Cops win award for work with school
Lanarkshire has become the first policing division in Scotland to receive an award for challenging sectarianism and raising awareness of the issue in its communities.
The ‘Champions for Change’ Award, presented by anti-sectarianism charity Nil by Mouth, recognises the efforts of organisations who tackle bigotry and demonstrate that it has no place in Scotland.
Pupils from Duncanrig Secondary School are among those to have benefited from the programme - and as a result the school is the first in Scotland recognised by the charity for its work tackling sectarianism.
The award recognised a number of initiatives by the police in East Kilbride including anti-sectarian training and Campus Cops working in partnership with Nil by Mouth on a range of school workshops and projects.
Duncanrig also hosted one of the first ’Kiss Bigotry Goodbye’ football festivals last month, bringing together seven high schools from across Lanarkshire, and police in EK also promoted the ‘Pause B4U Post’ campaign aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of posting sectarian abuse online.
Nil By Mouth was set up by Glasgow teenager Cara Henderson following the brutal sectarian murder of her friend Mark Scott in 1996.
Last year it worked with more than 7,000 pupils in over 100 schools across 22 local authorities.
Nil by Mouth campaign director, Dave Scott, said: “We have been hugely impressed by the commitment shown by Lanarkshire Division and this award is richly deserved.
“Education is key to challenging prejudice and it’s great to see Police Scotland investing time and effort in grassroots programmes like the recent ‘Kiss Bigotry Goodbye’ football festival.
“This saw seven schools from across Lanarkshire take part in a day of sporting events and educational inputs aimed at breaking down barriers between young people.
“Scotland is bigger, better and brighter than bigotry and we truly believe that this is the generation which will banish it once and for all.”
Chief Superintendent Roddy Irvine said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of Lanarkshire Division.
“Since taking over as the Local Police Commander in January, I have been wholeheartedly impressed by the innovative partnership approach to challenging sectarianism that has been forged between my officers and Nil by Mouth.
“Education and awareness raising are the key components in making hate crime a thing of the past.”
There is a Peace Tree in East Kilbride, on Churchill Avenue, planted years ago by East Kilbride CND as a reminder of the horrors of a nuclear attack.
The tree helps inspire us to work for a safe world, free of nuclear weapons.
Scotland has long been opposed to nuclear weapons sited on the River Clyde. Our Trades Union Congress, our churches and our Parliament are all opposed to Trident and its renewal.
Last week, only one, yes ONE of 59 Scottish MPs voted in favour of renewing Trident. However, the UK Government is determined to spend at least £167 billion on doing exactly that. Despite my SNP colleagues’ repeated demands for the total cost of the programme over its lifetime, UK Government refused, time after time, to give this.
Sad that the first debate called by a new Prime Minister is to justify UK retention of weapons of mass destruction.
Galling that when Scotland’s defence footprint is at an all-time low, with no major surface warships based here and work on the Type 26 frigates delayed yet again, the UK government cares more about global prestige than military necessity.
Ludicrous that when we’re told we all have to tighten our belts, thousands of millions of pounds can be found.
With more than £40 billion to be cut from public services by 2020, spending billions on weapons of mass destruction is an outrage.
I listened to some of the Westminster debate last week. I heard the same justifications and arguments we’ve been hearing for years - “having nuclear weapons makes us safer”. Really? Tell that to residents of the West of Scotland. Whether by nuclear accident, or attack on the one fixed location from which Trident missiles can always be launched, we are obviously vulnerable.
The risks to our residents should be a significant factor in the nuclear debate, but appear to be ignored.
Defenders of Trident have used a wide range of figures on the jobs Scotland gains from the Trident programme. The Scottish Trades Union Congress study estimates fewer than 1000 jobs at risk in the West of Scotland.
It has long been SNP policy that the Clyde should be the main base for conventional military expertise in an in independent Scotland. Surely one of the first calls on funds released from the Trident programme must be effective redeployment of personnel employed on the current programme.
But these practical arguments don’t matter to the pro-nuclear lobby.
In his memoirs, Tony Blair said he could see the force of the argument for not renewing, but giving it up would be too big a downgrade of the UK’s status. So there it is, Westminster spending billions to maintain the myth of the UK’s global importance. And, Scotland’s views are sacrificed to maintain that myth.
There is a democratic deficit at Westminster Scotland voted ‘remain’ but may be dragged out of the European Union; Scotland opposes Tory attacks on Trades’ Unions, but the legislation proceeds. Scotland opposes Trident renewal but billions are to be wasted on this obscenity on our doorstep.
Local residents and anti-nuclear activists will meet soon at East Kilbride’s Peace Tree with heavy hearts.
Whilst remembering those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they will be aware the British establishment plans to dump weapons of mass destruction on the Clyde for another 50 years.