The Pots & Pans Revolution, Re-heated; Iceland’s Constitutional Comeback
Supported by the Scottish Government
Speaker: Katrin Oddsdóttir – member of the Constitution Council of Iceland and political activist
Respondent: Patrick Harvie – MSP, Glasgow, Green
Chair: Lesley Riddoch, writer & broadcaster
Tuesday 7 November 2017 – 1800-20.00
Scottish Storytelling Centre Edinburgh
Iceland’s Crowd Sourced Constitution was kicked into touch by politicians in 2011 — but it’s making a comeback.
Katrin Oddsdóttir was one of 25 members of the Constitution Council of Iceland, which drafted the new constitution in a process recognised worldwide for its emphasis on democratic methods and social media tools. The draft constitution contains clauses on environmental protection, highlights international human rights law and the rights of refugees and migrants, and proposes a redistribution of Iceland’s natural resources – notably fishing.
Oddsdóttir has been a political activist from early age, but became well known in Iceland after delivering a radical political speech at mass protests after the economic crash in 2009, while studying law. She currently works as a human rights lawyer at Rettur – Adalsteinsson & Partners law firm in Iceland, concentrating on the rights of refugees, disabled people and children, among other related fields. She has an MA in Human Rights from the University of London and a BA in law from Reykjavik University. Oddsdóttir has a BA in journalism from Dublin City University and has worked as a journalist and copy writer.
Could Iceland provide a model for Scotland?
Vimeo Video Resources
The whole event as a record of the Live Stream from Democracy TV is available here.