Contribution to international development: report 2021 to 2023

10. Global Citizenship

Internationalism, and international solidarity, has never been more important. The Scottish Government continues to place great importance on Scotland being a good global citizen. The International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS) describes global citizenship as:

[…]a way of living that recognises our world is an increasingly complex web of connections and interdependencies. One in which our choices and actions may have repercussions for people and communities locally, nationally and internationally.^[38]

As set out clearly in the Scottish Government’s International Strategy:

Scotland is an outward-looking nation committed to good global citizenship, has a strong and respected voice internationally and joins with others to help build a fairer and more equal world. Scotland has a long history of looking beyond its borders to trade, cooperate, learn, innovate and inspire. Our people, businesses, universities and cultural organisations have long benefitted from this collaboration and have made significant contributions globally. We have a lot to offer and will continue to celebrate and make the case for positive internationalism.^[39]

On the international stage, this is evident at COPs where the Scottish Government has contributed to the global debate on how to tackle climate change. Central to this has been the focus on engaging with voices of the Global South, listening to their lived experiences and supporting their voices be heard and acted on.

At home in Scotland, integral to the Scottish Government’s contribution to international development is supporting global citizenship, including grassroots civil society organisations, Fair Trade campaigners, links between Scotland and our partner countries, youth global citizenship, and support for professionals volunteering their time and skills.

The Scottish Government aims to be a reliable and trustworthy partner for civil society in Scotland and the Global South. This section will spotlight a selection of our partners’ work.

Our Core Funding to Networking Organisations

The international development networking organisations we have supported with core-funding during 2021-23, to in turn support global citizenship in Scotland, are as follows, with case studies featuring each below):

• The Scotland Malawi Partnership
• The Malawi Scotland Partnership
• Scotland's International Development Alliance
• The Scottish Fair-Trade Forum

Our Wider Support For Global Citizenship: Cross-Government Collaboration

Additionally, through our cross-government work, as part of the Scottish Government commitment on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, we have continued during 2021-23 to support the development of Global Citizenship in NHS Scotland and to support global citizenship in schools across Scotland.

In addition to mutual sharing of technical expertise on international development and health issues, a small amount of IDF funding supports this work annually during 2021-23 through the NHS Global Citizenship Unit within the Scottish Government Health Directorates.

Also, on youth and education, the Scottish Government recently partnered with the McConnell International Foundation in bringing forward a conference on the topic of “Global Citizenship and Youth Volunteering”. The aim of this November 2023 Conference was to bring together a range of stakeholders involved in youth “voluntourism” to develop guidance which sets out best practice and considers how to encourage young people’s interest in Global Citizenship.

Case Study GC2: The Scotland Malawi Partnership (working in partnership with the Malawi Scotland Partnership)

The Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP) is a Scottish charity and a diverse membership network which includes universities, schools, churches, charities, local authorities and citizens. The SMP work closely with their sister organisation, the Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP), who are based in Lilongwe, Malawi. The two organisations support, connect and represent their members and receive funding from, but are independent of, the Scottish Government.

There is strong civic and cross-party support for the relationship between the two nations and the SMP works with a broad array of partners. The SMP’s website, weekly newsletter and social media platforms share members’, partners’, and donors’ news and opportunities.

For a fresh and vibrant take on all things Scotland and Malawi, The Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP) commissioned the People-to-People Podcast, which is devised and delivered by Hazel, a Scot and Chimzy, a Malawian.

Events Enhancing Malawi Links

In events and thematic forums, which aim to share learning and foster meaningful collaboration, there have been inspiring and insightful member-led Forums in Health, Youth & Schools, Further & Higher Education, Renewables, Forestry, Water, Agriculture & Food Security and Faith.

The SMP has held events on power in partnerships, human rights, and decolonising the curriculum. Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as part of Black History Month, the SMP invited members to nominate incredible women from history or the present day who inspire them. They formed part of 'Saluting our Sisters’ - dedicated to honouring the achievements of Black women who are often the forgotten heroines.

