sábado, 12 de xullo de 2014
venres, 11 de xullo de 2014
xoves, 10 de xullo de 2014
Solidaritat amb Escòcia / Solidarity with Scotland #Occitan #indyref
Fa qualques
meses una amiga dels Estats Units me demandèt çò que podiá far per ajudar la
causa independentista d’Escòcia. “Pas gaire”, çò foguèt ma responsa, abans de
li explicar qu’aqueste debat deviá aver luòc en Escòcia. Ara: lo Govèrn del
Reialme Unit o vei pas ansin; d’efièch, Cameron pretend que pòt pas debatre amb
Alex Salmond, ja qu’el votarà pas en setembre. Ne resulta que mon amiga, si que
pòt far quicòm, fin finala.
En genièr, lo Sunday
Herald publiquèt una notícia segon la quala lo Ministèri dels Afars
Estrangièrs del Reialme Unit aviá començat una campanha per recebre de sosten, a
l’estrange, en favor de “a Better Together” [“Melhor Ensems”, la campanha unionista
per qu’Escòcia rèste dins lo Reialme Unit]. Wee Wullie Hague [William Hague, lo
ministre dels afars estrangièrs del Reialme Unit] te vol ausir dire de
causas laidas sus l’independéncia escocesa. Segon lo Sunday Herald, los
Afars Estrangièrs an contactat los govèrns de China, Russia, Nòva Zelanda,
Austràlia e Canadà e los 28 membres de l’Union Europèa dins una cèrca
desesperada de Viagra per refortir lor Projècte Paur qu’es moligàs.
Los Afars
Estrangièrs an organizat una “Devolution Unit” (Unitat Devolucion) per coordenar
aquela campanha. Las ambaissadas, los nauts comissaris e los consolats del Reialme
Unit del Mond entièr an recebut d’instruccions per tractar tota comunicacion venent
d’individús, d’organizacions e d’entrepresas a prepaus de l’independéncia
escocesa. Coma se supausa que la foncion publica es politicament nèutra, el Govèrn
del Reialme Unit pòt pas admetre dobèrtament çò que tu sabes, çò que ieu sabi e
çò que lo chin sap a prepaus de lor afanament. Lor cal manténer una aparéncia
de neutralitat.
Mas podèm jogar
lo jòc amb doas esquipas. Donc, se sès un escocés e se vives fòra lo país, o se
sès ciutadan d’un autre país e se simpatizas amb l’independéncia escocesa,
escriu una letra formala a l’ambaissada o a la nauta comission del Reialme Unit
de ton país. Çò que lor explicaràs ven a tu, de segur, e mai se foguèsse bon que
lor exprimiguèsses ta contrarietat de veire que el govèrn britanic cèrca
activament l’intervencion internacionala per empachar l’independéncia escocesa.
I te pòdes presentar coma un estrangièr que lausa lo parlament venerable e lo sistèma
democratic exemplar del Reialme Unit.
Lor pòdes far remarcar
que t’es impossible de considerar encara lo Reialme Unit coma un modèl de
seguir, mentre que son govèrn manten una agenda esconduda per influir dins lo
debat democratic, e qu’aquela agenda esconduda causa un damatge important e duradís
a l’imatge e a la posicion del Reialme Unit dins ton país. Assegura-te de senhalar
qu’as enviat una còpia de ta letra a un membre del Parlament, un senator, un congressista
o un deputat per lor demandar se sostenon ton idèa qu’Escòcia deuriá poder
debatre sus son futur sens interferéncias internacionalas, e per lor demandar
de condemnar lo comportament del Govèrn del Reialme Unit.
A partir del
moment que lo Govèrn del Reialme Unit recèrca activament las opinions de
ciutadans e de residents estrangièrs, es tras que normal e corrècte que lor dones
tu tanben ton opinion. Explica-lor perqué creses que l’independéncia es bona
per Escòcia, bona per la rèsta del Reialme Unit e perqué serà bona aicí meteis
per lo tieu país. Se pòdes, fai de tal biais que la maxima quantitat de gents
signe ta letra abans de l’enviar a l’ambaissada o a la nauta comission britanica.
