For the two years running up to Scotland hosting the global climate change conference, COP26, the SMP engaged its members in Scotland and listened to stakeholders in Malawi, to develop its ‘Malawi at COP26’ Strategy, which aimed to help amplify Malawi’s voice at the talks.

During COP26, Malawi was Chairing both the UN Least Developed Countries (LDC) block and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and therefore had a key role representing the global south.

Speaking at the 2020 SMP AGM, the President of Malawi (who is also the ex officio SMP Hon. Co-Patron) had called for the Scotland-Malawi relationship to be held up as a “model to the world” at COP26, such that the bilateral relationship could “ignite a movement of climate change activists”. Then speaking at the 2021 AGM, the President ended his speech saying: “Seeing some of you at COP26 will therefore be a great honour for me, because if this conference was happening in another country, it would be a mere conference. But since it is happening in Scotland, it will be a homecoming.”

In the run-up to COP26, the SMP partnered with ‘Take One Action’ film festival to help enable the inspiring new Malawian feature-length documentary, ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ to be shown on-demand online and in cinemas in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. The film by Raj Patel and Zak Piper, in English and Tumbuka (subtitled), explores gender issues, as well as the real, human impact of climate change in Malawi.

On November 4th 2021, SMP Members, including Malawians resident in Scotland, joined a special high-level, in-person SMP reception in Edinburgh City Chambers with H.E the President of Malawi, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, celebrating Scotland-Malawi climate cooperation during COP26. 

The reception live-linked to a parallel event in Malawi, the Scottish Government-funded Malawi Climate Leaders COP26 Hub in Lilongwe, run by the Malawi Scotland Partnership. The hub brought together 200 Young Climate Leaders from across Malawi. We heard live from the Young Climate Leaders and those in Edinburgh were able to speak one-to-one with the young people in Malawi through live links.

We introduced 26 representatives of climate-related Scotland-Malawi links to the President, the Lord Provost and the three Ministers in person, telling them about their work to fight the climate crisis. 

Guests and speakers included (Click on hyperlinks to watch individual speeches): 

• His Excellency Dr Lazarus Chakwera, the President of Malawi (and SMP Hon Co-Patron) 
• Her Excellency, Monica Chakwera, First Lady of Malawi 
• Councillor Frank Ross, Rt. Hon. Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh (and SMP Hon Co-President) 
• Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture 
• Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development 
• Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation 
• Hon. Nancy Tembo, Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources 
• Hon. Agnes NyaLonje, Minister of Education 
• David Hope-Jones, The Scotland Malawi Partnership

As part of the event, we had an inspiring ‘youth take over’, with young Scots and young Malawians taking the stage to direct proceedings.

During COP26, the SMP was invited to share its experience with the New York Times’ COP26 Climate Hub. As part of their ‘Educate on Climate’ day, David Hope-Jones joined a panel discussion, in which he talked about the many inspiring school partnerships between Malawi and Scotland, and the need for an approach to international cooperation underpinned by partnership and not charity. The panel discussion took place in the famous “Think Tank” of the New York Times Climate Hub, where Al Gore, Greta Thunberg, Emma Watson, Matt Damon and Malala Yousafza all spoke that week. Surrounded by 200 trees (and with real butterflies!) the discussion event explored what role youth partnerships between the global north and south can play in fighting the climate crisis. In addition to the in-person audience, the event had around 1,200 watching online from countries across the world.

Also during COP26, with the Deputy Lord Provost of Edinburgh and the Association of Malawians in Scotland, the SMP was delighted to host a special afternoon tea in the Edinburgh City Chambers on November 2nd, primarily for the women in the Malawi diaspora to meet the First Lady of Malawi and learn about the First Lady’s charitable foundation: ‘Shaping the Future Foundation’.

The First Lady spoke of her own personal story growing up in poverty in a Malawian village, and the importance of supporting young girls’ education. Depute Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Joan Griffiths, spoke of the City of Edinburgh’s support for the bilateral relationship and Chair of the Association of Malawians in Scotland, Joyce Juma-Phiri, about the Association’s work and the vital role of the diaspora in the bilateral relationship. The SMP is proud to work closely with the Association of Malawians in Scotland and to have funded this event in appreciation of the essential role of the Malawian diaspora community. 

We were also thrilled to co-host a special event at the David Livingstone Birthplace Centre, Blantyre (Scotland), during COP26 for the First Lady to meet SMP members working on projects with Malawi supporting the girl child, hear of their work and share information about her charitable foundation and to tour the David Livingstone Birthplace.