Posts Tagged ‘Swansea University Students’ Union’
EXCLUSIVE! Student Activist Diary exposes fascist meeting in Swansea
January 24, 2012 | 
Author 
Anti-fascist groups from across South Wales will mobilise on Thursday evening, the Student Activist Diary can exclusively reveal.
Student leaders in South Wales will urge activists, students and local residents to join a demonstration in exposing a fascist meeting held at Samlet Social Club this Thursday evening.
In an interview today, Zahid Raja, NUS Wales Black Students Officer and UAF Wales steering committee member, told us that ‘choosing Brian, a well-known proponent of fascism, to speak on faux-issues that underpin Islamaphobic propaganda suggests to me that this is a political attempt to inject divisive politics into the local community.’
Brian Gerrish, a known fascist sympathiser, will be speaking on “Are Our Children Safe? – An Investigation of Politics and Suicide Risks” at Samlet Social Club in Swansea Enterprise Park this Thursday at 7pm.
Zahid Raja went on to say, ‘Students should resist this attempt to mainstream racism and join us outside the Samlet Social Club at 6:30pm to show that local communities in Swansea reject this kind of baseless politics that fuels racism.’
Last year in March, the Student Activist Diary reported on the successful demonstration against Nick Griffin, who was invited to speak at The Globe pub in Swansea. Keeping in that spirit, we encourage you to register a polite complaint with the Samlet Social Club by writing to them here:
Samlet Social Club
Samlet Road
Swansea Enterprise Park
Swansea
SA7 9AG
or by ringing them on 01792 516239.
+++UPDATE: From the reactions to this post, our team would like to clarify some points. This demonstration was organised by UAF Wales and was supported by NUS Wales Black Students’ Campaign who made a decision to act on the information supplied by UAF Wales, most notably the nature of the subject matter for this event. The subject matter for this event was verified from Kevin Edwards blog (a former BNP member) – click here for the screen grab.+++
62% of Swansea’s student voters want to see NUS move to ‘One Student One Vote’ – Student Activist Diary can reveal.
Examining the results from the NUS UK Delegate elections we can see that three out of four candidates elected had One Student One Vote in their manifesto’s – a clear message to NUS that students in Swansea are not happy with the current set up and want to see change. This news comes as Zahid Raja a member of the NUS Wales National Executive Committee and Luke James who is Swansea University Students Union President are set to propose a motion to enshrine what the voters have said into Student Union policy.
At NUS UK National Conference in 2010, Michael Chessum who is on the NUS UK National Executive Council took to the stage telling us how ‘We have 7 million members but only 700 people who vote in the policy decision’ He described NUS conferences to be ‘dominated by factions that do not reflect the voices of the students on the ground.’
In March, University Central London Union passed a vote of no confidence in both the NUS and the standing National NUS President of the day. The frustration of their students was not dissimilar to the frustration of those here. UCLU’s Student Paper said: “The motion, passed by a two-thirds majority, was the result of a common feeling that the NUS had not supported student activism in the face of tuition fee rises and education cuts.” It was argued that “…their inability to respond to students’ needs was, in part, due to an indirect electoral system. The motion declared that ‘700 delegates cannot properly represent a national union of seven million’ and called for ‘One member, one vote – for a more democratic National Union’.” Harrowing words coming from one of the most active Unions in the country.
Zahid Raja a third year student at Swansea University and a member of the National Executive Committee for NUS Wales said, “I think Swansea Students have spoken clearly on this issue – it’s only entirely proper that we listen to them and make sure that our Students Union does it’s best to shift NUS towards One Student One Vote. That means lobbying other Student Unions about this idea, it means joining other Student Unions like Oxford University Students Union, University of Central London Union and other activists to beat the cliques and deliver what students deserve – real democracy.”
You can have a chance to join the debate and vote for the One Student One Vote motion this evening at 6pm at Café West. This publication strongly suggests that students come this evening and voice what they said through the ballots. Click here for the facebook event page.
