Divest Scotland Tour, 20-25 October 2015

On the Divest Scotland tour we heard first-hand accounts from people in the Global South who have been driven to fight UK fossil fuel companies.

We also heard from inspirational campaigners who are holding big oil and coal to account in our communities, faith groups, and universities here in Scotland.

The tour is now over but we’ll be sharing resources from the events in due course.

Click here to view photos of the Divest Scotland Tour.

Visit our Divest Scotland web page to hear more about our campaign.

Speakers

Samuel Arregoces is from the village of Tabaco, a community of small-scale farmers of African descent which was brutally evicted in 2001 to make way for expansion of the massive Cerrejon opencast coal mine, now jointly owned by UK mining companies Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Glencore. (Speaking in Stirling and Glasgow)

Gilberto Torres is a former trade unionist with Union Sindical Obrera, representing workers in the oil industry. He was abducted and tortured by paramilitaries in 1992 and now lives in exile. Gilberto believes his abduction was ordered and assisted by Ocensa, a joint venture pipeline company part-owned and operated by BP. (Speaking in Edinburgh)

Danilo Urrea, CENSAT/Friends of the Earth Colombia, has investigated the social and environmental impacts of the massive Cerrejon coal mine, including its recent diversion of a river to expand the site, and campaigns to reform the Colombian governments mining policies. (Speaking in Stirling and Glasgow)

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar is a trade unionist and lawyer with the Colombian Unified Trade Union Federation. He has been targeted and threatened because of his legal and campaigning work challenging environmental and human right abuses in Colombia. (Speaking in Edinburgh)

Tour Dates

Cake, tea and coffee will be provided – please book spaces here to help us with numbers.

Edinburgh, Tuesday 20 October

Arrive from 7.15. Event will run 7.30-9pm

City of Edinburgh Methodist Church
25 Nicolson Square EH8 9BX

Stirling, Friday 23 October

Arrive from 6.15pm. Event will run 6.30-8pm

Chaplaincy, Andrew Miller Building
University of Stirling FK9 4LF

Glasgow, Sunday 25 October

Arrive from 5.15pm. Event will run 5.30-7pm

Scottish Trades Union Congress
333 Woodlands Road G3 6NG

Danilo and Samuel will also be speaking at the Scottish Latin American Solidarity Conference on the same day. Click here for more information.

You can also download a PDF flyer for the tour and view our Facebook event.

The Divest Scotland Tour is supported by: