In this week’s And Finally, we cover organisational ghosts, plus one councillor’s trip to the Sahara.
Communities and society
And Finally: From Stirling to the Sahara
And Finally... 3rd November 2023
Our weekly round-up for everyone in local government.
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Highlights from this week: Organisational ghosts, plus a trip to the Sahara.
Global Local: Dark Tourism
What is Dark Tourism? Visiting places that might be called morbid or macabre. Like Salem, Massachusetts, the site of the infamous witch trials, cemetery tours or other things to do with death and disaster. It can play on dark fun in the spirit of Halloween, but these sites can also be the deeply disturbing, but important commemorations of suffering and reminders of human cruelty such as sites of genocide. The appeal is primal, but it's not for everyone. We decided it was not appropriate to cover the darkest kinds of tourism in this edition.
Engaging in the management or promotion of dark tourism can be a difficult issue for local government. So questions need to be explored sensitively. However, ignoring the phenomenon can also have ethical issues. From gawkers in residential neighbourhoods to missing the opportunity to frame what happened in the right spirit.
Dark tourism can be the driver of significant economic activity. Some estimate that the global value of dark tourism will top $40 billion US by 2030, and is over $20 billion in the US alone. Communities that engage proactively have the chance to multiply revenues for local businesses and town coffers. Managed right, dark tourism can also help us reflect on past wrongs and make the future better.
In this edition of Global Local, we have a brand new briefing on local government management of dark tourism from a leading academic and a brand new podcast, an interview with the Mayor of Salem, plus we look at institutional ghosts and the benefits of becoming the "Halloween capital of the world". And lots more treats - no tricks!
Is local government haunted? Definitely…
In this fascinating new article, Professor Kevin Orr from the University of St Andrews overviews his research into ‘organisational ghosts’ – enduring influences or figures with histories, biographies and legacies that stay with us all. He argues that those in local government are no exception to this type of haunting and asks what we can learn from these organisational spectres.
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Sexism in Irish local politics – time to wake up!
In recent years, the local to national political systems of Ireland have had low levels of women and Minority Ethnic Community representation. LGIU’s Ireland Commissioner, Dr. Seán Ó’Riordáin, discusses in light of the recent Women’s Collective Ireland Limerick paper on sexism in politics.
Empowering local government in Northern Ireland – Alison Allen, Chief Executive of NILGA
In this article, the Chief Executive of NILGA, Alison Allen, explores the theme of empowering local government in Northern Ireland and the difficult line local government often has to walk between risk management and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity.
Top 15 dark tourism destination recommendations from the LGIU community
Halloween is here! To celebrate LGIU has cast an eye on all things “dark tourism” and compiled a list of the top 15 recommendations of dark tourism worth visiting.
Online absent vote applications: one pressure too many for the strained electoral sector?
LGIU’s work on voter ID demonstrated the serious pressures faced by elections staff in England. At the end of this month, a new and half-finished system will be introduced across England: online absent vote applications. In this article, Dr Greg Stride explores how a good idea can be implemented in the wrong way.
Global Local Executive Panel: Community engagement done well
Online | 9 Nov 2023 | 08:30–10:00 GMT | 18:30–20:00 AEDT
LGIU Members like you can attend for FREE
At LGIU, we bring our members high-level insights from councils across the world on how local government is dealing with key global issues.
Our Global Local Executive Panel Series brings together executive speakers from local government across the countries we work in and beyond to share solutions they’ve found to critical challenges faced worldwide. These sessions bring together senior executives from international councils to share ideas, compare approaches and explore learning opportunities.
LGIU and the Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA) are thrilled to gather together senior executives from Ireland, the UK and Australia to explore how to do community engagement well!
Key areas of exploration
• How to link up citizens’ assemblies and the public with the institutional structure of local government
• How to productively collaborate between local governments and the public
• Avoiding common pitfalls in community engagement
• Using the results of community engagement projects in a meaningful and impactful way
• Engaging rural communities where in-person connections are even more important
• Examining power and decision-making in community engagement
This session is part of our Global Local Executive Panel series. Explore more local solutions to global challenges – FREE for LGIU members.
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Ireland | An Bord Pleanála’s “Annus Horribilis”
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And Finally...
This story made us smile
Councillor embarks on charity trek through the Sahara
Stirling Council member Cllr Rosemary Fraser is taking on an unusual challenge this week - setting off on a four-day fundraising trek through the Sahara Desert to raise money for Strathcarron Hospice. Cllr Fraser, who is tackling the challenge with two friends, commented: "Training has been a little sporadic but we did venture to St Andrews West Sands beach on the hottest day of the year to test out our new desert trainers in the heat."
The Daily Record
This story comes from Scotland Daily News.
Daily News is an LGIU member-only service that keeps you connected to all the local government stories in the national and regional
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