Slavery and colonialism is part of our city’s history - we can’t change the past but we can change the consequences of the future. Join Irene Mosota to discuss recent work of Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group. In August 2022, the council’s policy and sustainability committee endorsed 10 recommendations produced by the independent Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group, which was chaired by Sir Geoff Palmer and operated over an 18-month period between December 2020 and July 2022 involving public engagement. Irene Mosota chairs the new Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group, which will take forward the 10 recommendations of the review group.
Irene is the CEO and founder of Knowledge Bridge. An organisation that supports companies with cross-cultural leadership, diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Irene also serves as the Independent Chair for the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Implementation Review Group, closely examining the city's past and present with support from the City of Edinburgh Council. In addition to her work at Knowledge Bridge, Irene is the Deputy Chair at Social Enterprise Scotland, contributing to the growth of social enterprises.
With an MSc in Intercultural Business Communication, she brings valuable insights to the industry. As a Chartered Fellow for the CIPD People Profession and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Irene is committed to inspiring improved ways of thinking, acting, and fostering positive changes.
Beyond her professional roles, Irene is a community leader, human rights defender, and social justice advocate. She firmly believes in the equal worth of all people, regardless of their creed, ensuring an inclusive approach in all aspects of her work and advocacy.
Edinburgh is 900 Years Old!
In 1124 King David I introduced a new system of local government into Scotland by creating royal burghs as part of his efforts to reform the nation’s economic and political structures.
Edinburgh was one of his first royal burghs, along with Berwick, Dunfermline, Roxburgh and Stirling.
While there is no surviving founding Edinburgh charter, an 1127 Dunfermline Abbey royal charter refers to ‘my burgh of Edinburgh’. In 1128, Canongate Burgh was created for Holyrood Abbey.
After the Reformation, Edinburgh spent considerable effort acquiring the former abbey’s lands over the following 200 years. It acquired Canongate then created a new burgh for South Leith in 1636. The burghs of Broughton, Calton and Portsburgh were also acquired and run by Edinburgh. This complex system of governance was abolished in 1856 when all burghs under the management of Edinburgh were merged into a single burgh.
In 1833, Portobello and Leith were made independent parliamentary burghs under the Burgh Reform Act. They ran their own affairs until amalgamated into an expanded Edinburgh in 1896 and 1920, respectively. 1975 saw the last expansion of the city’s boundaries, including Queensferry, which had been made a royal burgh in 1636.
Edinburgh has selected 2024 to mark the start of the 900th anniversary of our city, and to tell the story of Edinburgh’s journey through the centuries from the 12th century City of David right up to the 21st century, the City of Diversity. Our talks at the City Art Centre will celebrate the 10 themes and will span a period of summer 2024 until August 2025.
Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group