May 2025 News
SIDA UPDATES
Needless to say, it’s been a turbulent month globally, with international tensions peaking around the US and Israel’s recent strikes on Iran. In times like this it is more important than ever that we maintain a sense of solidarity with the global community. While this situation is still unfolding, we’d like to look back on the month just gone, with a focus on Refugee Week (16 – 22 June) along with the usual updates from our members and information about upcoming events.
Latest Sustainable Development Report Launched
The 10th Sustainable Development report was launched yesterday (24 June), featuring indexes and graphs highlighting the growing gap between the US and the rest of the world. SIDA’s CEO, Frances Guy remarked: “In launching the report, Professor Jeffrey Sachs was devastating in his condemnation of European countries for prioritising defence spending over social spending and overseas development support and even more critical of the United States which is now a total outlier on its rejection of the SDGs. The rest of the globe continues to support cooperative approaches to global sustainable development. As Professor Sachs made clear, the greatest enemy of sustainable development is war. It is no surprise that the countries that have made the least progress since 2015 are Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Venezuela”.
Important new legal requirements for charities
Following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 intended to prevent people using companies for illegal purposes, identity verification with Companies House will become mandatory in autumn 2025. This requirement applies to company directors and people with significant control. Read more and take the next steps here.
From 30 June 2025, the Scottish Charity Register, OSCR will begin collecting charity trustee information through OSCR Online. Providing this information will become a legal requirement for all charities under the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023, Names of trustees will be published on the Scottish Charity Register from the end of 2025 to promote transparency and strengthen public trust in the sector. Find out more about the process and requirements here.
The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme also comes into effect on 1st July 2025. Organisations must register with the scheme if they are instructed by a foreign power to carry out, or arrange for others to carry out, political influence activities in the UK. The UK Government has published guidance for charities and civil society.
Training opportunities
We have been made aware of a number of training opportunities at free or discounted rates, including:
A Justice Based Approach Foundation Course run by United Edge with subsidised rates and 100 fully-funded spaces. Applications close 30 June.
An Anti-racism training with Manju Patel-Nair from Changemakers UK, currently pencilled for 17 September. Express your interest before 1 July here.
Charity Excellence's series of free training webinars, running until 27 June. See the full programme here.
Help map global citizenship education in Scotland
If you're involved in any kind of Global Citizenship work, including any work involving anti-racism, democracy and civic engagement, human rights, peacebuilding, or addressing the climate crisis, we’d love to hear from you! Complete this survey before 27th June and enter a draw to win a £100 Ecoswap gift card.
Call for Sponsors for the SIDA annual conference
If you are interested in sponsoring our Annual Conference taking place at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on September 30th 2025 please contact event organiser Francis Rodgers to learn more.
FOCUS ON: REFUGEE WEEK 2025
Recognising World Refugee Day (20th June), we shared a news story highlighting the value of amplifying refugee voices in conversations on international development. Hear from members of SIDA’s Diaspora Group for Global Citizenship on this approach to decolonising development, and learn more about SIDA members who work directly with refugees in Scotland and in vulnerable regions and countries neighbouring conflict zones.
Meet the Refugee Festival Scotland Ambassadors
Last week, Refugee Festival Scotland, a series of events coordinated by the Scottish Refugee Council, celebrated 25 years of art, culture and community across Scotland. This year’s theme, Milestones, offers people a chance to acknowledge important moments in their personal journeys, and to celebrate achievements along the way. Learn more about the festival and meet the Refugee Festival Ambassadors using their voices to help build understanding about what it means to be a refugee in Scotland today.
MEMBER UPDATES
Indigenous Knowledge Systems course | Gaia Education
For thousands of years, Indigenous communities around the world have carried profound ecological, social, and spiritual wisdom — systems of knowledge born from deep, reciprocal relationships with the land, with ancestors, and with one another. But how do we approach this knowledge respectfully, without repeating patterns of extraction and colonisation? Gaia Education invite you join “Indigenous Knowledge Systems”, a six-week journey led by Dr. Lyla June Johnston, Indigenous scholar, musician, and community organiser of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages. The course starts 8th September 2025.
New climate justice briefing | Christian Aid
As part of their restore campaign, Christian Aid has released a Climate Justice Parliamentary briefing highlighting the UK's role in tackling the climate and debt crises. The briefing is available for download to share with your MSP. Photo taken in Ethiopia, Collecting tall water grass, picture power. Credit: Ekayo Lokabel.
Navigating Turbulent Waters Group Coaching | TopHat Discovery
Since February, TopHat Discovery has been bringing practitioners together to look at what the changing context is now demanding of them. Attended by individuals from the development and humanitarian sector in Malawi, Lebanon, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Europe and the US, the group provides a space for participants to share how they deal with fear, uncertainty, new practical demands and staying focussed, with the intention to build courage and resilience. The group meets for 90mins every other week.
