Denis Goldberg, colleague of Nelson Mandela, opened Edinburgh World Justice Festival
‘World Justice and Austerity’ began unique programme of 21 events
Edinburgh World Justice Festival Committee welcomed Denis Goldberg, a comrade of Nelson Mandela during the South African struggle against apartheid, to Edinburgh to launch the seventh Edinburgh World Justice Festival. The Festival presents a window on to the world justice movement through a two week series of talks, fims, concerts, workshops, a walking tours and many other events.
Professor Goldberg was the keynote speaker at the opening event on World Justice and Austerity at the Grassmarket Centre, 11 am – 5 pm yesterday, He was welcomed there by Cllr Andrew Burns, leader of City of Edinburgh Council. His speech was followed by sessions run by a diversity of organisations on topics such as Food Justice, Debt, Latin America, trade union solidarity, environmental justice and working for peace.
Matthew Crighton, the Festival’s Chair, said:- “It is a landmark event to have such a prominent figure as Denis Goldberg coming to Edinburgh to launch the Festival. Professor Goldberg, through his long imprisonment in South Africa, has first hand knowledge of injustice and his work in the peace and restorative justice movement, as well as his experience of rebuilding South Africa into a more just society, will be a fascinating and insightful start to the Festival. We are honoured that he accepted our invitation”.
The Festival runs from 12 – 26 October and includes 21 events involving 29 different organisations.
“Edinburgh has the only world justice festival on the planet and we’re especially pleased that this year it has grown to cover two full weeks. It shows how vibrant is the city’s commitment to a better world and it offers a brilliant shop-window on all this activity” said Matthew Crighton.
“While millions are unemployed, inequality is growing and our environment is in severe danger it’s important that we highlight the creative thinking and the solutions coming from across the world. We don’t just want to offer assistance to people at the sharp end, we want to learn from them and be part of the solution. It seems that too often in the media that the problems of the world are well-aired but the solutions aren’t”.
More information from www.ewjf.org.uk, or e-mail info@ewjf.org.uk.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
