadership Conference the Chairs of the Saint Andrew Societies of Milwaukee and Detroit, and I discussed forming a working coalition of Scottish cultural organisations in the US Midwest to develop common and shared branding, (regional chapters – Chicago Scots, Milwaukee Scots, Detroit Scots…..I notice a similar concept in the “SCOTS in London” – being served by a National Association or Service Centre, the US SCOTS) and services (membership, communications, fundraising and events management). We have benchmarked other models of National Association-Regional Chapters in the USA. The leadership of regional chapters of this Association will form national Governing Board which will be able to:

·       Receive and review nominations for induction into Scottish (National) Halls of Fame

·       Co-ordinate joined up approach to International Scottish Philanthropy

·       Serve as regional in-country representatives

7.     PROFESSIONAL AND COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE – The Illinois Saint Andrew Society has established the Scottish Business Forum and the Scottish Law Society to promote professional and commercial exchange between US and Scotland. These can easily be replicated by Scottish cultural organisations in other areas/countries. I will highlight the potential of such groups to organise trade missions. I will also mention the Illinois Saint Andrew Society’s participation as a host to a Saltire Foundation Intern by way of emphasising that Scottish cultural organisations can help to nurture young Scottish talent and export best practicee back to Scotland. 

8.     COUNCIL OF SCOTTISH DIASPORA – I will reference the development of the Scottish North American Leadership Conference, highlighting our theme for the July 27 2009 Conference at Queen Margaret University “Scotland and Her Disapora – Partners for the Future”. I will offer and invite future collaboration.  

9.     ENGAGEMENT AND EXCHANGE – I will conclude by revisiting the universality of our Society’s mission “to nourish Scottish identity” and by urging for an integrated strategic approach by the Scottish Government and international Scottish cultural organisations such as the Illinois Saint Andrew Society.  

 

Alan McFarlane’s Pitch:

I have worked in the global investment management industry for thirty years, mostly in Edinburgh with nine years in London. Today I am the CEO of Walter Scott & Partners Ltd, and Edinburgh based firm with 90 staff which manages approximately $25 billion in global equity portfolios for institutional investors globally.

What that means in plain English is that we are hired by some of the largest pension funds and charities from the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia to invest their money to help secure people’s retirements or the funding work of the charities.

 

Thus our client base is global and our investments are also global. Other firms in Edinburgh do similar things but Walter Scott is the purest example of the global clients / global investment model. We have no clients from Scotland and only in recent years obtained any from the rest of the UK.

 

It a straightforward matter of fact that, when we are competing for business toe to toe with the best from New York or London or anywhere else, our Scots identity confers  in the minds of many if not all potential clients an assumption of competence. It’s by no means a guarantee of success, but it matters. This benefit would not accrue to, say, an investment firm based in Copenhagen because Denmark does not carry that impression.

 

We can – and should – debate how Scotland came to have that stature. Despite the traumas of the past year, that opinion of us has not been permanently damaged. It can have accrued only from two sources; first, the work of Scots financial institutions at home and in the wider world and, second, the work of expatriate Scots in financial institutions around the world.

 

Without getting too starry eyed, the assumed features of that imputed Scots financial competence are, inter alia, caution, intelligence, putting the client first, conservatism, a global perspective and the highest ethical standards.

 

It’s a recognition that the Scots are (or at least have been) good at business. The value to the Scots economy and for the Scots Diaspora of that impression and the reality that underpins it is immense.

 

As an aside, I looked at the various Irish Fund and other websites, and they leave me cold. Their history is not ours. Bluntly, Scots help make the Empire; they were not by and large its victims.

 

While we can bemoan the clearances and other unfortunate domestic impulsions to emigration, the plain fact is that Scots have a much bigger history of confident expansionism. Getting foreign Scots or the children of Diaspora to invest in a ‘soft’ fund for enterprise in Scotland is not something I would endorse. Indeed, to offer such a thing would, I fear, corrode others’ confidence in us. If there are great investment ideas in Scotland, why would we need others to help us find or fund them?

 

What do I have in mind? Well, it’s still being cooked, it draws on what I’ve set out above, but the thoughts are towards some means of telling our Diaspora that it matters to us, that we value it, that we want to promote our common good. It will lean towards education, it will lean towards engaging with the world as it is, and not through some misty-eyed hope that common ‘Scottishness’ is the thing that binds.

 

What binds now and shall in future is competence directed towards a common good.

