AGENDA
:- Singled out
The Tory party‘s use of lone parents as scapegoats for a whole range of problems from council housing queues ’ to the undermining of the very fabric of society will be attacked next month at ' the Scottish Council for Single Parents ' annual conference. Entitled ‘Power To i The People?’. the conference will i concentrate on how public services can : be matched more closely with the needs of lone parent families.
The stigmatisation of any family unit other than one containing two parents at the Tory Party conference was ; particularly galling to the SCSP. Its conference last year specifically challenged the myths surrounding lone parenthood.
‘I think it was a very damaging attack by Conservative politicians.‘ says SCSP director Sue Robertson. ‘We were appalled at the way lone parents were singled out and so many of the prejudices and myths about lone parents were re-inforced. The focus that was put on young unmarried mothers. who are a very small proportion of lone parents. The false assertion that children brought up by lone parents are more likely to become delinquent. The idea that somehow lone parents are to blame for things like shortage of council housing.‘
The morning following the most vicious of the attacks at the Tory party conference in Blackpool, The Scotsman carried an article debunking the myth that there is any link between lone parenthood and childhood delinquency.
' Mcfhrifir'. ' l :5 m-
Rather, studies carried out by Edinburgh University demonstrated that there was a very strong correlation between children coming home to an empty house and the likelihood of their having offended in the preceding nine months.
‘One of our concerns is that many of
’ the delinquencies that arise could be ‘1 much better tackled by services such as
out of school care rather than trying to
blame one particular family type for the
difficulties and pressuring people into staying in a two parent family,’ says Robertson. The problem is that there is not enough child-care provision,
: particularly for school-age children, she
added. That means that many children
are left unsupervised for periods which
is a worry for parents and can also be a
; source of delinquency. This is a problem that affects all families. 5 ‘The government attitude is one of 3 blaming the victim,’ says Robertson. : ‘We argue that lone parents have many - skills and abilities which they want to use to the benefit of their own family and also for society. We have to 3 continually bring forward the facts and the evidence rather than the hearsay f and prejudice on which politicians are : basing their statements.’ (Thom i Dibdin)
Power To The People? will be held on Wed 3, at the Wester Hailes Education Centre front [Dam-2.30pm. It will be immediately followed by the SCSP i AGM. Cost is £25, £2for unwaged lone parents. Contact the SCSP on 031 556 3899.
mrmm- ' I AIOS Quilt The NAMES project E which is producing a giant patchwork quilt to celebrate and commemorate ; those who have died from AIDS is 5 looking for volunteers to help in ' Edinburgh. Volunteers don’t need
' previous experience — anyone can go
‘ along to the four training sessions
which start on Sunday 31 October at 2.30pm, at the National Office, 86 Constitution Street. More details on
031 555 3446.
I Curlew demo The London-based . Campaign Against Militarism is l organising a torchlit march and ~ demonstration against the restrictions on Glasgow club opening hours. The
demo starts at 6.150m on Saturdav22 1 October from George Square. Details !
on 031 556 4873.
I College merger Glasgow’s Colleges of Food Technology and Building and 1 Printing have afiiliated to Glasgow l Caledonian University in a move which was described as creating ‘the first of a new breed of University and college § partnerships’. E I lleaith book Glasgow City Council has published the Glasgow Women’s
B k. g B - J' V , ‘ 9: r»; ~ ‘ g:
it
Edinburgh ls hosting a kind oi unoiilcial Bosnia Beneilt Week in the next iew days with no less than three special event to raise money and
Bosnia low is holding a beneilt concert to raise money to pay local doctors to look after the estimated
1 20,000 Bosnian women who have been '
raped during the war. line and Cry headline at the event, with
appearances by Glasgow singer Terry
; Neason and Taggart double-act Blythe
Health Book as part of the Healthy City 1 Duff and Janos Macpherson.
project. The book includes a wide range of information and contact addresses relating to women’s health including eating, alternative therapies and pregnancy. lt is available free from health centres, libraries and community centres. Details about the Healthy City
project on 041 227 5788.
