Events List

MESP 2011 Pre Events
Tuesday 22 February – Thursday 3 March 2011

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Event: Mindfulness@Lunchtime.

Venue: St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP.
Dates: Tuesday 22 February and Tuesday 1, 8, 15 March 2011.
Time: 12.15pm-2pm.
Event Description: The Community of Interbeing and Unitarians in Edinburgh jointly organise Mindfulness@Lunchtime every Tuesday from 12.15pm to 2pm. Please take a break, slow down, and find mindfulness@lunchtime - guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, enjoying our food together in silence and ending with a short silent meditation, returning to the world refreshed! Mindfulness is gently bringing our attention to the present moment, invoking our inherent capacity for healing and renewal. Please bring your own lunch.

Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: Jon Bagust, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Lecture: The Sacred Art of Armenia.

Speaker: Dr Vrej Nersessian.
Venue: Scotland-Russia Institute, 9 South College Street, Edinburgh. EH8 9AA.
Time: 7.30pm.
Event Description: The illuminated manuscript has been the Armenian religious object par excellence. Like the reliquary in the Catholic West and the icon in the Orthodox Church, the Armenian manuscript was the locus of faith, to be treasured and guarded. The lecture will explore the role of the manuscripts and books carrying the name and the memory of its sponsor, scribes, illuminators, binders, paper makers, tying them to the saving powers of the Armenian Church. NB: Booking essential as space is limited

Cost: Donations £2 (SRF members), £5 (non-members) payable at the door.
Contact: 0131 668 3635, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Events: Himalaya Meals.

Venue: Himalaya Arts and Crafts, 20 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9PR.
Dates: Wednesday 23 February, Friday 25 February, Monday 28 February and Wednesday 2 March 2011.
Time: 12.30pm-14.30pm.
Event Description: Himalayan vegetarian and vegan meal with fresh salad. All the money raised goes to Green Tara charity helping disadvantaged children in the northern part of India. See: www.himalayashop.co.uk

Cost: £3.50. Just come along on the day.
Contact: Reka, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 662 9818.

Event: Being Transgender is a Gift From God.

Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: 7pm–8.30pm.
Event Description: Screening of ‘Transgender and Faith’ short film, made in partnership with St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, Glasgow in 2009. The film’s contributors will take part in a panel discussion about transgender, identity, and faith. There will be an opportunity for questions raised by the film.

Cost: Free, and no booking required.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 220 1677.

Thursday 24 - Saturday 26 February 2011

Event: The Elements World Theatre presents The Old Woman Who Lived in A …
Storytelling with Drama, Poetry and Music.
About the Quest for Love, Happiness and Inner Peace in a culture based on violence.

Written by Lee Gershuny and Directed by Corinne Harris.
Performed by Pete Baynes, Robert Williamson and Corinne Harris.
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh. EH1 1SR.
Dates: Thursday 24 - Saturday 26 February 2011.
Times: 7.30pm, with 3.30pm Matinee on Saturday 26 February 2011.
Event Description: The story begins 20 years after the end of the famous nursery rhyme, “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.” The setting has moved from a Shoe to The Café of No Tomorrows - a mythical place, a state of mind where now is the only moment that exists and the Head Waiter, its ruling presence.

The children that The Old Woman beat black and blue, are now grown up and a few return to confront her in the Café of No Tomorrows. Like noble knights on a great quest, they are determined to vanquish fear and self-doubt by dealing with their demons from the past – The Old Woman. In order to reach The Old Woman, they must first convince the Head Waiter of their virtue. The Waiter, however, is not easily convinced. 

The Elements World Theatre has frequently presented new work as part of the MESP. Like other productions, The Old Woman Who Lived in A … dramatises an MESP theme - the quest for love, happiness and inner peace.

Audience Comments on Past Productions:
“Thought provoking and amusing,” “Fantastic depth and meaning,” “Relevant subject matter and energetic acting,” “Happening on many levels,” “Fantastic production.”

Cost: £10 (Full Price)/£7 (Concession).
Contact and Booking: 0131 556 9579. The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh. EH1 1SR.


Thursday 24 February 2011

Event: Servas Peace Meal, with a focus on Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

Venue: Double Dutch Bistro, 27-29 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ.
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm.
Event Description: Last year for the first time, Scottish Servas members agreed to try something new, yet in keeping with the ethos of Servas hosting: a Servas Peace Meal. It worked really well and we’re now planning the 2011 meal, with very welcome advice and input from MESP and local activists with specialist knowledge to share.

