April is buoyed by the Nordic vision

IN the rich tradition of volunteering in Scotland, bright, bubbly and articulate April Cumming invests her time, when away from working as a researcher at Holyrood, in a group with first class ideals. 

Nordic Horizons looks to Nordic societies for social, educational, economic and political inspiration.  Intrigued by the success, health and well-being of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, this informal group of Scottish professionals seeks to tap the secrets of such flourishing societies. Naming itself a think/do tank, it says it is ‘exploring Nordic models for Scotland and the UK’.

So impressed is April with the impact that the group is having on Scottish society that she now acts as event organiser, helping to set up the public meetings that have been held since 2010.

She speaks passionately about her commitment.  “It is imperative that we support platforms like this,” she says. “They remove preconceptions about opposing political standpoints.  They establish a centre ground.  Both online communities of participation like the National Network, and physical communities like Nordic Horizons help to break the monopoly of knowledge that acts as a barrier to real empowerment and engagement.” 

Topics that have already been explored at previous events for Nordic Horizons include the writing of the new Icelandic constitution, the Finnish penal policy and Scotland’s missing wood cabins, an event that explored ‘the land ownership issues that keep urban Scots away from nature’.

Raised in a croft in the Highlands in her formative years, April is particularly interested in this issue. She says: “Reform of land ownership in Scotland is long overdue.  In a country of over 19 million acres, more than 16 million is privately owned rural land.  Two-thirds is owned by 1252 landowners!

“As someone brought up on a croft, without a television for some years, I understand the vital link between humanity and the land. The cabin system of woodland or hillside retreats that you see in Nordic countries is possible because they are able to buy small plots of land and escape to the country.  Families can commune and work together by establishing links with each other and the land. Everyone benefits from the restorative solace of this process.” 

Explaining her can-do approach to such matters, April says: “My brother, sisters and I had very politically ‘switched on’ parents.  They installed a good sense of social justice in all of us, and an expectation that wherever we were in adulthood, we could expect to be able to influence the processes of society.”      

Of particular interest to network engagers is the Nordic Horizons event titled McKommunes, systems of ‘small and powerful municipal government’, which the group says seems particularly linked to the success of the Nordic nations.  They claim that resisting the trend to merger and centralisation is crucial.  You can hear an audio of that event here: http://www.nordichorizons.org/mckommunes.html

Attracting high-profile experts, academics and politicians, the Nordic Horizons events are chaired by co-founder and prominent journalist Lesley Riddoch.  You can read about Lesley at http://lesleyriddoch.com.  Commenting on the crucial part of volunteers like April, she says:  "The Norwegians have a word for the community help that gets a house built or a park cleared by community effort - its 'dugnad'.  Everything about Nordic Horizons is that sort of group voluntary effort and April is a key part."

Next on the events list is a meeting scheduled for 31^st October, at the Scottish Parliament, organised in conjunction with the Embassy of Sweden. Recycling is on the agenda, focusing on a massive recycling plant in Sweden. This plant not only recycles 80 per cent of all rubbish, but the anaerobic digester plant produces bio-fertiliser (supplied in pipes direct to nearby farms) and bio-fuel for cars.     

Learning about these processes will be useful to Scotland, with ambitious targets set for 2014 and 2021 for both recyclable materials and bio-degradeable waste.  With Edinburgh being one of the last cities in the UK to separate and recycle waste effectively, recent news reports highlighted that £2m of valuable materials are being thrown into landfill or burned every day in Britain. 

With her usual flair for the poetic April says:  “American Indians say we should ‘live lightly on the land’ as much as we can.  Future generations shouldn’t have to bear the burden of our lack of vision and commitment. We could transform our attitudes to recycling.  It will be so interesting to hear about Sweden’s success.” 

In her day job April acts as researcher to well-respected North Edinburgh MSP Malcolm Chisholm.  She champions his work whenever she can.  For example, he has just won a community award from Pilton Central Association, the first politician to do so for more than 10 years.  You can find mention of that award here http://northedinburghnews.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/community-award-for-malcolm-chisholm/

It may sound a bit naff, but April Cumming is a fresh spring shower on the more usual gloom and doom.  She brings a tenacity to her work that is matched with an absolute conviction that she can make a difference.  This is how empowerment happens. This is someone the Network will watch, and from whom some of us can learn.
                                                                                            © 2012 JENNY MACKENZIE