 

Jim Naughtie’s Pitch:

This is an international challenge,  so Scotland should look outwards, not inwards. The Diaspora should be drawn into an enterprise that springs from the best of our history – rigour and determination, free thinking, generosity of spirit, adventure. My idea is a simple one, for a Fund – a new source of money that is also a wellspring of ideas and a continuation of that history.  We might even call it the Diaspora Fund.

It would be free from government, established by trust or charter, representing the best of Scotland in pursuit of two aims – the broadening of the minds of young Scots and our society as a whole, and secondly the recovery of some of the most elevated aspirations of our own Enlightenment.

Scots abroad and at home, individually and through organizations with which they are associated, would contribute to the Fund and create a very large source of investment.

First it would be used to help young Scots to travel, giving their talents and learning in turn, in a way that draws on the experience of such inspired ideas as the American Peace Corps and Voluntary Service Overseas. With particular emphasis on small countries they would be an export of energy and intelligence and they would bring back, as a consequence of their experience, a vast fund of knowledge and insight.

Secondly if the fund grew as quickly and as spectacularly as I think it could, I would envisage the establishment of a formal programme of study abroad on the lines of that pioneered by such schemes as Fulbright, Marshall and Rhodes from the United States.  Such exchanges do exist, of course, but we could make a significant leap forward in what we could offer young students.  This would be bigger and better than anything now on offer.  It would require huge investment and professional and wise leadership.   With a proper sense of purpose, that expertise and enthusiasm is available. This is an idea which could bring Scotland and Scots abroad together  in looking to the future and not only to the past . I envisage it as a pillar of the educational structure in Scotland as far ahead as we can see.

There is another aim which I think we should consider. If the Fund were successful, it could be linked at home to the establishment of a series of awards for intellectual achievement in the arts and sciences which in the long term could rival the Nobel prizes themselves.  Scotland’s history deserves no less.

Were we to ask Scots around the world to participate in this venture I think with the right effort we would find the doors swinging open.

 

 

  

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WHAT:    An open forum examining the history of the globalisation of malt Scotch whisky and other world whiskies/whiskeys, and a debate around the future flavours of Scotland’s finest.

 

WHY:       This year is the 100^th anniversary since Scotch whisky was first defined in UK law and much has changed since 1963, when William Grant’s descendents took the brave decision to repackage Glenfiddich and market it around the world – a step recognised as having started the worldwide popularity of single malt Scotch whisky. 

 

Today, malt distilleries are now found all across the globe as entrepreneurs capitalise on discerning drinkers’ demands for the ultimate ‘water of life’. 

 

To complement its support of the Scottish Diaspora Forum at the Scottish Parliament (www.scottishdiasporaforum.org), Glenfiddich is hosting an open forum examining the history of single malt Scotch whisky’s popularity abroad and how new malt whisky producing nations have been inspired by one of Scotland’s greatest gifts to the world.

 

While the Scotch whisky industry is governed by strict laws to ensure the integrity of Scotland’s national drink remains intact, many other malt whisky producing nations don’t have the same heritage to protect and so more relaxed legislation allows them innovate further. 

 

As such, the evening’s talks will look at the benefits the single malt Scotch whisky industry enjoys from its protection, the innovations taking place beyond Scotland and debate what we can learn from them for the future development of our own industry’s flavours. The evening is for whisky novices as well as enthusiasts.

 

WHO:      Panel members include: Whisky Magazine Japan editor, Dave Broom; SWA’s Campbell Evans; Glenfiddich’s Ian Millar and is chaired by Whisky Shop’s Ian Bankier.

 

WHERE:  The Raeburn Room, Old College

University of Edinburgh

South Bridge

Edinburgh

EH8 9YL

 

WHEN:    Friday 24^th July

                   5.00pm Registration

                   7.15pm Ends

 

HOW:      Free, although places are limited.  Reservations in advance through www.glenfiddich.co.uk

 

For further information or print quality image, please contact:

Rory Steel, rory@steelyfox.com, 07714 455 950

 

Picture:  Pioneers of world malt whisky – Glenfiddich; its founder, William Grant; forefather of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru; ‘godfather’ of Australian whisky, Bill Lark – illuminate Edinburgh’s Salisbury Crag.

