leith open space – Leith Open Space

A plate full of memories

Alice had never eaten lamb before she came to Scotland. In the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe she had grown up learning that it was a forbidden food, ‘I think it comes down to the ‘lamb of God” she says, ‘But then in Scotland everyone around me was eating lamb… and I ended up eating it too!’

Food is often highly personal. What we eat can say a great deal about who we are, and what we believe in. So when World Kitchen in Leith members took part in Festival of Humanities they found themselves sharing much more than recipes.

Your Vision for Leith Walk?

This is your turn to talk.Â Bring your questions – and answers too – to our Open Space meeting with Greener Leith at Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Tuesday 5 June 6-9pm.Â As always Open Space aims to turn words into actions so come prepared to get involved.

Bad bankers lose out (if only)

Don’t just get mad, join the Newsgroup.

Bankers narrowly lost out to Afghanistan in the first Newsgroup workshop when Gavin Crichton asked people what news stories were making them angry. What will be the burning issue for the second Newsgroup? Come and find out at 10 am on Saturday 30th January in Pilmeny Youth Club. Be sure to bring your cuttings with you!

Lights, action, mushrooms

The aim, inspired by the World Kitchen in Leith, is to celebrateÂ good home cooking from many cultures.

Here is fresh and spicy food to revive your appetite after Christmas and New Year. In our first World Kitchen film, Mridu Thanki welcomes us into her kitchen to show us how to cook mushrooms in cream with red peppers and fresh green coriander. It’s delicious, doesn’t cost much, takes only a few minutes to prepare and cook – and you can probably get all or most of the ingredients at the corner shop. (See below for the recipe).

Feasts of India in Mridu’s kitchen

Now click here to enjoy the film

We are in the kitchen with Mridu Thanki to taste a meal from her first cookery book, Feasts of India. On a cold Edinburgh day there are tantalising warm spicy smells coming from the pan and we are getting hungry. But it isn’t time to eat yet. While Mridu lines up red peppers, green coriander and creamy button mushrooms we are trying to capture the moment on film – hoping tummies do not rumble above the sound of sizzling onions, cumin and chillies.

Speaking out against hate crime

Here’s a chance to make a difference. Muslim women are increasingly the victims of hidden crimes of hate – verbal threats and words of abuse hurled in public places – but the crimes are rarely reported for fear of making things worse. That is why the very enterprising charity, Amina-MWRC, is inviting police and women to meet, talk and strengthen a network of support, at a Women’s Hate Crime event in Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December. [To register email: samina@mwrc.org.uk]

The aim is to encourage women to speak up without fear under the protection of third party reporting and the event is organised by Amina – the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC) which has become a third party reporting agency in recent years. Samina Ansari, a young Pakistani Scottish mother, who is the MWRC Helpline Officer for South Scotland, describes the background of increasing harrassment behind the event:

“It has been noted from our development and helpline case work across Scotland that there has been a rise in Islamophobic and racist incidents and women are not likely to report these crimes.

“Sometimes a victim will not want police involvement for fear the problem may get worse. But they have an option of reporting to a third party reporting site.”

Amina-MWRC, which promotes the welfare and social inclusion of Muslim women, is one of the national agencies on a growing list of third party centres on the Lothian and Borders police website. The system enables victims from minority communities to report incidents of harrassment to a third party who can offer support and advice as well as passing information on to police and local authorities

The Women’s Hate Crime event in York Place, Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December is an opportunity for women to discuss their experiences with police and victim support agencies. In a two-way conversation open to Muslim and other women (interpreters can be provided if needed), the idea is to raise awareness of third party reporting and provide the real life stories which will enable police to improve the service and support they offer. As always perhaps some of the most valuable discussion will arise over a shared lunch at the end of the morning.

As Samina explains in an email to Leith Open Space: “Amina – MWRC proactively wish to prevent repeat victimisation and reduce the fear of crime and harassment.”

Amina – MWRC offers a wide range of events and services including training and friendship groups, information advice drop in, helpline, and counselling services (see the website for more details – www.mwrc.org.uk). HELPLINE 0808 801 0301
helpline@mwrc.org.uk

World Kitchen cooks up a storm

If you can’t stand the heat: a rare chance to draw breath in the World Kitchen

It didn’t just rain, it absolutely poured. Recipes and posters got washed away as the deluge battered our poor gazebos. But cooks just kept on cooking which was just as well because as soon as the rain stopped people came looking for food. Crowds of them. We might have hoped for better weather but we couldn’t have asked for a better beginning for the World Kitchen than the Gala Day in Leith Links on Saturday (13 June).

Come to the World Kitchen in Leith

Calling all cooks. Here’s your invitation to take part in a unique community event during Leith Festival. World Kitchen in Leith is based on the simple idea that food is the best way to bring people together so we can celebrate the many different cultures that make Leith the most vibrant part of Scotland’s capital city. [See also World Kitchen Cooks up a Storm]

Read all about it on the community noticeboard

Welcome to a new community website which happened almost by accident but is fast becoming a great source of local information. Click on EH7 Community Noticeboard to find news and views of the proposed Tesco opening in Picardy Place, how to make requests under the Freedom of Information Act, or how to get council action on problems in your street. And much more.

Thank you for caring

The day starts with some tough questions. Who should care? Does caring begin and end in the family? How much support should the state give? And what exactly is a carer anyway? Such questions do the rounds as women join the circle of discussion on a sunny spring morning in Pilmeny Youth Centre. Then someone hits the nail on the head: most women do not see themselves as ‘carers’ at all so they never think of asking for help.