Lauren MacCallum, development officer at Snowsports Scotland and founder of super inspiring girls shred platform LASS, has become a bit of an expert at Scottish independence. Her decision to vote Yes was a journey. 

My decision to vote Yes was not an easy one; I definitely don’t consider myself a nationalist, if anything an internationalist, and I have actively promoted and campaigned for women and gay rights so if I thought there was a sniff of a closed minded, ethnic, racist tone to the mass body of this campaign I would be running a country mile!

What’s happening in Scotland right now is a mass social movement. Yes, No’s, maybes are becoming more politically aware, questioning and challenging the status quo.This referendum has single handedly re-invented village hall politics, I mean when was the last time you’ve seen people in their droves packing out school assembly halls on a Monday night at 7:30pm to talk about politics?

The movement is a diverse one with many voices and if anyone tries to tell you that this is a single party SNP nationalist vision lead by one man, Alex Salmond, dictating from Bute House and built on the hatred for the English, assume they have no idea what they are talking about.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen especially the youth and the Scottish working class finding their voice and standing up and speak so fluently, comprehensively and articulately amongst their communities about the type of country they want to live in, and spell out ways (on both sides) to build a better future, which gives me a load of confidence.

But I guess it’s this articulation, intelligence, dedication and lack of fear to challenge the status quo displayed in my community which has made me believe Yes is a better option. Originally I felt guilty of my decision as I thought we would be able to do this united, however when I look at Westminster I just don’t see the space in-between the individual political parties to deliver and the concept of an unelected body of Lords where clergymen make decisions is archaic and does not reflect my modern vision for Scotland.

Independence for me gives Scotland the opportunity to create independent minded people, and when people feel empowered to take responsibility for themselves and be the change they want to see then that’s when you’ll get real significant change and hopefully start to cure our dismal 30% voting turn outs which I think just illustrates how disenfranchised the electorate have become.

I also realise that this notion can be easily brushed off as hippy dippy fluff and pour scorn over but I’ve seen it work in places like the great wee Isle of Eigg (check it out).

In Eigg the islanders commenced a community buy-out, with this act they have taken massive ownership and have miraculously turned the place around and now have global professionals coming to study their world class renewable energy systems – not bad for a tiny island that couldn’t even get its waste extracted.

I’m not voting for a utopia, or for a Yes vote to wave a magic wand as let’s face it, on the 19th of September Scotland will still be a sectarian, capitalist, neo-liberal, low-paid, class divided country but it’s how we tackle those issues, with a new tool? Or the old tool which has lead us to the point of having a referendum?

I’m well aware that voting Yes and creating a new constitution are no guarantee of social progress or fairness, but it’s a start. It’s a start of a very long difficult journey where we will no-doubt make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.

I hope people watching Scotland globally right now wish us good luck and can understand this will to govern ourselves as you’ll most certainly be welcome whatever the outcome on the 18th ….but just remember your passports 😉