Two job opportunities | Water Witness
Water Witness are hiring for two roles based in Edinburgh: a Business Support Officer (3 days per week), and a Finance Officer (full time). Learn more about the roles and requirements below. Applications close on 6 July.
Deepbed farming & community led innovation in Malawi | Tiyeni
SIDA member Tiyeni recently featured on SIDCN’s Radical Change Podcast, sharing insights on the power of community-driven innovation in sustainable agriculture. Isaac Monjo Chavula from Tiyeni (based in Malawi) and Alex Gerard, an ally and UK Partner working with Tiyeni, unpack the transformative impact of Deep Bed Farming (DBF), a method rooted in soil health, climate resilience and food security and how it’s shifting how people farm and how they think about dignity, livelihoods and community agency. If you’d like to feature on a future podcast episode, get in touch with us here.
Scottish Love in Action Trustee awarded MBE
Scottish Love in Action trustee, Mridula Chakraborty was recently awarded an MBE for her charitable work among Asian communities in Scotland. Born in Uttar Pradesh and now based in Glasgow, Mridula balances her roles as engineer, mentor, mother, and community leader. She is the General Secretary of the Association of Indian Organisations, Chair of the Tagore Centre in Glasgow, and a founding member of the Bengali Cultural Association. Learn more about Mridula’s work and life story below.
SIDA members, this is your space! If you would like to feature in upcoming newsletters, please get in touch with us anytime at admin@intdevalliance.scot.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa: 20 years of learning
The Open University invites you to join Dr Kris Stutchbury, Academic Director of TESSA (Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa), for an informal and interactive session that explores how this groundbreaking initiative has shaped our understanding of teacher professional development across the region. TESSA is a collaborative education research and development project designed to empower school teachers to deliver quality education for all.
Forced to Flee: Amplifying Refugee Voices within Global Development
Join us and the Scottish Refugee Council for a two hour workshop featuring lived experience speakers to explore our relationships and responsibilities as organisations with relation to refugees. The workshop is for anyone looking to explore and understand the role of the global sustainable development sector in amplifying and uplifting migrant and refugee voices and stories across our local communities and networks.
Leaders of the Wampis nation (Northern Peru) to meet the St Andrews community
This gathering organised by the University of St Andrews provides an opportunity to meet with two inspiring Wampis leaders, Pamuk Teófilo Kukush Pati, the Pamuk or elected president of the GTANW, and Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat, the GTANW's Director of Justice, to explore land defence in the Peruvian Amazon, autonomous self-government, the construction of sustainable community economies and how international solidarity can support these efforts. The visit of the leaders from the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation is supported by Forest Peoples Programme (FPP).
Film Premier ‘Gaza: A Story of Love and War’
Firefly International is proud to host director Mike Joseph for an in-person Q&A following the first Scottish screening of his film. The documentary offers a deeply personal history of Gaza, tracing events from the 1948 Nakba to today’s devastating conflict, through the experiences of Palestinian journalist Sami Abu Salem and his family. As the story unfolds, Welsh Jewish journalist Mike Joseph uncovers powerful parallels with his own family's Holocaust past. SIDA's CEO Frances Guy, former UK Ambassador to Lebanon with long experience across the Middle East and North Africa and trustee of the Britain Palestine Project will join the discussion.
USAID cuts: Six months on
On 20th January, the new US Administration made radical cuts to the budget and operation of USAID. The impacts were immediate, global, and in many cases devastating. Reflecting six months on, in this discussion session for SIDA members you will hear from affected organisations, have the option to share your own experiences, discuss how agencies can support each other, and consider opportunities for collective response and adaptation. Please note this event is for SIDA members only. If you wish to enquire about membership get in touch with us here.
Challenging the Billionaire Takeover | Global Justice Now
Global Justice Now’s latest event, Challenging the Billionaire Takeover: Building the international movement for people and planet, asks: ‘How can we challenge the greed of the billionaires from Trump & his Big Tech bros at the White House, to the fossil fuel companies making vast profits while driving climate change?’ During the event you can expect to hear from Global Justice Now Director, Nick Dearden and Seema Syeda, trade campaigner with Global Justice Now and Another Europe is possible.
SIDA members, this is your space! If you would like to feature in upcoming newsletters, please get in touch with us anytime at admin@intdevalliance.scot.
FUNDING UPDATE OF THE MONTH
Women & Gender Constituency – Gender Just Climate Solutions Awards
These awards aim to showcase concrete examples on how to centre gender equality and women’s rights in climate action. Winning initiatives are showcased across three different project types: gender-responsive technical climate solutions, gender-responsive non-technical climate solutions, and gender-responsive transformational climate initiatives. Activist, grassroots, women-led, and gender equality organisations are invited to apply by 13 July 2025.
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
Cross-Party Group on International Development publication on Scotland’s International Development Funding
Scottish Government Stakeholder Engagement: Proposed Global Citizenship/Solidarity Fund
SIDA service Directory
Registered Scottish Charity No. SC035314
Company No. SC307352
CBC House, 24 Canning Street, EH3 8EG
