Given the scale of what we achieve at EMiS, I often think we forget that we are a voluntary organisation with only one member of staff. And yet what we achieve with our very small budget is often something more akin to what a very large organisation would attempt.
The most recent example of this was the fantastic Festival of Europe, put on by Mark Lazarowicz and Niamh Donnellan, with the help of many of our members and supporters. The quality of the speakers – academics, politicians, lawyers, thinkers – was of the highest calibre.
Most notably, the Festival of Europe brought together senior figures from the SNP, the Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour and the Scottish LibDems. Those who attended witnessed the very best of consensus politics. A great advertisement for the value of working across parties for the common good. It was an incredible series of events spread over a week and culminating in a full-on weekend covering topics as diverse as trade right through to how the UK can accelerate our engagement with our European partners.
Concurrent to the events in the French Institute in Edinburgh, the organisers also put on a fair which attracted a variety of organisations keen to partake in the event. The highlight for me was a rendition of the European anthem with hearty singing from some unexpected members of the EMiS executive!
In Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife a programme of Eurowalks showcased the great range of historic ties between Scotland and European nations. The lesson for me however was the deep interest shown by so many people on the topic of Europe, especially on a weekend when the weather was doing its best to imitate that of our southern European neighbours. With sunshine blazing outside, attendees shunned the heat for the entertaining and enlightening discussions, demonstrating that the appetite for European reengagement still burns bright in Scottish society. I’m proud that EMiS was the main sponsor and supporter of this event, and we look forward to working closely with the organisers next year in putting on an even bigger show.
My thanks to all of you who turned up to work, to listen, to learn and to support this wonderful endeavour.
David Clarke, EMiS Chair
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