Posted in Higher Education, Student Activism, The Issue | 
Tags: Democratic Students, Luke James, Michael Chessum, National Union of Students, NUS, NUS NEC, NUS UK, NUS UK NEC, NUS Wales, NUS Wales NEC, One Member One Vote, One Student One Vote, Swansea University Students' Union, University Central London Union, Zahid Raja | 
No Comments »
Student Fuel Poverty
In his recent ‘Fuel Poverty Review’, professor John Hills predicts that by the end of 2011, around 4.1 million homes in Britain will be considered to be living in ‘fuel poverty’. This situation, the review has noted, could directly contribute to the deaths of just under 3,000 people over the coming winter; a toll higher than the average seasonal number of fatalities in road-accidents.
.
Students across the UK are attempting to save money at the expense of their own health. Government statistics on fuel poverty indicate that students living in affordable yet energy-inefficient accommodation make up a large percentage of those recognised to be living in ‘fuel poverty’ by the ‘Living in Wales’ report, 2008. Swansea students in private accommodation are being let down by prepayment meters which charge a higher rate for energy than other types of meters, inefficient appliances, and poorly insulated housing. All of these things mean a situation in which keeping warm is an artificially expensive dream for students. There is no doubt that living in fuel poverty is devastating for both physical and mental health.
.
There are clear problems with expecting the solution to come from conventional energy-sources. Recent years have seen attempts by many energy companies to repackage old fossil-fuel solutions; i.e. E.ON’s support for ‘New Coal’. However, the appalling efficiency rating of just 45% for these new coal-powered units highlights the urgency with which we need a more sustainable solution.
.
To be able to bring about the changes needed to make greener energy solutions, such as the 100% renewable energy tariff provided by the company Ecotricity, more available to financially strained students, what is needed is a strong, eco-conscious current within the students movement. Past and on-going initiatives such Climate Camp, and NUS campaigns such ‘Student Switch Off’, and ‘Green Impact’ demonstrate to us an existing willingness to fight for such changes. It is now necessary, more than ever, for environmentally conscious students to show the rest of the student movement that the commitment to future generations as embodied in the anti-cuts movement should be linked to the commitment to protect the environment we share.
No Student Loan and No Job Make Zahid Crazy –Top 10 things to do when I get my student loan.
As those of you who follow me on twitter or facebook (yes, this sentence was a cheap plug to my social media) will have come to understand, I’ve had some… issues with Student Finance *cough* I declared a social Fatwa *cough*
.
Now, it isn’t entirely Student Finance England’s fault – I messed up my year for all sorts of reasons – personal and then not-so-personal – and I’ve been granted permission to do it again (yey!). I was meant to graduate and go onto Swansea’s Graduate Entry Medicine programme – but alas, we’ll save those tears for another entry.
.
Anyway, after some negotiating, I find out quite late into the summer that this is what I now need to do in order to move closer to eventually becoming a doctor. I apply to student finance and it all gets delayed as a result of some more unfortunate events in my life and now here we are at present day where they have all my information and now I’m waiting for them to sort it out and send me confirmation so I can get some monies.
.
All the while and quite understandably I’ve been quite poor, living out of my overdraft a credit card and parents hand-outs. I mean, I sacrificed getting a freshers wristband for a Times Higher Education subscription – #middleclassnightmare or what?!
.
On a serious note, Freshers has been less than exciting given I’ve had to travel around the country for a month ALL on a ridiculous budget. But the extended times on the train has given me space to think about life. A step back from ‘student politics’ and politics in general. The simplest things in life have actually become something I aspire to now that I have no money!
.
The top ten things I’m going to do when I get my student loan:
.
- Sort out a joint account with my housemate for bills and make sure we have a budget and know how much we’re spending on electricity / heating (I never want to be poor again, EVER!) Also, pay off my credit card – I’m genuinely afraid that Lloyds TSB are going to come around any day now and cap my knees or tell me that they’ve kidnapped my Blackberry – both situations are terrifying, even with RIM’s network down.
. - Go to see some sort of good live music. The King Blues have come and gone – Ted’s band are about to hit town. I need my fix and I need it soon; I fear my life is determined by what music Spotify has and that box is just too small!
. - Buy a shed load of GOOD food from Marks and Spencers and live the vegetarian dream. I’ve cleverly tailored my life to getting into as many events with free buffets as possible, that and noodles has left my insides dead. Deader than your 9am lecture, trust me. I want my Jamie Oliver moment and I want it now.
