Alastair McIntosh

Alastair McIntosh is an independent scholar, activist, writer, speaker and broadcaster from the Isle of Lewis.

He is a Fellow of the Centre for Human Ecology (CHE), a director of the GalGael Trust and Visiting Professor of Human Ecology at the University of Strathclyde.

In his own words: “For me, community is much more than just another name for society. It has three pillars – relationship with one another, relationship with the natural world, and relationship with the psychospiritual underpinning of all life. “Soil, soul and society” are therefore themes that weave through all my work”.

You can find out much more about Alastair’s work at his website

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Richard Holloway

Richard Holloway is one of the most controversial religious figures in the UK.

Well known for his support of liberal causes, including campaigning for the rights of gay and lesbian people. He is a writer and broadcaster and has a vibrant interest in the arts. He is currently Chair of the Scottish Arts Council.

Richard was the former Anglican Archbishop of Edinburgh, and remains Gresham Professor of Divinity in the City of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He is the author of a large number of books (23 and counting!), on religion and spirituality including ‘Godless Morality’, ‘Looking into the Distance’, and ‘Doubts and Loves. What is left of Christianity?’

You can read a fascinating interview with Richard by Three Monkeys Online – Religion & Ethics – over here:

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Douglas Alexander MP

Douglas Alexander is Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and Secretary of State for International Development.

Douglas has been SSID since June 2007 and before this he had been SOS for Transport and for Scotland. One of the most gifted politicians of his generation, his time at International Development has won him approval across party lines.

Political commentators also point out his close identification with the Blair-Brown New Labour project and the fact that his work as a speechwriter and election co-ordinator for Labour displays a capacity for vigorous partisan engagement.

Spoken of as a future leader of the Labour Party, will his role have changed by the time of Solas, with a General Election due in Spring 2010.

Have a listen to Douglas speaking at Greenbelt and download his talks

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Eugenie Harvey

Eugenie is Director of the 10:10 Campaign to Combat Climate Change and co-founder of ‘We Are What We Do‘.

A dynamic motivational speaker, she believes in the power of people acting together to bring about lasting change.

Read more on Eugenie talking to The Guardian recently

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Osama Saeed

Osama Saeed is one of Scotland’s foremost peace activists and human rights campaigners.

He has been listed as one of Scotland’s Top 100 thinkers and opinion formers by the Scotsman newspaper, one of the country’s “Brightest and Best” by the Sunday Herald, and has been described as Scotland’s most influential Muslim by the Sunday Times.

He is a prominent media commentator and has appeared on BBC, SKY, CNN, Al-Jazeera and others and has had articles published in the Guardian, Sunday Herald, Daily Mail and Scotsman newspapers.

Osama is SNP candidate for Glasgow Central in next Scottish elections and Chief Exec. of the Scottish Islamic Foundation

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Stuart Blythe

Stuart is a Lecturer and Development Officer at the Scottish Baptist College.

He is former pastor of one of Scotland’s largest Baptist churches and a sought after speaker with a dynamic and provocative angle on the implications of Christian witness in contemporary Scotland.

He has a particular interest in the radical roots of baptist identity.

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Kathy Galloway

Kathy Galloway – poet, preacher, campaigner for justice – Kathy is a fiery and lyrical commentator on faith and culture in Scotland

Kathy Galloway is an ordained Church of Scotland minister and was, in 2002 the first woman to be elected leader of the Iona Community. Kathy is also currently Director of Christian Aid Scotland.

Some of her works include : ‘A Story to Live By’,
‘Praying for the Dawn: a Resource book for the Ministry of Healing’, and ‘Walking in Darkness and Light: Sermons and Reflections’,

Have a listen to Kathy and download some of her Greenbelt Talks

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Dan Glass

An activist and member of Plane Stupid, who has been involved in non-violent direct action to prevent airport expansion.

He famously superglued himself to Gordon Brown while receiving a campaigning award in Downing Street and will be involved this year in the first climate change/direct action legal trial in Scotland.

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Doug Gay

Doug Gay is a Church of Scotland minister who teaches theology at the University of Glasgow.

His new book on emerging church is due out later this year and his current research is on the ethics of nationalism.

A regular Greenbelt speaker and worship leader, he has been dreaming of and waiting for Solas for the past twenty years.

Have a listen to Doug and download some of his Greenbelt Talks

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Cole Moreton

Cole Moreton writes for national newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday.

He has been nominated for Interviewer of the Year at the British Press Awards twice in the last three years. His first book ‘Hungry for Home‘ was shortlisted for the John Lewellyn Rhys prize in 2000.

His third and latest – ‘Is God Still An Englishman? How we lost our faith (but found new soul)‘ – is published by Little, Brown.
The title comes from a quote by George Bernard Shaw a century ago, when he said: “The ordinary Britisher imagines that God is an Englishman.“ The book is about the dramatic changes in British culture over the last 30 years, tracing how and why that imperial delusion disappeared at last and celebrating what is taking its place.

Have a listen to Cole and download some of his Greenbelt Talks

For more, go to www.isgodstillanenglishman.com

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Vérène Nicolas

Vérène Nicolas is located in Glasgow and coordinates the Master’s degree in Human Ecology run in partnership by the Centre for Human Ecology and the University of Strathclyde.

She defines herself : “primarily as a transformative educator. Whilst rooted in the reality of suffering, I believe that the part of our humanity that can feel joy & pleasure as well as give & receive love, urgently needs to be recovered”.

Read more about Vérène and her work at her website

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Gerry Hassan

Gerry Hassan is a writer, commentator and thinker about Scotland, the UK, politics and ideas.

Hailed by the Sunday Herald as ‘Scotland’s main public intellectual’, Gerry has written and edited a dozen books in the last decade on Scotland and the wider world: from the setting up of the Parliament, to its record, policy, indepth studies of the Labour Party and SNP, and looking at how we imagine the future.

Gerry’s activities include facilitating events, discussions and conversations which bring people together in Scotland and across the world, and is one of Scotland’s leading independent political commentators, respected on all sides for his fairness and integrity

Gerry’s home page is www.gerryhassan.com

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John Swinton

John Swinton holds the chair in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care at the University of Aberdeen.

He is also an honorary Professor at Aberdeen’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing at Aberdeen University.
John worked for 16 years as a registered nurse specializing in psychiatry and intellectual disabilities.
He also worked for a number of years as a community mental health chaplain.

His areas of research include the relationship between theology, spirituality and health and the theology of disability, and he is also an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
John’s other interests include weight training, playing guitar, song writing and singing, he is cool, funny, insightful and a great communicator

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Chris Harvie MSP

Chris Harvie MSP – former Professor of British Studies at Tubingen, he is one of Scotland’s leading historians public intellectuals and now an SNP MSP.

He has written on North Sea oil, the British political novel and European regionalisation. His books include “Scottish History, Scotland and Nationalism”, “Deep Fried Hillman Imp: Scotland’s Transport and Scotland: a Short History”, and “No Gods and Precious Few Heroes: Scotland since 1914”.

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Shaun Burnie

Shaun Burnie – worked as a Nuclear specialist for Greenpeace International for 20 years and is now an international consultant on ‘nukes’ – military and civil.

Shaun has lobbied the UN in a suit and been chased by French Special Forces at sea

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