'Hark the herald angels sing
But not for us my dear
I can't recall a single thing
Worth celebrating this year'
Jenny Owen Youngs - Things We Don't Need Anymore
As you know, we're in student union and NUS election season. There are going to be some amazing people standing, there will be other candidates who
aren't so suited. These decisions are for you as students to make. Be blinded not by gimmicks, colours and so on. When looking at candidates look at who has a message you like, who you belive can translate that message into actions. Make sure that you feel the people you want representing you can achieve for you. The Guild
is in something of a flux right now, there's a lot going on and a lot that needs to be done. Zone out, think it through and make sure you're happy with it.
Saturday 26 January 2008
Saturday 19 January 2008
Referendumb
'If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.'
Marian Wright Edelman
The referendum campaign has been going for less than a day and already I can see myself getting upset with the voice that seems to be the 'No' campaign. Right, so to lay down what this is about, the Guild is having a referendum next month, we need 10% of students (3,000 of ya!) to approve a rather dull new constitution or as of 2009 we will in cease to be as an organisation. That is not of the good. There are some students I've been arguing with on facebook (where else?) who are questioning why we have a Guild and that we should be more focused on the fees battle and working with Trade Union groups. To be honest I feel we do that to an extent with our affiliations to NUS and WMANUS. That we should talk to Birmingham City Council, MPs and the Police (we do all of that when necessary, we have great links with the police) and should focus less on African poverty and gender issues (We let our student groups campaign on what matters to them, these aren't priority Guild campaigns and we shouldn't apologise for engaging students in what engages them. Plus I don't remember any Africa or gender identity campaigns since I got here).
This is about whether we have a Guild or not, this is not a 'The Guild is totally perfect, innit?' campaign and nor should it be. Am I happy with our voter turnout? Our representative structures? No. So am I going to sit and moan safely separated by you via the net? No. I'll be out there campaigning about the potential of our students, how they contribute and how much they care. I'll wrestle you to the floor and hack your my.bham account if need be to get you to vote (I won't actually), I'll promulgate the value of being involved to the proverbial heavens if needed. I'll also use the structures we have, writing motions, talking to the rest of exec, to students, to groups, mini-forums etc to advance what I care about. If they agree great. If not, well, as a certain guild bastion once told me, the issues with democracy is you need 49% of people to lose and be happy about it. The point is you try.
Wednesday 16 January 2008
Bored of it.
'Your sister's not a cold-blooded murderer. She's never been a planner.'
Karen Tyler - Wonderfalls
It may not have escaped your notice that we have an by-election at the end of the month for a new BME (Black and Ethnic Minority) Student's Officer, completing the quartet of liberation officers, the others being Womens, LGBTQ and Disabled. Although anyone can stand and anyone can vote under the present rules, there is a sensibility that only students who define as Black or from a minority ethic background should stand and a further one that only self-defining students should vote, that these officers and campaigns should be autonomous. Simon Fairbanks, the VPDR states here that if you're a BME student, this is how you can become a representative. Great. Good. Grood. There seems to be an obvious gap between what we say and what we do. We preach liberation (or we damn well should do) but the procedures we have for the electing officers, who are also co-convenors of the wider liberation associations, don't practice it in the purest form the Guild provides. In the LGBTQ constitution, only self-defining students can run and vote in elections and hold committee positions. So LGBTQ students elect
their own representatives from amongst themselves and they act according in the best interests of those students. Simple. So why don't we do this for liberation officers? Don't get me wrong, I self-define, I work for students, I go to as many LGBTQ events and committee meetings as I can to make sure that I know what I'm doing is right, but I am not a true representative of LGBTQ students, neither was Sid, my predecessor. I know self-definition is open to abuse and that liberation officers, although not trustees, have executive functions, but I think we've become afraid to look at the next step. It's comfy here, it sort of works, most of the time self-defining students will run, will want to run for the right reasons and will care deeply about liberation issues.
Hopefully. And hope isn't good enough, especially when this is something we can deliver. Not for this year no, but for next. Let's think about what we're doing here and what liberation means to those who use it. Let's look at NUS where autonomous liberation works and is one of the biggest ways in which students are engaged on a national level.
The Guild is restarting, if all goes well, we're reviewing all the big questions. So when it comes to liberation and its future, let's ask how we put it in the hands of the students who care about it, who it applies to and for whom it can make a difference. Let's look at how our organisation can adapt to make this work. Let's look at the difficult questions, let's answer them and take a stand.
Peace out.