. - Buy some clothes. So if you’ve seen me around campus / at your SU – my wardrobe literarily consists of stuff from Swansea SU Ents / random campaign t shirts / SU exec hoodies of the old – it’s not great. I need to rock up to Top Man and find some bright green jeans to go with a dull orange jumper…and maybe a hat. Yes, I want a hat. A big blue hat to tell the world how cool I am by looking the most uncool.
. - Go to a cocktail bar. I’m not going to lie, getting drunk on value vodka and £4 wine has not done my life any favours. I want to enjoy alcohol again. I don’t want to get drunk for drunks sake anymore. I saw this amazing experiment by Radio 1 DJ’s and now that I’m twenty-effing-two I’m slightly self-conscious that my liver might try to move out if I carry on with these habits, I know I would!
. - Take some lovely friends who have taken care of me over the past month or so out to dinner. We’re going to Nando’s and it’s going to be the dream. Maybe we can mix in point 5 with this plan? Who knows – the term is young.
. - Pay societies. Basically, similar to my Lloyds situation, I’ve joined some societies whom I now owe membership money to. I desperately need to pay them off so I can turn up to their events guilt-free – the guilt is actually worse than wondering when Lloyds are going to ring me about unplanned overdraft charges.
. - Join the AU. …If you’re done laughing now… I *really* want to do a sport. Badminton took my fancy and I think I could do it properly. I even toyed with the idea of Archery, but let’s stick to mastering getting a shuttlecock across a net first. My yonex feels sad that it’s not seen the light of day for two years.
. - Buy coursebooks – Lots of them. My dissertation this year is on medical education and if the increase in tuition fees will act as a deterrent on students from widening participation backgrounds and the impact all of this will have on the future of the medical profession and the delivery of care. I hope my personal tutor isn’t reading this – if you are, number 9 is still cool!
. - Visit my friends in Scotland. For the past two years I’ve promised, ‘set dates’ and have just clearly lied to them telling them I’d go up only to realise I had no monies. So now, as soon as I get money I’m going to book train tickets far in advance, so it’s super cheap and an actual date is set to go and say hi to some exciting people.
.
There you have it. My top 10 things to do when my loan arrives. They don’t sound spectacular at all, but they are things that I really want to do; things that I feel will make me feel more secure and happy.
12 Cups, 2 Balls – Swansea University Beer Pong Society
So yesterday evening I went to the first meeting / event / social of Swansea University Beer Pong Society. I was one of the people who got half price membership after getting the ball into the cup at the freshers’ fayre – I assure you, it was a HUGE fluke.
.
Similar to what the ‘NUS drink aware’ lobby are feeling right now as they read this article – I was apprehensive, and definitely not up for a laddish time (my excuse, however is that I *still* have freshers flu…) However, seeing as I won half priced membership and because Eva Donoghue (Society President) is just excellent banter, I decided to actually give it a go.
.
So I rocked up in the most ridiculous outfit (shirt, blazer and the dirtiest jeans known to man) and immediately noticed that the atmosphere was something completely different to what I expected. It was both chilled out and electric. Tom Upton, the Societies and Services Officer was DJ’ing with Lewis Crompton (OMG DJ) – they stressed that no one was to be forced to drink, and to be fair to everyone, no one actually was. In fact, even when playing competitively, it was more about the game than getting lamp-shaded.
.
People played for fun and competitively. Those like Amy and me, who took part competitively, were in the run to win some amazing prizes: V-suit plus champagne on any Monday for ten people, Boudoir booth on ‘versus’ night for ten people, and third prize was Free entry and queue jump for two at Sin Savers. Pretty sweet.
.
Amy Drawbridge and I were in the appropriately named team ‘The Black Kidz’ (though her idea, she had no say in the spelling – I can hear what you’re thinking. SHUT UP! I *am* down with the kids, shh!) – we won one game and lost the next. Our game play was simultaneously excellent and tragic; every time we’d miss a shot – we missed it, ridiculously, every time we’d get it in – it was as if the ball flew out of the hand of God and fell elegantly into the welcoming arms of beer-y goodness. The whole event was actually quite stimulating. The 4 pints for £7 kept us merry (yes, it included cider too) and the evening was busy throughout.
