National Lecture 2010: Annie Lennox
National Lecture and Festival of Politics 2010
Annie Lennox delivered our National Lecture on Thursday 19 August 2010 at the Scottish Parliament. For the first time, the lecture was held as part of the Festival of Politics.
You can view a video of the 2010 national lecture by visiting the Scottish Parliament's website.
One of the finest and most outstanding musical voices of our time, Annie Lennox is celebrated as an innovator and a symbol of enduring excellence.
Over the years she has received numerous prestigious awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, numerous Grammys, Brits, ASCAP and Ivor Novello Awards, among many others.
The singer and long term campaigner focused on her work with Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a South African charity that campaigns for treatment for people with HIV and for a reduction in new HIV infections. Annie spent two weeks in South Africa with TAC in 2009, recording the real situation which millions face every day, so that people unaware of the pandemic might gain some understanding. In Africa there are few resources to help medicate sufferers or to educate people about the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The trip was documented across the media by Annie herself.
A veteran campaigner on a raft of issues, Annie hopes to use her public profile to become an ambassador for TAC in the UK.
She has set up a new campaign site called SING www.annielennoxsing.co.uk and you can view her work there.
The GTC Scotland lecture has established itself as one of the most popular events in the education calendar and is often oversubscribed.
Previous lecturers have included The Lord Advocate, the Rt Hon Elish Angiolini QC, Lord David Putnam, Baroness Warnock and Christopher Brookmyre.
The lecture took place this year in the Parliament's main debating chamber on 19 August followed by a reception in the Garden Lobby at Holyrood.
School Visit to James Gillespies
We will be joining Annie Lennox to meet with teachers and pupils from across Edinburgh's secondary schools to share the message about Global Citizenship, HIV and Aids on the 20 August 2010.
Taking time out of the Festival of Politics to meet and talk with teachers, Annie recognises the value and importance of education in making people aware of the needs of others and the issues that need the support and understanding of those in a position to help.
"I'm looking forward to coming back to Edinburgh during the week of the Festival of Politics where I'll take part in some stimulating and interesting events. I'm particularly excited about presenting a lecture for the General Teaching Council for Scotland, as I believe that educators and young people hold a pivotal role with regard to the positive development and transformation of society in the future." - Annie Lennox, July 2010
James Gillespie's High School will host the event, a school with an impressive and passionate commitment to Global Citizenship.
2010: Annie Lennox