Beyond Borders Scotland, is an Edinburgh-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to facilitating small-nation dialogue and international cultural exchange.

It runs a festival at Traquair House in the Borders called Books, Borders and Bikes. This year it runs from the 16th to 18th August. The festival brings together authors, politicians, cultural leaders and artists from all over the world for a weekend of panel debates on a number of topical global and national issues, literary walks around the grounds of Traquair and cycle rides in the surrounding area. In addition to Books, Borders and Bikes, it is also running a film festival at the Edinburgh Filmhouse from August 20-22. The themes include the Israeli Security Service and Palestinian freedoms, an Iranian filmmaker’s clandestine act of courage, a South African Massacre that changed a nation and the triumph of independence in Timor-Leste.

This year’s speakers include General Sir Mike Jackson and Sir Kieran Prendergast, William Dalrymple, former U.S. Diplomat Cynthia P. Schneider, Allan Little, Ben Emmerson QC, and Paul Conroy. They will be discussing issues such as lessons of the Iraq war for Syria and the role of the UN, the rise of public and cultural protest across the world, the current situation in Somalia, Scotland’s place in the world, liberty in the state in light of current events concerning Edward Snowden or the Sharia Law.

Read more here:

http://nationalismstudies.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/books-borders-and-bikes-festival-16-18-august/