Historical Economic Injustice

Why and how the past repeats itself, and how to break the cycle

We are excited to announce that besides the events hosted by The Democracy Collaborative at this year's Scotland's Economics Festival, we will also participate in an opening day panel!

📆 Thu 19 Mar | 09:00 PM GMT

📍Leith Dockers Club, EH6 7EF, Edinburgh

Featuring

Emma Jackson - Head of Social Justice, Citizen's Advice Scotland (Chair)

Neil McInroy - Global Lead for Community Wealth Building, The Democracy Collaborative

Dr. Ewan Gibbs - Historian and author of An Injury to All

Scotland’s story is one of extraordinary natural wealth — and of that wealth too often flowing elsewhere. From the Highland Clearances to the coal pits of Lanarkshire and Fife, and later the oil rigs of the North Sea, Scotland has generated immense value from its land and resources. Yet again and again, the benefits have bypassed the very communities that made this possible. 

This discussion delves deeply into the historical origins of how patterns of resource extraction and economic exclusion were ingrained in Scotland’s development — and why they continue to shape our present. 

As the country transitions toward a renewable energy economy and away from a carbon-based one, many fear that history is repeating itself. Profits from wind, wave, and carbon credit markets are increasingly concentrated in the hands of corporations and the elite, while local people see little change. 

The speakers will discuss what genuine Community Wealth Building and democratic control of Scotland’s natural resources could look like.

Can we finally learn from the past — and design an economy that keeps the benefits of Scotland’s resources in Scotland’s communities?