The Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Heriot Watt University will present alternative approaches for the Scottish economy in an event they are organising for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s Festival of Social Science in November.
SCVO’s Ruchir Shah, one of the chairs of the Rethinking Scotland’s Economy event, said:
“Many people – from business, academia and communities – are interested in testing and questioning alternative approaches given the current economic climate. Our event will provide a great opportunity to hear from a wide range of thinkers and practitioners from across the UK.”
Academic Ailsa Mackay, who believes in the idea of a citizen’s basic income, will chair the opening debate. Jane Franklin from the UK think-tank nef will speak about her latest work on a shorter working week, and Robin McAlpine will discuss his Common Weal project.
Audience members can take part in informal discussions with a range of speakers who have experience of implementing alternative economic approaches, including Martin Rhodes from the Fair Trade Forum, Ian Marr for YMCA Scotland, and Jim Lee from the Co-operative movement.
Ruchir Shah said:
“Audience members will be able to move from one topic to another at their own pace, learning and asking questions as they go.”
Other speakers at the event include: Judith Robertson (Oxfam Scotland), Stephen Boyle (RBS), Lorraine McMillan (East Renfrewshire Council), Stephen Boyd (STUC), and Mike Danson (Heriot Watt University).
And Future of the UK and Scotland ESRC Fellow Michael Keating will give his impartial perspective on the debates around rethinking the economy.
For more information about the event Rethinking Scotland’s Economy, which takes place on Friday 8th November in Glasgow, and to register, please go to: http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo-events/rethinking-the-economy/