The 2011 Servas Peace Meal at MESP will focus on Asylum Seekers and Refugees as our theme. Three invited speakers whose lives have been touched by the complex issues of displacement will give short talks drawing on their own experiences. We will share food and informal discussion between these talks, following the pattern by which Servas hosts all over the world welcome travellers into their homes. The Servas Peace Meal is an opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and aspirations - as well as discussing the very real obstacles - to peace, while sharing a meal of wonderful Middle Eastern food.  

Themes and Speakers:

The Welcoming, Edinburgh: This project brings together refugees, asylum seekers and local Scottish people in a programme of social and educational events. English language and literacy classes, advice on Scottish law, housing, employment and education and regular social events give newcomers a meaningful introduction to their new lives.  Khalid, a Tunisian living with his young family in Edinburgh will talk of his experiences as a user of the project and Nicola, a member of the board, will tell us about how it all works.

Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture is the only organisation in the UK dedicated solely to the treatment of torture survivors. Side by side with in-depth medical and practical support for individuals, the MF strives to ensure that Britain honours its international obligations towards survivors of torture, asylum seekers and refugees. Sarah, an Edinburgh supporter of MF will tell us a little more about this work in Scotland and “Dusk”, a young man now staying in Glasgow, will talk about his former life in Iran.

City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.  Since 2005 the movement has set out to create a network of towns and cities which are proud to be places of safety, and which include people seeking sanctuary fully in the life of their communities.  Glasgow is one of 14 cities actively pursuing Sanctuary status.  Alison is a member of the Glasgow steering group.  She will introduce us to the movement and explain what is so important about city agencies collaborating in this way.  Alison is also active in GRAMnet (Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network).

For more information on the projects we will discuss at the Peace Meal, here are some useful links:

The Welcoming:
http://thewelcoming.btck.co.uk

Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture:
http://www.torturecare.org.uk/

City of Sanctuary Movement:
http://www.cityofsanctuary.org

Cost: £16/£10 (Concession).
Contact and Booking: 0131 228 2186, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   

Friday 25 February 2011

Event: LGBT Film Night: Screening of Unveiled.

Venue: LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TE.
Time: 6.30pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Drinks, nibbles and screening of Unveiled (Fremde Haut). An Iranian woman assumes a new identity in order to start her life over again in this powerful drama from Germany. Themes of persecution, political asylum, identity and love are raised at this unique and friendly event.
Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: 0131 523 1104, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Naqshbandi Sufi Dhikr.

Venue: Himalaya Arts and Crafts, 20 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9PR.
Time: 7.15pm.
Event Description: A Sufi dhikr (zikr) is an opportunity to focus on the highest ideal of Allah (God) that one can conceptualize in the form of chanting or repeating His names and attributes in a rhythmic way. This has the effect of opening the heart to enable us to then feel, sense or experience God. The Sufi says God is love, lover, and beloved. In other words God is the object, God is the subject, and God is the love experienced between the two. Our spiritual guide is Maulana Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani. For further info visit www.scottishnaqshbandidhikr.webs.com

Cost: Donations Welcome.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 623 2425 or 07855 478046.

Saturday 26 – Sunday 27 February 2011

Event: Exploring the Flora of the Middle East.

Venue: Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Time: 12.30pm–3.30pm (drop-in).
Event Description: The team at the RBGE’s Centre for Middle Eastern Plants identify, document and conserve plants in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan. Discover their work and some of the links between botany and Middle Eastern culture. www.rbge.org.uk/events

Cost and Booking: Free, Drop-in.

Saturday 26 February 2011

Event: Shabbat Morning Service, led by Rabbi Mark Solomon with guest preacher Shaikha Halima Krausen.

Venue: Please visit http://www.eljc.org for venue information.
Time: 11am.
Event Description: The monthly sabbath service of Sukkat Shalom, the Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, to be led by our Rabbi Mark Solomon. We are delighted to have visitors from MESP. If possible please let us know that you plan to come so we may welcome you.

Shaikha Halima Krausen was born in Aachen, Germany into a Catholic/Protestant family. She became Muslim in her early teens, eventually learning Arabic and studying with visiting Muslim scholars and travelling extensively in the Muslim world. In 1992, she completed her studies in Hamburg that included Islamic Law and Theology with Imam Razvi, the leading scholar in Hamburg's Muslim Community, as well as Islamic studies, Christian Theology and Comparative Religion at the university. Shaikha Halima is currently the Imam for the German speaking Muslims in Hamburg Mosque.