.
The next Beer Pong event is this Saturday in Divas (DV8). Give it a go – I’m willing to bet that you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Click here to go to their facebook page.
If I had a water pistol….
There is a certain something about activism that makes me want to read books out loud to grown strangers on the Docklands Light Railway early in the morning. Admittedly, I’m usually one of your average eye-contact avoiding Londoners; the sort you might spy-out on the Northern Line during rush hour, periodically switching gaze between the advertising, tube map, and ground. However, once every so often, things that happen in this city give reason for some of us to break down a few barriers. Of course, sometimes the reason in question may not seem so straight forward. Let this never detract from the importance of the cause, or of the way in which you may come to meet one of us enraged folk.
.
Recently, the band ‘Star F***ing Hipsters’ spat the words “for every innocent that gets murdered in the fray, we’ll fight 3,000 miles away” in to the ears of alienated ‘crust-punks’ everywhere. Upon hearing these lyrics, I came to a revelation; I had just found the most conveniently crass quote possible to insert into this article. For it just so happens that roughly 3,000 miles away from the ‘Defence and Security Equipment international’ (DSEi) arms-trade fair in east London is the less-than-liberal kingdom of Bahrain.
.
The ‘Arab Spring’ which broke out earlier this year left a profound mark on Bahrain, a country many human rights groups deem an ‘authoritarian regime’. Unfortunately, the immediate history of this young popular movement follows a similar line to other recent movements in the region. The Sunni-dominated elite of Bahrain have overseen the bloodshed of mostly Shia peaceful protestors. In light of this fact, how does the British government respond? Well, it seems that concerns regarding Bahrain among the top level defence authorities in this country do not concern the protesters, but the weapons being turned on them. The list of dodgy delegations invited by the British government to the DSEi fair does not end at Bahrain; among others, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan were all in attendance. The British government, behaving like a naughty kid confessing to a cookie-jar robbery, only released the list of invitees the day before the DSEi exhibition was due to open after pressure for information from national newspapers. The message of this action by the government is loud and clear; our hugely subsidised arms industry is more important than the subsequent risk put to hundreds, if not thousands of lives.
.
Big money is sacred. The holiness of the billions of dollars in the pockets of the visiting delegations to the DSEi arms fair is part of the same unfortunate situation which keeps the public from being allowed access to the highly guarded fortresses in which these moguls operate. Indeed, sound investment requires the prerequisite of lack of dissent. Fortunately, as long as the description ‘being difficult’ exists, there shall be those to fit it. At 9.30 am on the 13th September, I was sat amongst a sea of glum faces on the Docklands Light Railway. These were not necessarily unhappy people I was sitting with, they were relatively well-off businessmen making a killing in a subsidised trade. These people were merely being humbled with some facts about the by-products of their business; they especially seemed to like the story of how a couple of activists and a school group managed to purchase banned equipment commonly used for torture from a giant arms-producer! We parted ways at Custom House station. They bound for an extravagant reception; I bound for the pavement outside the station. Luckily, the Critical Mass bloc (cyclist activists) had arrived, with an obnoxiously loud sound system in tow. After the initial round of ‘murdering scum’ a sense of dissatisfaction set in. The culprits were where they have always been, just beyond the reach of justice.
.
Until we finally reached the vehicle entrance to the Excel Centre, our miniature roaming protest carnival navigated the residential streets of Newham. The locals not already outraged by the localised gun-running orgy stopped to ask carefully worded questions. Discreetly, so as to hide my intentions from the pursuing police Forward Information Team (FIT), I begun to prepare my ultimate revenge. The front gates of the exhibition fell clearly into view; I was patiently biding my time. Blockading the road failed, the group was forced back onto the pavement. My ultimate retribution suddenly gained new meaning. In the pocket of my hoody, my hand fell on the trigger. In a moment of sheer justice-inspired rage, I turned my weapon on a nearby policeman. The jet of clear, crisp water fell just short of his regulation boots, the policeman was slightly bemused. As I examined my pistol for faults, I heard a roughened, yet polite voice boom ‘let us see that, please sir’. Apparently, the government had heeded the protest’s demands and the police were beginning the crackdown on all forms of firearms. As if! In fact, my 99p brightly coloured plastic water gun had been deemed a security threat; “we can’t be sure of what’s inside it, sir!” Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the Russian delegation’s convoy leaving the conference; they were there to market a new brand of Kalashnikov.
