At the end of 2021 a couple of local residents who are in recovery and involved in local CA (Cocaine Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) groups, approached Connecting Craigmillar about the lack and services and support for people affected by addiction in the community, and their desire to challenge this and set something up.
Currently dear Edina, this beloved capital, City of Literature, World Heritage and Enlightenment, is suffering from what some have come to refer to as an ‘Age of Endarkenment’. Like many other fine cities, in these times of ‘austerity, post-truth and zombie capitalism’, the Council is selling off valuable public assets without any public consultation to discuss alternative options while supporting soulless speculative ‘development’, described as ‘architectural wallpaper’, the cumulative effects of which are now seriously threatening the World Heritage status of the City. Read more
Connecting Craigmillar aims to create opportunities for local people from Craigmillar and Niddrie to meet, have fun, learn together, run your own activities and events, form new friendships and develop lasting social change. Are there changes in the area you want to see and be part of ? Bored and want to try out something new ? Would you like to meet some new people in your community ? Have you got a passion, idea or skill you would like to share ? Looking for support from others who have been through the same things as you? How can we re-build connections and support each other out of the pandemic? Read more
This new research project explores how Zines ‘craft contention’ about mental health – and can help to turn individual struggles into critical issues for society. We have been identifying, analysing and co-producing a diverse range of what we collectively refer to as MadZines. We are interested in the potential of MadZines to challenge prevailing psychological, psychiatric and medical understandings, diagnoses and treatments. We are excited by their potential as a unique form of psychiatric survivorship, offering new and evolving repertoires of contention for progressive mental health movements.
Recovering Justice was founded by people in recovery from substance use who believe that the criminalisation and stigmatisation of people who use drugs is inhumane, ineffective counterproductive and costly. Backed by international evidence and informed by personal experience we will work towards a policy position which treat people with compassion and understanding rather than punishment. We aim to bring people with experience of drug use together with drug policy reform organisations to create a voice for policy change.
China is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world and the only one that has remained unbroken up to the present time. Moreover, China’s written language, which dates back more than three thousand years, can still be read today. Over two thousand years ago one of the great heroes of ancient China made a written record of all knowledge as it was then known. His name was Sima Qian (died 86 BCE) and he was the Royal Astrologer at the court of Emperor Wu. It is from his Book of History that we first hear the story of Laozi (which means Old Master) and how the philosophy known as Daoism came to be written down.