From 1984-1988 she was part of a team that produced a German translation of the Qur'an with commentary notes, and afterwards was involved in translating some volumes of Hadith and Islamic law as well. In 1985, Shaikha Halima became a founding member of the Inter Religious Dialogue Circle at the Department of Theology at Hamburg University. Finally, in 1993 she helped found the educational institute Initiative for Islamic Studies and succeeded Imam Razvi as the head of the German speaking community when he retired from active service. She contributed to several books on interfaith studies and wrote a number of articles on various Islamic and interreligious subjects. She teaches regularly in London and across Europe.

Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and leave a message. We will get back to you promptly.


Event: ‘Women as Peace Makers’ - The Bridge of Peace Ceremony, a Bridge for Friendship.

Facilitator: Women’s Federation for World Peace, Scotland.
Venue: St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EP.
Time: 2pm-5pm.
Event Description: ‘The Bridge of Peace’ ceremony brings reconciliation. Those taking part meet someone from a different spirituality, culture or race and commit themselves to bridge the gap between them. They go beyond their differences and determine to make reconciliation through their friendship. This will break the cycle of conflict in the world and free the newfound sisters to experience a new beginning.

This event includes music and dance from Mongolia and other countries and talks about ‘Women as Peace Makers,’ and a World Peace Flag Ceremony. You will be able to meet people from all over the world and share food from different countries.

Cost: £3 donation (includes international refreshment).
Contact: Harumi Currie, 0131 331 1433, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: Palestine 1880-1948; Stories My Grandmother Told Me.

Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL
Time: 6pm-8.30pm.
Event Description: Every Friday afternoon, after prayer, Um Fahd sat cross-legged on the carpet of the small Al Huriyya mosque in the Burj el Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp and waited for the children to arrive from their UNRWA school to share with them stories of how it used to be in the land of their forefathers. For a while, she managed to transport them beyond the narrow alleys of their camp, named after Palestinian cities, to the open spaces of the villages of their forefathers. For a while, through Um Fahd's stories, they were transported in time and place to relive the lives of their care-free ancestors who tilled the land, winnowed the wheat, picked their olives and together, at the end of the day, shared the fruits of their labour.

Join Pat Smith, Mostafa Salameh and Anita Shanley in recounting some of these stories which touch on traditions, customs and history of early Palestinians. Technician: Mohammed Abu Shaban.
 
Enjoy refreshments, music and an exhibition of Palestinian windows and doors. There will also be a stall of Palestinian embroidery, oil and soaps.

Cost: Entrance free but donations welcome!
Contact: Anita Shanley, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 07908028078.
El Funoun Group (Scotland/Palestine) is part of the Palestine Society, SCO38953. El Funoun-Scotland.org

Event: Reflection on LGBT Life in South Africa.

Venue: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Time: 7pm-8.30pm.
Event Description: Rev Pressley Sutherland, former pastor of Good Hope MCC, Cape Town, South Africa, will lead a worship celebration. Using music and reflection he will guide us to explore the diverse experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith in South Africa.

Cost: Free, and no booking required.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0131 220 1677.

Sunday 27 February 2011

Event: Langar Community Meal.

Venue: Guru Nanak Gurdwara, 1 Sheriff Brae, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6TJ.
Time: 2pm-3pm.
Event Description: Guests are welcome to attend this traditional vegetarian meal at the Edinburgh Gurdwara. Prior to the meal there will be a short talk with questions and answers.

Cost: Admission Free. Everyone Welcome.
Contact: Wege Singh, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Event: How Many Ways Can You Sing Kaddish?: Varieties of Jewish Music.

Venue: Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation, 4 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AB.
Time: 8pm-9.30pm.
Event Description: Jewish music draws from the many lands in which Jews have lived, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. Rabbi Mark Solomon, minister of Edinburgh’s Liberal Jewish Community and a trained cantor, will illustrate varieties of devotional music for synagogue and home, and conclude with a cook’s tour of the Jewish year using the Kaddish, a much-loved prayer in the Jewish liturgy.

Cost: Voluntary Contribution Requested.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thursday 3 March 2011

Event: Hafla: From Edinburgh to Cairo and back again:
An Evening of Bellydance Featuring Lorna Gow and guest local dancers.

Venue: eh15 Restaurant, Jewel and Esk College, Milton Road, 24 Milton Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 2PP.
Time: 7.30pm for 8pm.
Event Description: Lorna Gow is an Edinburgh lass working as a Bellydancer in Cairo since 1996. Join us for beautiful performances by Lorna and guest local dancers. To help increase East/West understanding, over dinner we'll be discussing Lorna's experiences of life in Egypt and how dance reflects the culture and traditions there. www.bellylorna.com

Cost: Tickets £32 including a three course meal.
Contact and Booking: Elspeth Alexandra, 07748 183171, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it