.
Police officers were already present and waiting when, ‘affinity group’ by ‘affinity group’, the roaming protest arrived at the headquarters of the flagship corporation of the international arms-trade: BAE Systems. By 5 o’clock, around 60 activists – armed with the knowledge of BAE System’s disregard for US trading regulations, the economies of African countries, and human life world-wide – had coated themselves in red paint and ‘played dead’ on an otherwise quiet Westminster road. The few clouds in a mostly clear blue sky rolled past, the trees in BAE Systems HQ’s personal roof garden were caught by a gentle breeze. I was awoken about half an hour later by a fellow protestor informing me that we were moving on; rule number one, for the sake of objective, never fall asleep mid-direct action. The Forward Information Team (FIT) was snapping away, capturing my incriminating tiredness; “we’ve caught you mildly relaxed, sir!”
.
The arms industry is an industry not exactly new to appearing behind innocent façades. Sometimes, the link can appear fairly indirect, e.g. research funding for universities. Sometimes, very occasionally, the innocent façade comes in the form of a large, famous physical destination. As the protest dispersed and reconvened outside the National Gallery by Trafalgar Square, the confused inquisitions of the public at large were slightly overwhelming. Fortunately, the task of appealing to the rich tapestry of people that can be found in central London on any given afternoon is a task that most activists, young and old, are well familiar with. The protesters begun their loud-mouthed rants, engaged startled tourists, confronted the arriving guests of BAE System’s luxurious gallery banquet; before too long, the square was covered in leaflets proclaiming ‘THIS IS NOT OK!’
The Freshers Guide To The Student Union – Getting Involved
So, it’s October now. The Freshers’ Week (or Fortnight, you lucky, heavy-drinking lot) fug has risen, even the worst hangovers have succumbed to orange juice and Ibuprofen, and the reason you have someone saved in your phone as “Tall Brown-Eyed Boy” has become a mystery that will never be solved.
.
(Unless you only move to uni in October, of course, in which case here’s a free tip for you – make sure you save people’s numbers with their actual names. Seriously).
.
Anyway, now you’ve realised that you don’t really want to be a member of those twelve societies you joined because they were giving out free pens/USB drives/pizza at the Freshers’ Fair, one of the things you might be thinking about – alongside how many highlighters you need and the best way to get red-wine stains out of a cream carpet – is how to get involved with the people who make it all happen: the student union.
.
“Student politics” is a mystifying topic for a lot of us. I count myself amongst that number; I’m in my fourth year at the University of Edinburgh, and up until I sat down and wrote ‘So, it’s October now’ at the top of this page, I hadn’t ever really thought about how to get involved.
.
That’s a mistake, honestly. Edinburgh’s student union, just like most others, is a wonderful, vibrant place. Political students usually come in two clear-cut stereotypes: the left-wing hippie, complete with dreadlocks, clothes that haven’t seen a washing machine since the seventies, and a permanent fug of patchouli and weed, goes up against the right-wing would-be Thatcherite, all sharp suits and impressive CV.
.
The problem is, of course, this isn’t true: in fact it’s a stereotype straight out of ‘The Young Ones’. In reality, your student union offers much more than just a collection of outdated archetypes – whether you simply want to take advantage of their cheap pints and free advice services, or actually help out in making the decisions that keep it going.
.
.
Each student union is unique, of course, but most have some things in common. They offer academic support, as well as advice on general issues. They have the ultimate say over what goes on in societies, voting on financial matters as well as, in rare cases, having the power to sanction them. They run campaigns, both individually and alongside the National Union of Students – the protests in London, for example, were organised by student unions.
.
It’s easy to think that the student union just sits around all day talking about how to stick it to the man. Indeed, Edinburgh University’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mike Williamson, says that before he got involved in student politics, he “used to think that the students’ association was a big talking shop that never got anything done” – mind you, he adds, “my mind was changed when, in 2009, the University tried to close the Portuguese department, which was part of my joint degree, and EUSA really stepped up to the plate and ran a hugely successful campaign to keep it open.”
