Roundtable Meeting with Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart MP
(our first hybrid event!)
We’re delighted to be hosting a roundtable meeting with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland (Minister for Scotland), Iain Stewart MP.
We welcome members to join us digitally via Zoom or attend in person.
Simply choose your preference when booking.
Wednesday 26th May
10-11am (UK time) / 11am-midday (Malawi time)
Zoom/ Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh
The Scotland Office is a key route for Scotland to have voice and influence with the UK Government, helping represent Scottish views in Whitehall. So we’re keen to encourage members to join this meeting to represent their work with Malawi, show the scale and impact of the bilateral relationship, and take part in two-way discussion with the Minister.
This is our first ever hybrid event, you can take part in-person (socially distanced, Covid compliant) in the Cabinet Room of Queen Elizabeth House (Edinburgh), or online through Zoom.
Roundtable meeting with CEO of National Planning Commission
We really encourage members to join a special Zoom meeting we are co-hosting with MaSP, for members to meet Dr Thomas Munthali, the Director General (CEO) of Malawi’s National Planning Commission.
Tuesday 25th May 2021
1–2pm (UK time); 2–3pm (Malawi time)
We commend this short video made by MaSP/SMP members, BASEflow, about why working to Government of Malawi priorities is so important. We encourage members to watch this video and sign-up for this really useful event.
Have a watch and you’ll see why it’s so important to join us for this meeting with the National Planning Commission.
Could you support/host the Malawi delegation at COP26?
As part of our ‘Malawi at COP26’ strategy, the SMP is keen to support and amplify Malawi’s involvement at COP26, the global climate change conference taking part in Glasgow 1-21st November 2021.
Too often countries like Malawi have had too quiet a voice at these crucial summits and we’re keen that we do all we can to ensure the Malawi delegation, from government and civic society, are warmly welcomed to Scotland and given every possible opportunity to have their voices heard.
We are working with the Malawi delegation and will likely offer a package of support services for those attending COP26 in person, potentially with members volunteering accommodation, welcoming and hosting facilities.
We are now calling for expressions of interest from the membership to be involved in this work. If you live in/near central Glasgow and could offer accommodation, support or welcoming/hosting facilities, please let us know by completing our online form.
Click to listen to clip featuring Karen Chinkwita, Executive Director of Jubilee Enterprises
Episode Three: People and Purpose
Unafraid of approaching any conversation, Chimzy and Hazel think about the motivation behind Scottish and Malawian partnerships.
They discuss water pumps, tourism, #TradenotAid, community minded social enterprises and Coco Pina. They speak with Professor Robert Kalin from the University of Strathclyde, Karen Chinkwita, Executive Director of Jubilee Enterprises, and Kate Webb, co-founder of Orbis Expeditions. There's music from the Wailing Brothers and a quote from Buddha.
We invite members of the Scotland Malawi Partnership to take part in constituency-level digital meetings, to brief their local MP and MSP on their work with Malawi, and what really matters to you.
Following the recent Holyrood election, we are organising a programme of constituency meetings across Scotland on Zoom this summer, for Scottish MPs and MSPs to meet SMP members in their local patch! This is a unique opportunity to discuss your work with (or interest in) Malawi with your local MP/MSP, and for you to table whatever topics you want to discuss with your local representatives. It’s also a great chance to meet others in your local area that also have an interest in Malawi.
We have twenty places available for a seven-part online course running every Tuesday at 7pm from 1st June to 13th July. We anticipate that places will go quickly so we encourage you to book asap to avoid disappointment.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or feel you need to brush up your Chichewa, we’re keen to help Members improve their language skills.
Help shape the future of SMP Youth & Schools Partnerships
The global pandemic, issues of race and equality, and the impact and threat of climate change demand innovation towards the future of how we interact internationally.
We are calling on teachers, youth leaders and young people from Scotland to help us build back better, defining next steps together. Our sister organisation in Malawi, MaSP, is consulting similarly and the combined feedback will inform our next stage of partnership working.
Pupils and young people are doubly encouraged to participate. There are two ways to take part:
#COP26Voices - Timothy Mnthali, "We really need to act fast"
Click to watch.
Today we share with you the ninth in our #COP26Voices series.
Please allow us to introduce you to Timothy Mnthali, Chairman of the Mzuzu Young Voices Organisation, discussing drifting rainfall patterns and their current impacts in the northern region of Malawi.
The #COP26Voices series welcomes 26 young climate leaders who will share their thoughts on the #climatecrisis and calls to world leaders in the run up to #COP26.
As part of our Years of Governance Strengthening, we’re keen to offer some digital training/support for our members to help strengthen their organisational governance.
We have some resource available for this and would love to hear from members about what would be most useful. Maybe guidance on the different types of charity would be useful, maybe you’d like to hear how others run their board meetings, or maybe you’d like to hear from the Scottish Charity regulator on a specific issue.
Whatever it is, if there’s training, guidance or support that would help support your organisation’s governance, whether big or small, please email Craig and we’ll develop free services around this.
We’re keen to have a member sharing event looking at sustainability. Further information to follow but if you think your organisation has a useful case study relating to sustainability, please let us know and we’d love to work up the plans with you.
Maybe you’ve tried something different over Covid to increase your partnership’s sustainability and resilience and it’s worked well (or hasn’t!) – whatever it is, let us know and would be great to feature you in this upcoming work.
Mzuzu Coffee farmers are leading the way to increase income for their coffee cooperatives and communities through their partnership with Fair Trade Scotland to promote their grown, roasted and packaged Mzuzu Coffee.
2 x 250g bag of Roast & Ground Filter coffee at £12.00 plus £2 postage.
Valid until 23/05/2021.
Please order online at www.fairtradescotland.co.uk and support a truly exceptional Coffee Cooperative to retain the much needed roasting income which is good for people and planet!
