Blog | UN House Scotland

Sep 27, 2019
3 min

Oral Contraceptives and Mental Health

In the second of our series of blogs on women's mental health in connection with our upcoming conference, our intern Esther explores the effects of oral contraception on women's physical and mental health. Oral Contraceptives (OCs) are the most popular method of contraception amongst women, with 3.5 million users in the UK. Introduced in the midst of the swinging 60s, the pill not only served as a catalyst to the sexual revolution but accelerated the emancipation of women. No

Women's Mental Health and the Justice System

Shannon McCracken

Sep 25, 2019
2 min

Women's Mental Health and the Justice System

As we approach World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October and our upcoming mental health awareness conference, UN House Scotland has shifted its focus to mental health awareness. In accordance with Sustainable Development Goals Three (Good Health and Well-being) and Five (Gender Equality), one important issue area is the rising number of incarcerated women and the relationship between women’s mental health and criminalization. A few general facts about women’s mental heal

Photocall Scottish Parliament: Thursday 26 September

UNHScotland

Sep 23, 2019
1 min

Photocall Scottish Parliament: Thursday 26 September

Join with ICAN Scottish Partner organisations and MSPs to attend a press and photocall outside the Scottish Parliament at 12.45 on Thursday the 26th September to highlight the special Opening for Signature for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN in New York. 122 nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations in 2017. The Treaty is on its way to becoming international law — a feat that requires signature and

UNHScotland

Sep 23, 2019
1 min

Don't Bank on the Bomb Media Report

Don't Bank on the Bomb*, a part of the ICAN partnership (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), has published a report on the details of Scotland's Nuclear weapons. First published in 2018, the report details the nuclear weapons investments of Scottish banks, Scottish local authority pension funds, Scottish universities and the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme, and features a step-by-step guide for people who want to get involved in the divestment campaign.

UNHScotland

Sep 23, 2019
1 min

UN International Day of Peace

Saturday 21 September was the UN International Day of Peace. It has been commemorated since 1981 and this year UN Secretary-General António Guterres released the following statement: "Today peace faces a new danger: the climate emergency, which threatens our security, our livelihoods and our lives. That is why it is the focus of this year’s International Day of Peace. And it’s why I am convening a Climate Action Summit." This year will focus on Climate change and the effect i

Shannon McCracken and Esther Jourdan

Sep 23, 2019
1 min

Mental Health Parliamentary One Pager

Our latest Parliamentary One Pager on Mental Health by Shannon and Esther is available to download here. It was produced in connection to our upcoming mental health awareness conference, organised in partnership with Soroptimist International Scotland South Region. The conference will take place on 9th October at the Albany Centre in Glasgow. Tickets at free and you can register on Eventbrite now. #POP #ScottishParliament #mentalhealth #worldmentalhealthday #womensmentalhealt

Green Court: The 'Spaceport' Case Report Now Available

Hannah Barrett and Jessica Craig

Sep 23, 2019
2 min

Green Court: The 'Spaceport' Case Report Now Available

The second UNHS Green Court event took place on Monday 26th August 2019, in the Moot Courtroom at Old College, University of Edinburgh. Arguments were heard in opposition to and in support of a real-life planning proposal to construct the UK’s first rocket-launching facility - to be known as 'Spaceport One' - on Scolpaig Farm in North Uist. Our report on the event is now available to download here. It details the arguments presented on the day, the judgement and the discussio

WILPF 2019 Autumn Seminar: Women Go Green for Peace

UNHScotland

Sep 19, 2019
1 min

WILPF 2019 Autumn Seminar: Women Go Green for Peace

The UK section of the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) will be hosting its annual Autumn Seminar on Saturday, 23 November, at SOAS, University of London in the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theater from 10AM - 6PM. The theme of this year’s seminar will be Eco-Feminism and Pacifism, which addresses the pressing concerns of conflict on the environment and disproportionately on women’s lives. While many organisations focus on important environmental issues, WILP

Edinburgh World Justice Festival: Edinburgh CND

UNHScotland

Sep 19, 2019
1 min

Edinburgh World Justice Festival: Edinburgh CND

Edinburgh World Justice Festival 2019 runs from 28th September to 19th October. The Festival will include many events throughout the week. To check out the full programme visit: www.ewjf.org.uk One event to keep an eye out is Edinburgh CND main meeting on 1st October with Alex Lockwood, author of the novel ‘The Chernobyl Privileges’ (available to purchase at the talk) and Rob Edwards (Environmental Journalist, theferret.scot) for a discussion of what we can learn about the da

UNHScotland

Sep 18, 2019
2 min

Positive Action Training

Positive Action is offering an autumn training timetable for October to December 2019. They are offering a range of open courses on migrants' rights in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling. They can deliver all those courses in-house too, as well as their in-house Equality and Diversity courses, including the new Communicating Through Interpreters course. Uncertainty around Brexit allows rumour and misinformation about how EU nationals' rights will change to flourish - the EU S

