Working Men’s Clubs and Education by Dr Ruth Cherrington

It’s for a good reason that I gave my book on working men’s clubs (WMCs) the title ‘Not just Beer and Bingo!’ They were always about much more than drinking and low level gambling. I will outline here the important educational aspects that WMCs started out with which were part of their ‘self help’ ethos. Another article will follow WMCs into the 20th century describing how, whilst educational aspects declined, they did not entirely disappear. Read more…

Food Sharing by Jess Acton

Food is a vital part of our lives. Nutritious and healthy food maintains, nourishes and heals us. Food is important to all cultures and the buying and eating of food can be a political act. We share food with those we love, as a ritual, at celebrations and to commiserate. It is an intrinsic part of our lives, beliefs, values, economy, culture and society. Read more…

Tila Morris Talks About The Radical Road And Values

This is a podcast of Tila Morris talking about values and character as part of a two day conference brought together by Gary Walsh (Character Scotland), Bec Sanderson (the Public Interest Research Centre), Rob Bowden (Lifeworlds Learning) and Abi Cornwall (Learning for Sustainability Scotland). It took place on 20–21st November 2014 at Edinburgh Moray House School of Education. Read more…

Podcast: Food Inc; The Film And A Discussion

Food, Inc. is a film about what is happening to our food chain.  Every month, we watch a film, have some food, and discuss what we saw at the Serenity Cafe. The food we had was vegetarian curry made with organic ingredients donated by the Ragged community so we could have a community meal.  The film was about the increasingly unhealthy way our food is produced such that the methods are damaging the environment, abusing workers, and having cruel disregard for the animals.
Made by the Emmy award winning filmmaker Robert Kenner, it’s primary focus is on the United States, however this is now relevant worldwide as the companies which it examines – and the methods of production – are multinational.  These are not American problems, these are world problems.  The corporations which have come to dominate the world production of beef, pork, chicken, maize, soy, potatoes and other staples, are not rooted in any one single country – they have global reach.
Read more…

Pete Wilkinson Co-Founder of Greenpeace Talks About His Life

I imagine that nearly everyone has heard of Greenpeace.  It is one of the most famous non-governmental organizations in the world and it is renowned for activist protests to protect the environment.  I did not genuinely know much about the organisation until the other day a librarian at Edinburgh Central Library told me I should go along to the Edinburgh Reads event as one of the founders of Greenpeace was going to be talking. Read more…

Brain Disorders: Journey Into The Endless Maze of the Mind by Nadège Druzkowski

Brain disorders: a touchy, sometimes taboo subject in our modern society. However, most of us have been affected at some point in our lives by a form of mental breakdown, such as depression, or heard of some other forms of mental illness. As the brain remains an unsolved mystery, any dysfunctions associated with it remain largely unexplained. The unknown naturally brings about fear and incomprehension.

In a set of drawings called Psychological Landscapes, I explore what is commonly called bipolar disorder or manic-depression. The illness is characterized by a succession of highs and lows punctuated by more stable periods, that we all experience, but can in affected patients spiral out of control and result in a frantic search for adrenaline-charged experiences or at the other end of the spectrum, death by suicide. Read more…