By Lindsey McGhie
Lindsey is coordinating Oxfam’s festival campaigning throughout Scotland in summer 2017.
We started our summer Stand As One festival campaigning in the picturesque Raehills Meadow at Eden Festival. Celebrating its 9th year, the exquisite Eden Festival brought another weekend of fantastic music, art and enjoyment to the beautiful fields near Moffat, Dumfries.
Oxfam was campaigning at the festival for the first time, bringing the Stand as One campaign to festival-goers. We were asking them to stand with the millions of people on the move who have been forced to flee their homes due to disaster or conflict. More than 65 million people have been been displaced in recent years – a crisis bigger than any of its kind since the Second World War. In particular, we are asking people to write to their MPs, and encourage the UK Government to do more to reunite families separated when on the move.
We started our campaigning on Friday as the sun began to peep through the clouds. We were delighted to be placed alongside many other brilliant charities on the walk to the brand new Great Mountain Stage and we had a great afternoon spreading the word.
On Saturday we were greeted with a storm-like situation, but we battled through the rain and wind to continue to spread the message of standing with those that require human solidarity and we were delighted at the number of people who joined our campaign despite the weather!
By Sunday there was mud, water and love everywhere. We continued our campaign through the adverse conditions, broken and flooded gazebo and all, and finished our 3 days with big mud-covered smiles! Thanks to all the wonderful people at Eden Festival who chatted to us and took action to stand as one with refugees.
Next up for our festival campaigns team is Kelburn Garden Party at the end of June! We will also be at Mugstock festival in Milngavie (28-30 July), Belladrum Tartan Heart festival in Inverness (3-4 August)and Doune the Rabbit Hole in Stirling (18-20 August) – if you’re going to any of these great festivals, come and say hello and Stand As One with refugees.
Not going to any of these festivals this summer? Don’t worry, you can still stand as one with refugees by writing to your MP today. Be part of the campaign here.