Encara melhor, se sès membre d’un club, grop o associacion, parla-ne amb d’autres
membres e buta-los a enviar la letra amb un papièr oficial de l’organizacion.
Se sès una
persona d’entrepresa, seriá perfiècha una letra amb lo papièr de l’entrepresa,
que diguèsse que creses que l’Escòcia independenta constituirà una oportunitat
d’investiment per ton entrepresa.
Insistís per que
respondan, diga qu’espèras qu’adreiçaràn la letra a la “Devolution Unit” dels Afars
Estrangièrs, i diga qu’as enviat tanben una còpia de la letra a ton jornal
local.
Alara envia-me una còpia a ieu, a l’adreiça seguenta:
Se David Cameron
pòt utilizar lo còrs diplomatic del Reialme Unit per far de politica, nosautres
tanben podèm. Aquesta iniciativa, l’organizan pas ni l’inspiran lo Govèrn Escocés,
nimai lo Partit Nacional Escocés (SNP), nimai la campanha Yes Scotland. La coordenarem
ieu, Paul Kavanagh e Pilar Fernández dempuèi Galícia. Sèm pas membres de l’SNP
ni de cap d’autre partit politic, ni d’Escòcia ni d’enluòc mai, e l’Alicsammin
[pronóncia del nom d’Alex Salmond pels unionistas] nos a pas engatjats. O fasèm
per la nòstra iniciativa pròpria e degun nos paga pas per o far, e mai se, s’aquesta
modèsta campanha pren fòrça, aquò empacharà los mèdias del Reialme Unit d’afirmar
lo contrari.
Rassemblarem totas
las responsas, e publicarem las estatisticas, anonimas, pauc abans lo referendum.
Tanben nos agradariá de publicar d’extraches d’una seleccion de las letras. Se
vòles pas que publiquem ton nom, o lo de ton entrepresa o organizacion, se te
plai, avisa-nos en dins lo corrièr. Los escoceses d’Escòcia saupràn que tenèm d’amics
e d’aliats en defòra, e s’avèm un pauc l’astre, las responsas negativas recebudas
per la “Devolution Unit” de Cameron e Hague seràn escobadas per las positivas.
Twitter: @ScotlandAbroad
mércores, 9 de xullo de 2014
Solidarity with Scotland: (Why) Speak Up by Christopher Carnie (Catalunya) #ExpatScots #SpeakUp #ScotlandAbroad
We, the Scots who have chosen to
leave, do not get a vote in the Referendum. It is the people who live in
Scotland who will vote on September 18th. So why speak up? Who are we, the
offshore Scots, to talk of the Referendum? Why should our voices join the
clamour for Yes?
There will be many of us with our
own personal, emotional Scottish love stories (I have one) who will want to
speak. But there are at least four more substantial reasons why we should speak
up in solidarity with Scotland;
In the Catalan village in which I
live there are 1,200 inhabitants. In February around 300 of us, a quarter of
the village population, dance Les Gitanes, the traditional Carnival set dances.
It's like dancing the Dashing White Sergeant or Strip the Willow, so when I
arrived here sixteen years ago I joined the dance. I always wear tartan. I'm
known as L'Escocès, the Scotsman. And this is the first reason why we offshore
Scots should speak. Because in our communities around the world we are 'The
Scotsman' or 'The Scotswoman.' We are ambassadors for Scotland, helping to
construct an image of what it is to be Scottish, in the minds of people we
meet. We make friends, we build contacts, and everyone we meet comes away with
this, or that, impression of the Scots.
Like an ethical NSA we are also the
ears and eyes of Scotland. We tell people back home how it is here. We pass
back information when we chat to family and friends in Scotland, whether that
is professional information or simply social attitudes and new views. It's an
exchange of course, and I find lots in the great gush of new writing in
Bellacaledonia, or Newsnet or the many other social sites that I can pass on to
friends here. We, the offshore Scots are an information network for Scotland,
so we have lots to speak about.
