St Andrews is constantly referred to by its student residents as ‘The Bubble’, a nickname that, despite being incredibly irritating, becomes a more and more apt description as your time living there goes on. It’s a tiny town, completely dominated by its student population who make up about a third of the of the total 16’000 residents.
It’s a strange feeling, campaigning in such a small and inward-looking town for such a huge international organisation. It can occasionally feel like all the letters we get people to sign, all the signatures on petitions, and all the work we do for Greenpeace just gets posted out into the ether and not really get noticed.
Which is why things like the Scottish Skillshare which took place a few weekends ago are so important: they’re a vital reminder that Greenpeace St Andrews doesn’t just exist in isolation – it’s part of much larger whole and a much larger community of people.
Four St Andrews members made the journey to Stirling, to bunk in a gorgeous Youth Hostel, eat tremendous amounts of vegetarian curry, and spend a weekend talking all things Greenpeace. There were workshops on political lobbying, digital media, planning effective events, and an excellent talk from Greenpeace’s UK Executive Director John Sauven (see slightly awkward photo above).
Two things really stood out for me in John’s talk. First was his emphasis on a new phase of Greenpeace as an organisation; one in which internationalism was a greater priority. Being founded by British Columbian Quakers with a focus on campaigning against nuclear testing has meant that Greenpeace in the past has been based in the West and dominated by Westerners. Increased awareness of this as something problematic combined with the economic rise of non-Western countries like China and India have prompted Greenpeace to open more offices and focus more on issues in other areas of the world. The organisation still has a long way to go, with only on office in the whole of Africa, but there has been a decisive shift in this new direction.
The second great point was John’s explanation of the relationship between direct actions executed by volunteers in local networks, and the negotiations conducted between Greenpeace executives and the CEOs of companies being campaigned against. Far from direct action discrediting these negotiations, or souring potentially amicable relationships between the two negotiators, the point was emphasised that without direct action, without volunteers on the ground, CEOs of big corporations would not even speak to Greenpeace.
Skillshares are places to (as the name suggests) learn new skills, deepen knowledge about current environmental issues, and have a chance to ask questions about the wider workings of Greenpeace. But really more than anything they’re a chance to refresh and rejuvenate activists and remind them that their actions don’t exist in isolation – they are part of a much wider whole.
Margaret Welsh
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