Most of these campaigning videos were made during the global pandemic of 2020-21 to virtually bring together many voices for change. Many of these have been in collaboration with members of Protest in Harmony and the Campaign Choirs Network. There will be occasional new campaigning videos going up here, and if you’d like to contribute photos for any of these, drop me an email and I’ll make sure you hear about any new videos.
People before Profit
You are invited to contribute a picture to be part of the ‘people before profit’ song video. This song is a street song that says simply ‘We’ve got to put people before profit – people matter so much more.’
I’m making a video to share this song and help us all to make connections, so I am asking people to contribute photos that connect with campaigns that they are involved in. You can make a placard or hold a piece of paper saying ‘people before profit’ (or whatever else you want to!) and if you can wear a campaigning t-shirt or stand next to a banner or something that indicates a campaign you’re involved with that would be great. As I say, I‘m hoping to help make the links between all our wonderful campaigns. The more specific the better. The ‘lifeline’ for this project is June 30th, so please send pics by then. You can email them to me at singlouderthanguns@gmail.com.
You can hear the song audio here: https://soundcloud.com/user-666747961/people-before-profit
And here is a video teaching the three simple parts, for anyone who would like to learn it: https://youtu.be/dCLlU254wxA
Please do share this call out with other friends and activists.
Lift the Ban
Members of Glasgow based Maryhill Integration Network’s ‘MIN Voices’ group and I have written a song to help spread word about the ‘Lift the Ban’ campaign which calls for people seeking asylum to be given the right the work in the UK.
We are making a video of this song to help reach more people with our message that all people deserve the right to work. The lyrics of the song are below. If you would like to take a photo of yourself holding a piece of paper with any of these words on that would be great. And we are also collecting photos of people holding a piece of paper saying one of their skills – things such as cooking or caring or more job focused things such as engineer or accountant. Faces are welcome, but if you’d rather not have your face in the video, just a picture of your hands holding your sign would be great. Do please share this call out with others – we are making the video in January and the deadline for photos is January 8th 2023. Thank you for your support. You can email your pictures to Penny on singlouderthanguns@gmail.com.
The right to work is the right to freedom,
So lift the ban and everybody wins.
We don’t want to just take,
We want to give.
We don’t want to just take,
We need to live.
We can teach, we can build,
We have so many skills,
And when you let us work,
We feel better in ourselves,
We can cook, we can care,
When you let us do our share,
We can sing, we can dance,
And we deserve to get the chance.
Every Body
Written for the 16 days of activism against gender based violence in 2011. Recorded in 2021. Thanks to the many many voices, hands and hearts shared for this video.
Where to find help:
http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-support/
https://womensaid.scot/information-support/useful-links/
http://www.zerotolerance.org.uk/contact-help/
Somos Todes
This solidarity video was made in collaboration with the community of Putaendo in Chile, who are resisting a Canadian mine. You can read more about the resistance of Putaendo here: https://miningwatch.ca/blog/2021/7/15/putaendo-wont-surrender
The song ‘Somos Todes’ was written by a group of singers from Chile, Canada, Scotland, the USA & England. This video was made in support of Putaendo to uplift the voices of this community in the run up to COP26 (https://cop26coalition.org/)
Ya Gaza
A love letter to Gaza, a song that San Ghanny Choir have been singing for many years now. We recorded this video remotely immediately following the bombardment of Gaza during May 2021.
Welcome Home
This song was written by members of the Maryhill Integration Network’s Joyous Choir to celebrate the solidarity shown in Kenmure Street on May 13th 2021. The chant that inspired this song was “These are our neighbours, let them go.” Many thanks to all who contributed.
Women of Scotland
Kathy Galloway’s beautiful Women of Scotland words, made into a video for International Women’s Day 2021. What an amazing bunch of women!
ICAN Can-Can
Here we are celebrating the entry into force of the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on January 22nd 2021, singing and dancing our anti-nuclear version of the Can-Can. Learn more about the Treaty: www.icanw.org/
O Come All Ye Faithful (Palestine)
iCAN Ban That Bomb!
The Nuclear Ban Treaty got it’s 50th ratified signatory on October 25th 2020, and came into force on January 22nd 2021. This is a wee video of some Edinburgh celebrations following the announcement! Learn more about the Treaty: www.icanw.org/
If you want to sing this song, you can find the lyrics and score here:
October 2020
Sisters Not Strangers
#SistersNotStrangers is a campaign led by refugee and asylum-seeking women to build solidarity for women who have come to the UK to seek safety but have instead been made destitute. You can find more information about the campaign here. This song is in support of this campaign – please sing it, share it, and use it to urge people to support this campaign. If anyone wants to sing this song, the score and parts are here:
Huge thanks to all who shared a picture for the Sisters Not Strangers video – please do share far and wide – and please share the link to this page, where you can find a draft letter to send to your MP: https://www.sistersnotstrangers.com/actnow
October, 2020
Never Doubt
This video was put together in support of real climate action, and to remind us that we are many. Quote from Margaret Mead, music written by Polly Bolton.
September 2020
Hiroshima Song
Made for the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. ‘Hiroshima Song’ was written by a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima. It translates as “It is important that we tell the children what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki so that it never happens again.”
“We remember the victims of the dawn of the nuclear weapons age in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and we honour the survivors who seek the sunset of that age by pledging to join them in their fight to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons.” Add your voice to this pledge and help us pressure governments to sign up to the global ban on nuclear weapons here: https://rise.icanw.org/
August 2020
Penny Stone 