Youth and Schools and Global Citizenship

As COVID-19 and its aftermath put teachers and young people under pressure, the SMP commissioned 5 new Global Citizenship Critical Learning School Resources on topics including: Understanding the ‘White Saviour’ complex and ‘voluntourism’ and redesigned its School Partnership Guide to benefit from learning in the Scottish Government's study of international school partnerships.

The successful 2023 Youth Festival was a Celebration of Global Citizenship held in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal. Over 250,000 people across Scotland and Malawi were engaged in the SMP’s 2021 Digital Youth Festival which was designed and delivered by young people, exploring Climate Change and Race and Equality.

COVID Co-ordination

Supporting information-sharing between the two nations, the SMP hosted 16 COVID-Co-ordination meetings, with six held in this period. They created an opportunity for Government Health Officials and experts in both countries to share updates and for citizens in Scotland and Malawi to have a voice.

Co-ordinated by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Alberto Gregory, they explained the need for medical devices to supply and monitor Oxygen and that many in Malawi were broken. The SMP launched an Oxygen Appeal and raised over £40,000, enabling a local Malawian group to repair approximately £400,000 worth of essential devices, saving lives during and after COVID, when the machines were deployed to medical and paediatric wards.

Climate and COP26

In March 2023, Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi with devastating impact to over 2.2 million people^[40]. The SMP co-hosted a co-ordination event in which lead agencies identified Malawi’s needs and priorities and created a webpage with updates and signposted to appeals through social media. Drawing on Scottish and Malawian expertise, it was a conduit for technical expertise on triggering the International Disaster Charter to release more help, and to provide high resolution radar imagery for damage assessment of over 200 sites of key infrastructure.

Ahead of Glasgow hosting COP26 in Autumn ’21, the SMP completed twenty six COP26 Voices videos of young Malawians and young Scots, making their own climate calls of World leaders.

In November 2021, Malawi’s President Chakwera and the First Lady visited Edinburgh City Chambers where, joined by dignitaries including Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson, President Chakwera met SMP Members working in Climate and had a live linkup with a ‘Virtual COP’ being held in Lilongwe.

“Scotland has a distinctive approach to international development with a Global Citizenship mindset in evidence, from the Borders to the Northern Isles, in meaningful international relationships. Two-way, dignified people-to-people links between Scotland and Malawi continue to receive strong public and cross-party support. The Scottish Government has funded brilliantly impactful projects in Malawi and, partner country-led, is being responsive to Malawi’s thematic priorities. Malawi’s President Chakwera has highlighted the huge difference made to people’s lives and livelihoods by the Scottish Government’s support for loss and damage caused by the climate emergency and hailed Scotland’s model as a prototype for the rest of the world.” - Stuart Brown, CEO The Scotland Malawi Partnership

“In our pursuit of global citizenship, MaSP recognises that true progress lies in empowering our partners and members. MaSP stands committed to building connections. Together with the Scottish Government we strive for a world where power is shared, voices are amplified, and respect knows no borders.” - Linda Dembo, Acting CEO The Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP)

Case Study GC3: Scotland’s International Development Alliance

SIDA is a membership body that unites the international development sector in Scotland to promote effectiveness, influence the policy agenda and strengthen the contribution of Scottish organisations to reducing inequality and poverty worldwide.

“We're fortunate to have SIDA, which continues to help the international development sector in Scotland punch above its weight.” – Mark Chadwick, CBM

During 2021-23, SIDA continued its core work of providing capacity-building support to its members in organisational governance, fundraising, safeguarding, and other tools essential to the international development sector. In terms of key themes, SIDA’s work was focused primarily on four areas: shifting power and decolonisation; wellbeing and sustainable development; climate justice; and global citizenship.

Shifting Power and Decolonisation

As the world transitioned out of the COVID-19 pandemic, SIDA committed to hosting a quality hybrid event to encourage participation from the Global South as well as attracting participants from dozens of countries outside the UK.

Through its knowledge exchange initiatives and mentoring programme, SIDA supported smaller Scottish organisations to address issues of anti-racism, power-shifting and decolonisation in the international development sector, and to explore organisational effectiveness in the context of locally-led development. This focused on issues of partnership, funding, and evaluation.