And the knowledge we have gathered
is a Scottish asset that Scotland can mine. The millions of Scots abroad know
about everything (between us) from accounting to zoology. I'm not boasting. I'm
not taking about the little that I individually know. I mean the offshore
Scottish hive mind, the collective intelligence of all of us. Anytime Scotland
wants it, it's hers. Just ask. That
collective knowledge is why we can and should speak.
I come from the comfortable Scottish
middle class. But it was in Scotland, taken by the hand of a lover to The
Barras, that I learned about poverty and
first thought of justice. Scotland has taught many of us the hard lessons of
poverty. We have seen, smelled, touched poverty and felt the anger against
injustice that it rightly provokes. Scotland has taught us that we cannot
abandon the poor in the way that Westminster has. And that is also why we
speak. We've witnessed the worst and now we want the best for our country.
So we offshore Scots should speak.
We'll use whatever means are at our disposal - social media, talking to
friends, writing or shouting from the rooftops. Solidarity with Scotland, http://www.solidaritywithscotland.com, is one
of those media and I support it.
Christopher Carnie
chrisfactary@gmail.com
Expat Scots and The Referendum Vote by J.M. Cleary #indyref #ScotlandAbroad
Many Scots working overseas or in England are rightly disillusioned that they will not get the opportunity to register their vote in the Independence Referendum on 18th September, feeling that they have effectively been cut-off from this momentous decision on the Country of their birth. I too am part of that group feeling aggrieved, but I’ve decided to channel my energy in a direction other than complaint.
I’ve always been a supporter of Scottish Independence as far back as I can remember growing up in Scotland. It just seemed to me that Scotland as my country should be a proper self-governing nation like all other nations on the planet. I did a year of study abroad in Spain whilst at University, which strengthened my belief even further as I met people from so many other countries – many of whom already thought Scotland was an Independent country. The people I met seemed all to be huge fans of my home nation, admirers of its culture and friendliness of the people; unexpectedly this in turn gave me a new sense of pride and yearning for home.
After returning to finish my studies in Scotland, it was with some regret but also a sense of excitement that I received a job offer with a major US firm. My working career would take me to US, England, Japan, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Australia, Spain, Hong Kong and now Thailand. I have been away from Scotland for approximately 15 years. Despite that, Scotland is still home. I try to go back every year and my mother, brothers, sisters, and other relatives are all still in Scotland. I’m now married to a Thai lady and have 3 beautiful daughters.
My affinity with home is still amazingly strong and so it was very sad to know that I cannot vote directly in September. I’ve read about some expat claiming there is a legal implication on this, I’ve read and heard other expats complain constantly on the matter. I decided that the Cause is more important than my personal exclusion, and so sought out ways to channel my energy in making sure that I can convince as many people as possible to vote Yes, despite my location overseas.
So how have I done that? Well I setup a Facebook Page at the beginning of the Campaign called “Expats for Scotland Independence”. It now has around 5,000 member “likes” and this weeks page stats are the best yet, showing over 160,000 page views. I post materials related to the campaign and sometimes run expat-related campaigns such as asking followers to post messages of support from their locations. I also make extensive use of Twitter, with my own personal account and more recently with @ExpatsScotIndy account. I have a WordPress Blog, GlobalAlba, although admittedly have not used it as much as I’d like to. I’ve also actively supported Crowdfunding Yes Campaign groups as much as I am able to. Recently we held an Independence debate in Bangkok for Scots expats to join, a lively event which we hope to repeat before the Referendum itself.
More importantly, I still speak with friends and family back home and can happily say that every single one of them is a Yes voter. I’ve ensured that my younger sister gets on the election register as it is her first time voting.
So I have a simple request to all Expats who are feeling annoyed that they cannot vote themselves. Please channel your energy into ensuring that we win despite the fact that you cannot vote. Take that energy and commit to convincing as many people as possible in the last couple of months, to get registered, to commit to Yes, and to attempt to act as ambassadors themselves by informing others. We are so close to making Yes a reality, we need that final push over the line.
As for me, well I look forward to bringing my family back to live in an Independent Scotland and to help build a fair, compassionate, confident and prosperous nation.
This article was first published at: http://jmcleary.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/expat-scots-and-the-referendum-vote/ Thank you so much for sharing it!
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