 

 

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Check out the recent news article regarding the Scottish Diaspora Forum and Homecoming Scotland 2009 at Scotland on Sunday online.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/cartoon/homeward-bound-scotland39s-diaspora-heads.5430063.jp

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Annie Lennox

One of the finest and most outstanding musical voices of our time, Annie Lennox, born in Aberdeen, is celebrated as an innovator, an iconoclast, and a symbol of enduring excellence. Her songs, both with Eurythmics and as a solo artist, are part of the soundtrack to our collective lives.

Annie Lennox is to headline the politics festival in Scotland. The singer will use Scottish event to talk about her campaigning work to combat AIDS in Africa and will follow up this message with a concert in Johannesburg later this month to further awareness and raise funds for women and children with HIV and AIDS.

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At the Scottish Diaspora Forum taking place on the 25th of July in the Scottish Parliament there will be a chance for questions to be taken from the audience and non attending members of the general public.  If you would like to submit a question in advance of the day please do so, by emailing your question with your name and address to info@scottishdiasporaforum.org .  It may not be possible to address all questions, but should the Advisory Committee definitely want to address your question we will contact you in advance to let you know. 

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PANALBA                      

 

What is Panalba?

Panalba is a community for anyone who has a love for Scotland. It includes recommendations for travel and accommodation, special events, blogs and articles from acclaimed Scottish writers as well as being the exclusive voice for The Gathering 2009.

This is the site for people who have a common ancestry or connection with each other through their affinity for Scotland. Panalba is not just another site about clans, whisky and golf. We aim to cover Scotland and host events in a way that perhaps has not been done before.

Panalba is created and produced in Scotland.

Join up today and connect with the Scottish Diaspora Forum to receive updates and information regarding the event.

www.panalba.com

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Lillias Kinsman Blake and Rachel Newton  who will be playing as delegates arrive and register at the Scottish Diaspora Forum have recently won the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland for best use of Music and Sound (along with cellist Seylan Baxter).  Click here for full details

 http://www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com/Winners/08-09.html

 

 

Lillias Kinsman Blake grew up playing Flute and Fiddle in the Scottish Borders. In 2005 she graduated with aBMus Honours in Folk and Traditional Music, with a first in performance, from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Now based in Newcastle, she performs with The Shee as well as in a duo with Scottish harp player and singer Rachel Newton. Lillias is also an experienced teacher working as a core tutor for Folkworks and The Sage Gateshead as well as associate director for the youth ensemble Folkestra. In 2004, Lillias was commissioned to write and perform music for the Rowan Tree Theatre Company for The Love Adventures of Mr. George Cochrane (2004) and in 2005 she co-wrote the music for the storytelling CD On the tip of my tongue.

 

Rachel Newton is from Edinburgh with strong family ties to the North-West Highlands. Attending a Gaelic medium school and through the work of the Feis movement, she soon discovered her passion for traditional music. Her upbringing in both Highland and City cultures has meant that she has been strongly influenced by a diversity of styles and this is highly evident in both her playing and singing. Rachel attended the prestigious City of Edinburgh Music School, and gained a BMus(Hos) in Folk and Traditional Music from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where she became  involved in various ensembles. In2008, Rachel released the albums Dear Someone with flautist Lillias Kinsman Blake and A Different Season with six-piece band The Shee. Rachel toured with Rowan Tree Theatre Company in The Journey of Jeannie Deans (2007). One of her songs is used on the soundtrack for the BIFA award winning film, The Inheritance. Rachel was a finalist in the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2005.

 

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6 “Gathering Passports” for the price of 5

£475 buys a full weekend of Entertainment for 6 people. 

 

This special package of 6 Gathering 2009 Passports allows each holder access to both days of entertainment at Holyrood Park and a seat on the Castle Esplanade to watch Aisling’s Children: Tales of the Homecoming, a pageant specially written and performed to mark this historic occasion. As an additional benefit, these Passports also include vouchers with their own special offers.  

 

The Gathering 2009 is a celebration of Scotland’s culture, both contemporary and traditional.  

A two-day World class Highland Games in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park on Saturday, 25 and Sunday, 26 July and so much more……………… 

 

• Witness the greatest clan gathering ever held 

• Watch the world’s leading Highland athletes, dancers and pipers  

• Hear Capercaillie, Dougie MacLean, Red Hot Chilli Pipers and many more 

• Learn about your ancestry and discover the complex world of heraldry 

• Enjoy great Scottish food and drink  

• Buy  quality arts and crafts 

• Explore Scotland’s natural heritage and walk across the country in just a few strides! 

• Take your seat at the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade to see a magnificent historical pageant. 

• For more…..log on to  www.thegathering2009.com 

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