Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Cath Cunningham: An appreciation
23.11.60 to 10.05.24
HUMOUR AND HUMANITY: Cath Cunningham with Mick McGahey (facing away from camera) in a photo originally published in the Star
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
THE passing of Cath Cunningham in May this year has left a significant gap in the left in Fife and one that will be hard to fill. The community, education and voluntary sectors in Fife, where Cath was a key figure for over four decades, will also be feeling the loss.
A Fifer born and bred, Cath was born into a loving working-class family that shaped her values for life. It was here that she developed her sense of the importance of community and an appreciation of solidarity across neighbouring communities.
This, coupled with an emerging rebellious streak, saw Cath join the Young Communist League in her teenage years. Cath was to remain a communist all her life and was proud to call herself a socialist, a communist and an internationalist.
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