Young, Sarah

This year, the number of school leavers applying for university places rose by almost 10%. But what of those who don’t have the qualifications needed to ride out the recession at college? In July, it was reported that there has been an increase of 366% in Scottish military recruitment with the number of Scots joining the army rising from 27 in the first quarter of 2008, to 97 in the first quarter in 2009. You don’t need to pass exams to join the army as no formal qualifications are required…

Since Climate Action Scotland (see PN 2513), the camp at Mainshill Wood, site of a proposed opencast mine in Lanarkshire, has continued into its third month with the support of the local Community Council.

At the camp, Beth told me how the local community is particularly concerned about the cost of opencast coal mining to public health, in an area that already has three mines. There is evidence of strong linkage between opencast mining and asthma, as well as increased cancer rates…

Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde students ended occupations, after winning demands to fund scholarships, disinvest from military industries and boycott Israeli companies including Eden Springs water. These actions were part of a wave of over 20 student occupations across Britain.

Edinburgh students started their action on 10 February, just as the Glasgow occupation finished, and were able to end their occupation of the University’s George Square Theatre on 16 February.

On…

The Unity Centre is tiny – the opposite of a Tardis – a corner shop space crammed with people, computers, filing systems, sofas, chocolates and a whole lot more. It is unique because of how it is organised, what it does and how it came into being. Unity Centre volunteers Jane and Phill helped me to understand more.

The Centre’s origins can be traced back to the 2005 anti-G8 mobilisation in Scotland, where one of the focuses was the Dungavel detention centre and the No Borders campaign…

On July 15th, Zimbabwean trade unionist Mike Sozinyu spoke to a meeting hosted by Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, at the Scottish TUC offices in the city.

Mike is part of the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions and is active in building a trade union movement independent of the Zimbabwean government. He stressed the importance of hearing voices of solidarity from British workers, as these could not be ignored by Mugabe, who dismisses criticism from the UK government as mere…

Two graffiti protestors were overwhelmed by a crowd of well-wishers when they arrived for their trial at Edinburgh sheriff court on 9 January. Appalling weather conditions failed to prevent more than a hundred supporters from turning up give their support.

Helen John and Georgia Smith were found guilty of defacing the High Court building in Edinburgh. They used black paint to write “ban cluster bombs” and “£76 billion for genocide” on Remembrance Day 2006.

…

Hundreds marched up Edinburgh's Royal Mile on 4 November to say: “No to Trident”. The demo had support from the Scottish Trade Union Council, churches and the Scottish National Party and was organised by Scotland's for Peace. Alex Salmond, the new SNP first minister, has stated his opposition to Trident replacement. Scottish CND and other lobbyists will be expecting to see action. Watch this space in 2008, the year of CND's fiftieth anniversary.

No review could ignore the success of the Save Crichton Cam- paign in September, where united action by the University and College Union (UCU), International Workers of the World (IWW) and others stopped the closure of the Dumfries Campus of Glasgow University.

Ben Franks, UCU Dumfries: "The most successful actions embarrassed the Principal and his officials at prestigious events. As a result, the new Scottish government made the Crichton campus a top priority.…

This summer, Edinburgh-based Protest in Harmony and Glasgow socialist women's choir Eurydice combined with other political choirs for the “Rise up Singing” Faslane 365 blockade.

One of Faslane 365's aims was to bring people together to impede the nuclear base where Britain's nuclear weapons are deployed. The choirs' blockade achieved this by assembling many singers who were new to the peace movement and witnessing nonviolent direct action for the first time.

They will be…

In February, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Western Islands Council) approved plans for a giant “wind factory” with 181 super-size 140meter-high turbines on the north west of the Isle of Lewis.

With another planned 57 turbines on the island, this would mean a 40-mile stretch of wind turbines across the island, making it the largest wind farm in Europe.

The top-left-hand corner of the British Isles might seem like an ideal spot in which to tuck away such a wind farm. But for…

The Scottish Centre for Nonviolence in Dunblane has closed after ten years of existence. Scotland and the peace movement have lost a unique resource for nonviolent education and networking. Camouflaged by woodland trees, the Centre was situated in a prefabricated building, tucked behind Scottish Churches House, the Scottish Churches Ecumenical Conference Centreat Dunblane Cathedral.

During my time as a local peace activist, I will remember it as a special space, with a powerful…