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Loch Ness bereitet sich vor auf die größte Suchaktion nach dem Monster: Nessie. Zum ersten Mal kommen Dronen mit Infrarotkameras zum Einsatz. Aber da Nessie zum ersten Mal im 6. Jh gesehen wurde, müßte es heute ca. 1500 Jahre alt sein! Mein Interview im Deutschlandfunk “Europa Heute”, 24.8.23.

Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Pagan, Baháʼí faith represented at an Interfaith Retreat on the Holy Isle off Arran. Most major religions teach love and compassion towards your neighbour, whatever their faith. (“An Là”, BBC ALBA, 7/8/23)

Confession: This includes myself. “The Language Event” in Edinburgh hears from poet and activist, Lennie Pennie (seen with myself in the thumbnail picture), that the Scots language shouldn’t only be for comedy, warns of dangers in potential misunderstandings of non-verbal communication and generally celebrates multi-lingualism (An Là, BBC ALBA, 24/4/23)

15000 people marched through Paraguay’s capital Asunción recently, demanding a land reform. The “Gran Marcha Campesina” has been going for 29 years. Marcial Gomez from the National Small Scale Farmers Federation says their country is in first place when it comes to concentration of land in the hands of an elite. Despite being the only country in South America where almost everyone speaks the native language (Guaraní) this doesn’t seem to translate into indigenous peoples’ rights. Mario Rivarola, an indigenous leader, says many live in extreme poverty.

Toby Hill from Global Witness describes they face complete destitution when they are evicted from land. This practice got worse during the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner until 1989, but it continues to this day to increase soy production. Mario Rivarola says some land owners have questionable titles. Some candidates in a recent presidential election had promised reform. (An Là, BBC ALBA, 24/04/23)

UPDATE: The ruling Colorado Party have won the elections.

Eilean Reachraidh/ Rathlin Island: between Ireland and Scotland, and so was their language which has sadly died out, but some are studying its heritage. (An Là, BBC ALBA, 1/5/23)

25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement the “Peace Wall” still separates communities in Belfast. As someone who hails from Berlin I grew up with a wall myself. But what do people in Belfast think of the GFA?

Indigenous people of the Inyrubé in Brazil (whom the Portuguese called the Karajá) visited a rainforest in Argyll, Scotland during the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Now a film about their trip has been shown at the Glasgow Short Film Festival, an opportunity to ask the protagonist, Narubia Werreria what she thought of the new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who came into office in January 2023. She says he has stopped a genocide which she claims was imminent under the previous president, Jair Bolsonaro. (An Là, BBC ALBA, 26/3/23)

Scotland’s incoming First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has named his deputy: Shona Robison. But former finance secretary and rival in the leadership campaign, Kate Forbes, has left the government, refusing a job offer as secretary for rural affairs. My live report on “The Nine” on the BBC Scotland channel (28/03/23).

10 choruses of Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Messiah” sung by a selection of Choir of the Earth members in Edinburgh’s St Cuthbert’s Church. Choir of the Earth was formed during lockdown as the Self Isolation Choir and has performed a huge repertoire by mixing individual recordings of members at home. Now they are touring the UK and we performed these choruses after only one day of rehearsing. I’m also proud of this little video which was filmed and edited by myself entirely on a smartphone… Oh and Herr Handel himself made an appearance (see thumbnail picture) and gave permission for us to sing the Hallelujah chorus last!