ICAN Australia: Climate and Nuclear Weapons

UNHScotland

Sep 18, 2019
1 min

ICAN Australia: Climate and Nuclear Weapons

Here is a message from ICAN Australia: Dear colleagues, With the UN Climate Summit next week and climate rallies around the world this week, please find below a link to a paper from ICAN Australia that addresses the connections between nuclear weapons and our climate: https://icanw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Nuclear-weapons-and-our-climate-Sept-2019.pdf #ICAN #UNClimateSummit

UNHScotland

Sep 17, 2019
1 min

Scotland's New Climate Law

MSPs in the Scottish Parliament will vote on the new Climate Change law on Wednesday 25th September. That means we have just days left to improve Scotland’s climate targets. The IPCC warned last year that we need “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes” in the next decade to keep global warming to 1.5ºC. But, as it stands, Scotland’s draft law doesn’t do nearly enough to tackle the climate crisis over the crucial next decade. We urgently need to raise our voices and d

PeaceBuilders: Facilitator Training for Primary Schools Event

UNHScotland

Sep 16, 2019
1 min

PeaceBuilders: Facilitator Training for Primary Schools Event

Running since 2015, this Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre project works with schools teaching children how to take care of conflict constructively and to work together cooperatively, and with teachers to develop a culture of peace and listening. The project trains facilitators to teach peace-building skills to primary school children. Would you like to train as a facilitator? If the project sounds interesting and you'd like to get more involved, come to the training on Su

United Nations Association-Glasgow Event

UNHScotland

Sep 16, 2019
1 min

United Nations Association-Glasgow Event

UNA monthly meeting entitled Life Beneath Water will be featured at the University of Glasgow on Thursday 19th of September. The event will feature speaker Adeose Celestin, Glasgow University Alumni and environmental studies major. Both admission to the event and UNA membership is free. Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/una-glasgow-monthly-meetinglife-beneath-water-tickets-72800210389?utm_term=eventurl_text Hope to see you all at the event later this Septe

European Leadership Network group statement on nuclear arms control

UNH Scotland

Sep 12, 2019
1 min

European Leadership Network group statement on nuclear arms control

Below is a message from our partner at the European Leadership Network: Today, 110+ members of the European Leadership Network’s senior network representing political, diplomatic, and military figures from 24 countries in the wider European space release a joint statement calling on world leaders to elevate nuclear diplomacy as a priority at this year's United Nations General Assembly. Signatories range from Cold War Ministers and decision-makers, to serving Members of Parl

The Illegality of Nuclear Weapons: Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Seminar

Jessica Craig

Sep 12, 2019
1 min

The Illegality of Nuclear Weapons: Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Seminar

On Thursday 22nd August, UN House Masters Placement Intern Jana Riemslagh hosted a seminar entitled 'The Illegality of Nuclear Weapons: Humanitarian Law and Human Rights' at 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh. Jana presented her Masters dissertation on how humanitarian law addresses the threat posed by nuclear weapons to human rights. She surveyed the current content of international humanitarian law as it intends to construct the use of nuclear weapons as a violation

Mongolia Report - Reflections on Mongolia’s Air Pollution Problem

Chris Toward

Sep 10, 2019
4 min

Mongolia Report - Reflections on Mongolia’s Air Pollution Problem

Mongolia. The vast and mysterious expanse of land enclosed between China to the South and Russia to the North seems to have changed very little over thousands of years. A traveller visiting Mongolia will not be disappointed by the romantic expectations of the ‘land of the blue sky’; a country scattered by small pockets of nomads, herds of wild horses, and soaring golden eagles. Mongolia is, however, despite its beauty, plagued with what our local guide described as a ‘cancer’

Why do some countries have higher income inequality than others?

Jurin Katayama Flores

Sep 9, 2019
2 min

Why do some countries have higher income inequality than others?

Income is the flow of money that you receive perhaps based on your work, business, state benefits, and/or properties that you are lending. Since everyone has different incomes, it results in income inequality within a country. For instance, in the UK, the richest 10% earns almost 10 times as much as the average income of the poorest 10%. Some countries, like Mexico and Chile, have higher income inequality than other countries, like Slovenia, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. Why?

Is the U.S. undergoing a recycling crisis?

Hana Shono

Sep 2, 2019
3 min

Is the U.S. undergoing a recycling crisis?

Source: Huffington Post: Why Southeast Asia is flooded with Trash from America and other wealthy nations - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/malaysia-plastic-recycling_n_5c7f64a9e4b020b54d7ffdee When people recycle, they generally believe they’re helping to save the planet. It helps to reduce the need for raw materials, which are mined or logged. Recycling helps to decrease this activity, thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and helping the environment. What m