.
Because, of course, it isn’t true that your union does nothing. Both in front of and behind the scenes, it works very hard to keep you in the lazy student lifestyle to which you’ll no doubt become accustomed (another free tip – Neighbours starts at half one, and is best enjoyed from the comfort of your bed).
.
.
Of course, even I understood that there’s more to the student union than a yearly election campaign and a number of posters technically known as a “shit-ton”. Where I came unstuck, though, and I don’t think I’m the only one, is in trying to figure out how it all works. There are so many different strands to the union, and in most cases they don’t all fall into a neat pattern! Still, in most cases, it goes something like this:
.
- The sabbatical team. A sabbatical student (i.e. someone who has taken a year off, usually after graduation, to focus on student politics.) This team is usually led by a President – this person presides over the rest of the union. A new president is elected yearly, and all sabbatical officers pledge certain things to the student population (more on this later).
.
- The executive committee. The president is also technically a part of this committee, alongside several vice presidents who focus on different aspects of student life. The exact titles of the vice presidents differ from university to university, but you’ll generally find someone in charge of academic affairs, communications, societies and activities, campaigns, etc. Again, these are all sabbs who run for election each year.
.
- The student body! Membership of your student union is generally considered an automatic part of being enrolled at the university, and there are loads of ways to get involved – from as soon as you start right up until you leave.
.
.
It depends what you want to do! If you’re interested in the academic side of things – you want to help make sure that your courses are properly reflective of your needs, for example – you can become a Course Rep. This is a position which your lecturers ought to mention in the first couple of weeks; each course needs one. The course reps meet towards the beginning of the semester, and can decide to nominate themselves to become year reps, department reps, and faculty reps (some of these may be dependent on individual unions’ policies). This means that if you fancy giving this sort of thing a go, but aren’t quite sure how far you want to take it, you can choose to stop nominating yourself at any point, which makes it a good way to test the water.
.
If, on the other hand, you’re more interested in getting your voice heard in terms of campaigning, most universities run forums every few weeks during semester time. These are open meetings which allow any student to share their ideas on a given topic. Forums tend to be split into different areas – for example academic affairs, societies, postgraduate issues – so make sure you go along to the right one; your university union’s website ought to be able to provide you with some more information.
.
Also, if the student union decide to hold a protest/campaign at any point during the year, there will undoubtedly be information in your student newspaper or on the website, so make sure you keep checking! You don’t have to be informed on every decision the union makes to get involved with one campaign. Zahid Raja, NUS Wales national executive committee, says that ‘the best place to get up to date information on what your SU does is from social media – you have to remember that these officers are students and 8/10 times, they will update facebook or twitter before they update the Student Union website. Also, be on the lookout for their blogs if you want the real gossip behind SU decisions.’
.
What if you’re more of a society person? James Hickie, Activities Officer of USSU, the University of Sussex’s student union, says that he first got involved with USSU through playing for the student orchestra. Even societies that aren’t overtly political have to go through the union for many things, and it’s very easy to be involved in both.
.
Finally, every union has an AGM, to which the whole student body is invited. Depressingly, not all of these meetings achieve quorum, meaning that the one opportunity everyone has to vote directly on motions that will affect you can be somewhat wasted – basically a polling exercise. By going along you’ll not only be adding your voice to the pool, you might be making the difference between a motion being passed or not.
.
.
If, like me, you’re jaded and bitter and feel cynical every Freshers’ Week when you see excited freshers queuing up in Tesco, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s too late to get involved in the student union, even if this breathless whistle-stop tour has suggested that it might be something you’re interested in. Or perhaps you are an excited fresher, but you want to spend your first year getting horribly drunk and inventing new cocktails (and I speak as the proud creator of the ‘Manhandler’) without any sort of responsibility to worry your pretty head.
.
