Last year I wrote in support of the St Andrew's day March and Rally, looking ahead to a
landmark year for Scotland and for Glasgow in particular.
Both the independence referendum and the Commonwealth
Games were rare opportunities for Scotland to present its values and its hopes
for the future to the wider world.
Now, as Scotland’s year in the international spotlight
draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on what lessons we can take from these
events, and how we work towards a Scotland free from racism.
The Games were first and foremost a spectacle of sport,
with the efforts and talent of the athletes front and centre. But it also
offered us the chance to show ourselves as a welcoming and inclusive nation
that we are and I was particularly proud of the Pride House initiative,
building links with human rights activists across the Commonwealth.
The referendum campaign opened up public debate in
Scotland like nothing seen before, and people really have been exploring what
kind of country they want to live in. Underpinning this were questions about
what it meant to be Scottish, and I think it is a testament to everyone
involved that this was overwhelmingly framed in a positive and inclusive way,
not along narrow lines of ethnicity or place of birth.
Though it has been such an extraordinary year, we should
not be complacent about the direction of politics. Scotland is far from free of
racism, and we must address the big challenges we face. The xenophobic UKIP
have just elected their first MP, following their win in this year’s European
elections. The rise of right wing and extremist parties across Europe and
closer to home is something that we have a responsibility to take on, and
Greens will never let UKIP’s ugly brand of politics go un-challenged.
Patrick Harvie
Co-Convener of the Scottish Green Party
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