Wellbeing and Sustainable Development

SIDA’s policy and influencing work called for a new approach to global sustainable development in Scotland, and for new legislation to encourage better understanding and measurement of Scotland’s global impact. SIDA’s report ‘Scotland & global sustainable development: time to chart a new path?’, produced in consultation with members, made the case for a new Scottish Government Global Solidarity Strategy, and outlined a more equitable and effective approach to development.^[41]

Climate Justice

In the run-up to COP 26 in Glasgow, SIDA launched “Facing the Crisis”, a digital exhibition exploring the impacts of the climate crisis on people and communities across the world.

SIDA continued to engage with the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) coalition, ensuring an international dimension to their work; SIDA collaborated with SCCS in September 2022 to host a learning evening on how best to communicate the climate crisis, reaching out beyond the international development sector and engaging with new audiences.

In 2022-23, SIDA supported the Scottish Government by running a number of consultations on its behalf to help with planning for future international development programming, including voices from the majority world and highlighting considerations of coherence between climate justice spending and international development spending.

Global Citizenship

SIDA worked to bring together community groups, charities, academics and activists from diverse cultures and communities in Scotland who are committed to promoting and advancing the principles of global citizenship. The perspectives and experience of these groups are vital to Scotland’s goal of being a ‘good global citizen’, but they are often left out of key conversations and decision-making processes on the topic. In order to address this exclusion, in 2023 SIDA brought together members of these diverse groups to form a Diaspora Steering Group on Global Citizenship. The mission of the group is to harness the power and potential of Global South diaspora communities in Scotland to address global issues and drive positive change in Scotland and around the world.

Case Study GC4: “Global Citizenship and Youth Volunteering” Conference 2023 – Partnership with the McConnell International Foundation

The Scottish Government is committed to our young people in Scotland being good global citizens, and the conference allowed for some open discussions on how Scotland as a whole ensures that this is done appropriately. School partnerships, in particular those between Scotland and Malawi, are also a key part of the wider framework on youth exchanges and therefore were reflected within the remit of the Conference.

However, a key question for us has been how do we harness the enthusiasm and energy of young people who want to travel to Africa and other continents to broaden their horizons, to experience a way of life different to their own, to help others – but to that in a way that ensures they do no harm. It is also more important than ever before to consider travel in the context of climate change. Therefore, what would a good framework, or model, for youth volunteering look like?

Likewise, the McConnell International Foundation believes that international volunteering can help Scottish youngsters widen their horizons, grow in confidence and understand the world a bit better. However, they note that not all young people have the opportunity to reap the benefits of volunteering abroad, particularly where the financial contribution required is substantial.

The Scottish Government therefore recently partnered with the McConnell International Foundation in bringing forward a conference on the topic of ‘Global Citizenship and Youth Volunteering’. The agreed aim of the Conference was to bring together a range of stakeholders involved in youth volunteering to develop guidance which sets out best practice and considers how to encourage young people’s interest in Global Citizenship.

On 2 November 2023, the online conference was held by the McConnell International Foundation, in partnership with the Scottish Government, on the topic of “Global Citizenship and Youth Volunteering”. The event was co-chaired by Lord Jack McConnell, Chair of the McConnell International Foundation and the Honourable Vera Kamtukule, Minister for Tourism in the Government of Malawi. Reflecting the partnership approach to this conference between the McConnell International Foundation and the Scottish Government, the Minister for International Development also spoke at the conference.

The Conference itself can be viewed through this link (Reflections: Volunteering and Global Citizenship Conference 2023) to Scotland’s International Development Alliance website. A Report from the Conference “What role does volunteering have to play in supporting young people become good global citizens?: Conference Report” was then published by the McConnell International Foundation in partnership with the Scottish Government in January 2024.

This Report and ongoing discussions will ultimately lead to the McConnell International Foundation producing a set of recommendations at a Legacy Seminar in April 2024 which will feed into developing guidance setting out best practice to ensure that everyone involved in youth volunteering, including hosts, young people and professionals, has the best chance of a positive experience.

This type of guidance on youth volunteering will then complement and add to the online resources on volunteering and active global citizenship already co-produced by and for NHS Scotland staff discussed in Chapter 2.5 above.