If this is sounding about right, then never fear: you can get involved with your union at any point during your degree! Edinburgh’s Mike Williamson is a perfect example: he studied for two years at Edinburgh and did a year in Portugal without ever standing for election for a union position. “I got involved in the anti-cuts group, which decided to run a big slate for the EUSA elections. Being in my final year I could only run for a sabbatical position so, after some persuading, that’s what I did! It’s quite strange, particularly because I don’t know all the processes and what’s happened in the past, but I used to do quite a lot of campaigning anyway, so getting paid to do that is my idea of a dream job,” he says.
.
.
So, hopefully, this article’s done its job, and whether or not you decide to put yourself forward to be an active part of the student union you will at least have a better understanding of what’s going on. It simply remains for me to wish you luck, should you decide to nominate yourself to be a course rep, go along to a forum or even stand in an election. In the words of James Hickie: “Over the course of my degree I set up and ran societies, helped out coaching sports teams, attended and organised events, volunteered during Freshers Week, met many of my closest friends and had some of my most memorable University experiences, all through the Students’ Union.” If that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is.
Edinburgh student? Sussex student? Swansea Student? Intrigued by what you’ve heard? Find out more about EUSA at www.eusa.co.uk and USSU at www.sussexstudent.com. SUSU at www.swansea-union.co.uk
Posted in Elections, Further Education, Higher Education, Student Activism, The Issue | Tags: Edinburgh University Students Union, Ellie Blow, Guide To Student Unions, How To Get Involved with Student Unions, James Hickie, Mike Williamson, Student Elections, Student Politics, Sussex University Students' Union, Swansea University, Swansea University Students' Union, The Freshers' Guide To The Student Union, Zahid Raja | No Comments »
Swansea says: Students as Partners, Not Consumers – November 9th Campaign Action
Last week, I was invited by the University of Leicester Students’ Union to speak on a panel debate alongside Aaron Porter; former NUS National President, Eben Marks; Amnesty UK and Kirsty Minnis to talk about activism – after hearty exchanges on what activism means to us and how the student landscape has changed, there was a heated debate on if protest is ever futile with at least half the panel making references to the November 9th Demonstration called by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and the NUS/UCU National Demo to support activists.
My position on this is clear; we shouldn’t be spending hundreds of pounds of anyone’s money on coaches until there is a political opportunity to influence – i.e. the national demo organised by NUS and UCU was called to influence Parliament on the increase of tuition fees. Student Unions across the UK, including ours forked out a lot of resources, not just on the logistics but also promoting the event and getting the numbers we needed. It took up a lot of sabb timeout of priority campaigns but I believe it was the right thing to do at that time. The same amount of resources cannot be justified for this demonstration.
Yesterday, I put forward a motion “Students as Partners, Not Consumers: Campaign Action” (click to read the whole thing) asking that Swansea University Students’ Union politically support the NCAFC demo, the national lobby of Parliament by education trade unions over pensions and the industrial action called for the 30th. The motion passed overwhelmingly.
I do believe that the national demo galvanised HE issues for an entire generation, but I think we can do more for our students in Swansea locally. It is crucial now, more than ever to win the hearts and minds of our peers and make the arguments against the chaotic white paper before the bill is presented.
Therefore, on November the 9th, instead of organising busses to London, we will hold a local rally to make clear to University management that students in Swansea do not want the consumer relationship. Instead, we want to be partners in education. We want the rhetoric on ‘putting students at the heart of decision making’ to mean something and actually work to improve the academic student experience.
Rhiannon Hedge, our education officer who seconded my motion made the analogy of buying a chocolate bar – once you’ve bought it, if you don’t like it; it’s too late to change it. All you can do at this point is complain. If students are partners then they actively shape the delivery of the education we want. This is far more efficient than getting a service you don’t want and then wasting more time complaining about it.
I look forward to seeing you at the rally on November the 9th. A month away, expect to hear more about this very soon. This won’t just end with a rally – it will be a sustained student-led campaign throughout the year.
Posted in Higher Education, News, Student Activism, The Issue | Tags: #SwanseaRally, 30th November industrial action, Aaron Porter, Eben Marks, Higher Education, Kirsty Minnis, Leicester University Students Union, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, NCAFC, Not Consumers, November 9th Demo, NUS Demo, NUS UCU, Students As Partners, Swansea Student Rally, Swansea University, Swansea University Management, Swansea University Students' Union, Zahid Raja | No Comments »
Swansea Amnesty International Society: Kites for Women’s Rights
The Kite. An unfettered explorer teasing the air with her buoyancy and the irrepressible symbol of vibrancy. However, the kite also represents the discrimination and oppression that continues to confront women living in the Taliban occupied regions of Afghanistan. It is therefore the spearhead of Amnesty International’s September campaign – ‘Kites for Women’s Rights’.