The Demon European Art Foundation and Sarajevo-Edinburgh are putting on an exhibition oi worit inspired by the war by artists including George Vlylle and Barbara Balmer. ‘These links are absolutely vital to the artist and people oi Saralevo,’ says Richard Demarco.
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' and Wm '93 ‘These links are the only ones they have with the outlde world which has otherwise deserted thern.’ There will be an auction oi donated work to raise money tor a permanent gallery ior Sarajevo artist in Edinburyi.
An exhibtlon oi documentary photographs, video and children’s drawings oi Bosnia and Herzegovina is being held to promote the lldovy lovlny Foundation, a reliei organisation which was created as an oil-shoot oi a local daily newspaper. Bosnia low is on Friday 29 October at 8.30pm at the Traverse. Details on 228 1404. Art ior Saralevo is on Saturday 23 0ctober at the 0enrarco Foundatlon, St Mary’s School. Details on 551 0707 or 557 0016. Bosnia and Hemgovina ’93 opens at 6pm on Friday 22 0ctober at lelth Town liall. Details 557 2414.
V ACTION
I SONO CAVALOAOE Scottish CND will be ‘Driving Out Trident’ on Saturday 23 when motorcades of anti-Trident demonstrators from all across Scotland will converge on Glasgow Cathedral at noon. They then leave for a rally at Faslane, within sight of the Trident shiplift. ‘Trident is immoral, expensive and illegal. and, like Lord Carver says, what the hell is it for?’ says Bruce Kent, vice president of British CND. He will be addressing the rally at the North Gate of Faslane at 3pm. SCND: 041 339 4844.
I RIIN FOR THE RAINBOW Greenpeace is organising two sponsored runs on Sunday 31 at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. There’s a choice of a ‘fun run’ of only one and a half miles or a ten kilometre jog through Holyrood Park. Both runs start at noon. registration from l0am. Entry costs £4 (£2.50 conc). All proceeds go to Greenpeace campaigns to save your planet.
I SKILL SHARING NETWORK Local Exchange Trading Schemes are springing up all over the country and the idea will be the subject of an introductory talk on Wednesday 27 from 7—9pm at the Unemployed Workers Centre. 103 Broughton Street. Edinburgh. LETS allow people to exchange skills without any money changing hands. It is hoped that the meeting will lead to the creation of an Edinburgh directory of skills. If you want more information but can’t make the meeting. contact Karen on 031 229 3560.
I IIIINT SABS Tally Ho! Outdoor pursuits are here again with the Edinburgh Hunt Saboteurs as the fox hunting season gets under way. They meet on the first Wednesday of the month at the Unemployed Workers Centre, 103 Broughton Street at 7.30pm.
I AOIILT [EARNING CENTRE There are still a few places left on several courses run by the ever excellent Adult Learning Centre, 184 Dalry Road, Edinburgh (03] 337 5442). Places available in: Making Sense of Scotland; Beginners Accordion; Women’s Studies; Land Issues. and Democracy in Scotland.
I NO VAT ON FUEL! The Right to Warmth campaign points out that over 3000 Scots die every year because they cannot afford to keep warm and that 335,00_0‘Scottish homes are unacceptably cold and damp. This ' situation will be made worse if the Government goes ahead with its plan to impose VAT on domestic fuel bills from next April. The campaign is holding a ‘Sparkling Event for All The Family’ on Thursday 4 at 4pm in George Square, Glasgow. Take your sparklers to brighten up the demonstration! Further details from Valerie Burke on 041 221 778i (office hours).
I ii you have news oi any event or courses which you want publicised in this column, please iorwnrd the. to ‘Action’ at The List, 14 High Street, Edinburgh Elli 1TB and include a day- I then phone nuber.
The List 22 October—4 November 1993 5