Featuring a unicorn, Mothers Against Genocide, Latina dancers and trans rights activists, GIFC 25 started with a bang last Saturday with the carnival parade and festival in Govanhill Park. It has to be the most colourful day of the year, but there’s an important anti-racist message behind it all.

AI is no passing fad – it’s already embedded in everyday tech and growing fast. With concerns around ownership, safety and fairness, the challenge now is how we regulate it. David Doren speaks to people across generations to explore hopes, fears, and what comes next.

What does “digital inclusion” really mean? In this article, a digital support worker in Glasgow shares what it’s like helping people get online — from turning on devices to tackling the digital divide. Why digital exclusion is a growing crisis, and what we can do about it.

In a world built around digital access, too many are still locked out. Digital Mushrooms is a grassroots, anarchistic mutual aid project in Govanhill helping folk get to grips with tech — no suits, no funding bids, just solidarity (and maybe biscuits).

From tabloid sensationalism to TikTok citizen journalism, how do narratives about a place get shaped, and who gets to shape them? Devon McCole explores digital reporting on one of Glasgow’s most misunderstood neighbourhoods.

Govanhill has more public CCTV cameras than wards many times its size. But who’s being watched? As faulty systems persist and facial recognition expands, troubling links emerge to Israeli surveillance firms tied to the oppression of Palestinians.

Writer Laura Vroomen sets off to discover shops that have been lost and those which are likely to survive – meeting shopkeepers, neighbours, and newcomers to uncover how a changing retail landscape reflects a community in flux.

As corporate advertising continues to dominate our public spaces, one local writer explores its hidden harms – from junk food to greenwashing – and asks whether places like Govanhill could reclaim the streets for people, not profit and if grassroots resistance could offer a way forward.

The rise of far right influence has caused alarm to many in diverse communities like Govanhill and can risk undermining social cohesion, inclusion and harmony. In this opinion piece, published on World Refugee Day, Devon McCole explores what we can do to stop it and protect those most vulnerable.

From the salt shores of Lake Urmia to the streets of Govanhill, one resident shares their journey across continents. Along the way, they discovered unexpected joys in Glasgow’s most diverse neighbourhood – from familiar flavours to lasting friendships.

How can we respond to rolling coverage of injustice without turning away? In Govanhill, campaigners and independent publications explored this question, offering insight into grassroots activism, the BDS movement and the vital role of community-led media.

For Jill, a disability rights campaigner from Glasgow, the internet isn’t just a tool – it’s a lifeline. Through social media, she’s built a movement for accessible toilets across the UK, showing how digital platforms can break down barriers and amplify the voices too often left unheard.

Two Greater Govanhill articles have been shortlisted for Refugee Festival Scotland Media Awards, celebrating powerful, responsible coverage of refugee and asylum issues.

Despite council claims of success, a Pollokshields resident shares a ground-level view of overflowing bins, missed collections, and broken promises — raising questions about whether Glasgow’s bin hub pilot is ready for citywide rollout.

With Scotland’s rent cap scrapped last month, Govanhill residents run the risk of being hit with unaffordable rent hikes — some as high as 100%. As protections vanish, housing campaigners warn of a deepening crisis and urge tenants to organise for rent controls and community stability.

Community sponsorship, a grassroots initiative led by the community and supported by Reset UK, works alongside refugee families to resettle them into their new homes, from accessing safe accommodation, navigating local services, registering with a GP, to helping children settle into school.

Greater Govanhill’s Picture Desk team, Iain McLellan and Laura Vroomen, reflect on One Day in Govanhill — a collaborative photo project at the heart of a new exhibition exploring the neighbourhood’s living heritage, community spirit and the stories that unfolded on a single, extraordinary day.

Arkbound Foundation ran a series of workshops at the Community Newsroom, attended by writers from across Glasgow. Over the course of six sessions, writers respond creatively to the cost of living crisis – through poetry, short stories, and reflective prose, highlighting the power of literature to document their experiences.

Discover how a community-led initiative, Queen's Park Neighbourhoods (QPN), is developing a blueprint to improve local spaces and unlock funding for the Queen's Park area. Find out about their key projects and how you can lend your voice to make these changes happen.

Grassroots initiatives based in Govanhill have received over £10,000 in funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Williamson Trust to support local, sustainable solutions, from greener coffee choices to children’s nature play and urban gardening.