new exhibition, opportunities and a game

Following Secure Scotland's participation at the 3rd Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear weapons,there is a wealth of interesting reading about what happened on nuclearban.scot, and a reflection from Janet on our substack - please have a read!

The March visiting art exhibition, HeART of Gaza, from In Solidarity is being mounted as we write, and is on for a full week opening at 6.00 on Monday 17th with workshops and activities on the closing weekend. It is also possible to see this powerful exhibition if you come along to our book launch about Palestine Why didn’t I Know? on Tuesday 18th at 7.00pm Monica Spooner is the author, of ‘Why Didn’t I Know?' and will as well as signing copies which will be for sale. Roger Spooner, co-founder of The Balfour Project, will speak and we will have an input from Frances Guy, former British ambassador to Lebanon. The moderator is Reverend Dr Alexander Forsyth, Minister at Newington Trinity Church of Scotland. Please check the events page on the Secure Scotland website and let us know if you will be coming along

A wee heads up to next month - when from April 10 to May 9, 2025,around the world people will be taking actions for Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS). This year’s campaign comes at a crucial moment, as the world faces escalating violence, including the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and over 30 other armed conflicts in the Global South, many of which are in Africa. These conflicts, alongside increasing militarization and supremacist rhetoric, have created a climate of fear and instability.

In the face of these challenges, governments are responding by increasing military budgets at an alarming rate, pouring unprecedented amounts of resources into the arms industry. This focus on militarisation not only escalates global tensions but also diverts vital resources from sectors that contribute to peace, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. We must ask ourselves: Why are we investing in weapons rather than diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and conflict resolution? 

Do you have ideas about what we could do at Words and Actions and will you get involved? Please email or call in to talk with others

A visit to Stirling University last week proved a great opportunity to try out the Secure Scotland board game which we have been developing, and gave us confidence in the game. We were grateful to the students who were very inventive and great ideas and connections were sparking. But we would like more chances to play it in order to finalise the various non-competitive guidelines (no rules!) as a fun way to explore creatively what security could be in cooperative communities. So please, invite us along or get in touch with a few friends and we can play together - your place or at WandA! Book group? Youth club? Coffee morning?

Thank you to those who responded so far to the Fundraising Appeal, Please consider if you can join the folks who are helping with regular monthly payments, which give stability. If we had 200 individuals or groups with a standing order for £10 a month we’d be able to plan and budget for months at a time. Find details on the donate page of the website.

Words and Actions for Peace (WandA), is hosted by Secure Scotland, which receives financial support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

WandA is drop-in gallery and resource base - available for public or private meetings, film and acoustic music nights

General enquiries contact@wordsandactions.scot 

Open Monday - Friday 10.00 - 16.00 

(Secure Scotland, Peace & Justice Scotland, Scottish WILPF, CAAT and others work from WandA )

Secure Scotland Media enquiries +44 (0)7795594573

or +44 (0)7876593016

Secure Scotland Project enquiries hello@securescotland.scot  

Socials : @securescotland on Substack, instagram, Youtube, X , Facebook