Under the dictatorial regime of the Taliban, many recreational activities were forbidden including the traditional Afghan pastime of Kite Flying, known as ‘Gudiparan Bazi’ in Dari. Prior to the rise of the Taliban regime, women in Afghanistan had the right to vote and constitutional equality. They also flourished in employment, with approximately 70% of schoolteachers, 50% of government workers and 40% of doctors in the capital of Kabul being female.
Despite Islam teaching the protection of the rights of women, including specific provisions defining women’s marriage and divorce rights and our right to own property, the Taliban enforced an extremely strict interpretation of Sharia law which stripped women of their identity and the rights to which they were entitled.
On the seizing of Kabul in 1996 the wearing of the burqa become compulsory, and women were subjected to threats, fines or immediate beatings for not complying. The world of work and education became inaccessible to women over the age of eight. Furthermore, their movement was incredibly restricted: women required their male relatives – ‘mahram’ – to chaperone them everywhere.
In effect, Women became imprisoned in their own homes. The Taliban would order men to black out the windows of their houses, to ensure that nobody could catch a glimpse of a female from the outside. Subject to rape, violence, public execution and abduction women would sink further into poverty and deprivation. Women would become devoid of the skills and confidence to function independently in the modern world.
The 7th of October will mark the 10th anniversary of the U.S-led international intervention to expel the Taliban, and since 2001 many advances have made to improve the rights of women in Afghanistan. There have even been a notable increase in women’s access to education and representation in Parliament.
Throughout September, Amnesty will be encouraging individuals to make their own kites and send them to the U.K government, urging them not to compromise on women’s rights while in peace negotiations with the Taliban at the Bonn Conference on the 5th December 2011. Be sure to join Amnesty at the Fresher’s Fayre and get involved in Kites for Women’s Rights!
Keeping the LGBT Women’s place.
A few weeks ago myself and the Swansea University LGBT Society Chair (Ian Morgan) redressed an issue surrounding the representation of transgendered students on the executive committee of the Student Union. Before our change, Swansea University had a LBT women’s place and a GBT men’s place. Clearly, there was no possible representation on the executive committee of the students union for transgendered students in an LGBT liberation capacity.
Under resolves, our motion changed the names of the GBT Men’s Officer and LBT Women’s Officer to LGBT Officer (Open Place) and LGBT Officer (Women’s Place) mirroring what happens on the NUS NEC.
The Student Activist Diary has learned that this Monday, Swansea University Student newspaper, ‘The Waterfront’ will print an article on students allegedly coming forward with opposition against changing the men’s place. The article will infer that ‘men will now be seriously underrepresented on the executive committee’ because of this change.
Allow me to make clear some of my thinking behind maintaining the women’s place and why, if faced with the same decision again, I’d make the same call:
In HE, 81% of computer science students and 86% of engineering/technology students are men. 82% of students reading education are women. Women make up over 90% apprentices in hairdressing, but only 2% of apprentices in construction, the motor industry and plumbing.
The hourly gender pay gap is 17.1% (compared to 29% in 1975). For part-time work, the gap is 38.4%. Within five years of leaving college women students earn 15% less than men.
16% of women experience stalking at some time in their lives. 25% of women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives, leading to the murder of two women every week by their current or former partner.
Women make up 19.7% of the total number of MPs and only 30.3% of the UK members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Women make up 11.1% of university vice chancellors and 28.6% of college principals.
Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, and yet earn only 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of the world’s property. 70% of the world’s extreme poor (on less than the equivalent of $1 per day) are women. Two-thirds of the 876 million illiterate people in the world are women. Two-thirds of school-age children in the developing world without access to education are girls.
I hope you can see that in order to redress and campaign against these political, economic and social imbalances, our Union decisively maintained the position of women’s officer on the Students Union executive committee.