Adam looks forward to year of hope

In the second of our new year reflections, Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam looks back at an eventful 2021 and talks about her hopes for the year ahead.

A NAIL-biting election victory, a pandemic and two vicious storms are just some of the things 2020 has thrown in Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam's path.

Here she shares some of her thoughts on the year gone by and the one to come:

Well, the last couple of years has been a true test of our local resilience, has it not! With flooding and storms battering our communities, on top of a pandemic, I sometimes think all were missing is a plague of locusts! And I’m wondering as a mum and like many of you, what sort of world are we passing on to our loved ones and what we can do to prepare them for it?

Personally, I’m looking forward to local communities where we learn so much more from our stories and our experiences, that prepares us better for how we manage our problems, little or large, so we can face storms to come. These local voices have been absent in decision making, when actually, each of us is an expert with a powerful and authentic voice with unique insights that can challenge assumptions, empower us and motivate organisations to do things differently and pinpoint areas for change.

I will not be alone as a mother, in hoping that empowering young people to become life-long engaged, active citizens is a key ambition and hope.

In fact, the so-called ‘Covid Generation’ of the young have proven to be the ‘Resilient Generation’, quickly adapting during these difficult times to changing educational, social and economic circumstances. Many have continued to engage with issues shaping their lives and express a strong desire to be socially active at home, in school and across their local communities.

A recent survey of 27,000 young people worldwide reported that they are even more engaged in issues such as health, equality and climate change than before the pandemic. And coronavirus has increased their sympathies for others, with around 75 per cent saying they are planning to undertake social action in their communities once the pandemic abates.

The storms in our lives, literally and metaphorically, offer a unique moment and opportunity to invest in the resilience, community spirit and the civic potential of young people through the mapping out a new ‘Civic Journey’.

This will require us all to engage and listen to the future; young people exploring the barriers and tensions they experience in being civically engaged and to positively channel their aspirations and values to encourage new generations of active citizens. The challenge is ours; let us work together to ensure the Covid-19 recovery is one young people across Scotland are equipped and empowered to shape, and be proud of.

I see that Visit Scotland has themed 2022 as the ‘Year of Stories’. It will spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland. From icons of literature to local tales, the year aims to encourage locals and visitors to experience a diversity of voices, take part in events and explore the places, people and cultures connected to all forms of our stories, past and present.

My hope is that this approach will filter into all of our lives in 2022 and beyond.

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