Karen Tyler - Wonderfalls
It may not have escaped your notice that we have an by-election at the end of the month for a new BME (Black and Ethnic Minority) Student's Officer, completing the quartet of liberation officers, the others being Womens, LGBTQ and Disabled. Although anyone can stand and anyone can vote under the present rules, there is a sensibility that only students who define as Black or from a minority ethic background should stand and a further one that only self-defining students should vote, that these officers and campaigns should be autonomous. Simon Fairbanks, the VPDR states here that if you're a BME student, this is how you can become a representative. Great. Good. Grood. There seems to be an obvious gap between what we say and what we do. We preach liberation (or we damn well should do) but the procedures we have for the electing officers, who are also co-convenors of the wider liberation associations, don't practice it in the purest form the Guild provides. In the LGBTQ constitution, only self-defining students can run and vote in elections and hold committee positions. So LGBTQ students elect
their own representatives from amongst themselves and they act according in the best interests of those students. Simple. So why don't we do this for liberation officers? Don't get me wrong, I self-define, I work for students, I go to as many LGBTQ events and committee meetings as I can to make sure that I know what I'm doing is right, but I am not a true representative of LGBTQ students, neither was Sid, my predecessor. I know self-definition is open to abuse and that liberation officers, although not trustees, have executive functions, but I think we've become afraid to look at the next step. It's comfy here, it sort of works, most of the time self-defining students will run, will want to run for the right reasons and will care deeply about liberation issues.
Hopefully. And hope isn't good enough, especially when this is something we can deliver. Not for this year no, but for next. Let's think about what we're doing here and what liberation means to those who use it. Let's look at NUS where autonomous liberation works and is one of the biggest ways in which students are engaged on a national level.
The Guild is restarting, if all goes well, we're reviewing all the big questions. So when it comes to liberation and its future, let's ask how we put it in the hands of the students who care about it, who it applies to and for whom it can make a difference. Let's look at how our organisation can adapt to make this work. Let's look at the difficult questions, let's answer them and take a stand.
Peace out.
Saturday 5 January 2008
My December.
'Well at least I'm lucky I don't have all the power in the world so I can't f**k anything else up.'
Kate Nash - Stitching Leggings
This post should cover a few things, the last month, my hopes for this year and a few other odds and
ends. I stand by my comments about last GC and I look forward to seeing a broader and more representative perspective from more of our Guild Councillors. We, as an organisation, need it. I do belive it can happen and I'm hopeful. I'm also pleased to lend my support to candidates for NUS National Executive elections. Thus far I am publically supporting, and will submit nominations for: Gaz Hughes (LGBT Open Place), Wes Streeting (President) and Richard 'Bubble' Budden (National Secretary).
Away from politics for 1 sec, on December 16th I went and saw: The Spice Girls! Yes, allow me my shallow trash in the holidays but that was a little bit epic. If you haven't seen 'Holler' live, you may as well not have lived. I also saw the Manics, they
were lovely too.
I've also had a lovely break at home, made an absurd amount of Chinese food and spent a week in Israel, which was lovely.
There was a lot of food for thought, especially post the Annapolis talks and there were many conversations I was fortunate enough to have with journalists on both sides of the divide as to how realistic this all is. I also heard Shimon Peres, the President, giving a talk to some very sycophantic Americans and nearly had to leave the room for cringing. Some things are just uncomfy.
Back to Guild-land. Preparations for the LGBTQ priority campaign and History month are underway, there were a couple of meetings in week 11 and the outcomes have been very positive. I had a long meeting with Emma O'Dwyer, the association chair, to discuss how best to work together on this and drive the campaign forward. Sometimes in life you are just bloody lucky about the people you get to work with.
I regret to state that I will not be around for the Guild's referendum campaign conclusion. I have been invited on a seminar in New York about LGBTQ Jewish students and I feel that for a weekend with free flights I would be stupid not to go.
I'm working on my next GC report and I'll cya soon.
Kate Nash - Stitching Leggings
This post should cover a few things, the last month, my hopes for this year and a few other odds and
ends. I stand by my comments about last GC and I look forward to seeing a broader and more representative perspective from more of our Guild Councillors. We, as an organisation, need it. I do belive it can happen and I'm hopeful. I'm also pleased to lend my support to candidates for NUS National Executive elections. Thus far I am publically supporting, and will submit nominations for: Gaz Hughes (LGBT Open Place), Wes Streeting (President) and Richard 'Bubble' Budden (National Secretary).
Away from politics for 1 sec, on December 16th I went and saw: The Spice Girls! Yes, allow me my shallow trash in the holidays but that was a little bit epic. If you haven't seen 'Holler' live, you may as well not have lived. I also saw the Manics, they
were lovely too.
I've also had a lovely break at home, made an absurd amount of Chinese food and spent a week in Israel, which was lovely.
There was a lot of food for thought, especially post the Annapolis talks and there were many conversations I was fortunate enough to have with journalists on both sides of the divide as to how realistic this all is. I also heard Shimon Peres, the President, giving a talk to some very sycophantic Americans and nearly had to leave the room for cringing. Some things are just uncomfy.
Back to Guild-land. Preparations for the LGBTQ priority campaign and History month are underway, there were a couple of meetings in week 11 and the outcomes have been very positive. I had a long meeting with Emma O'Dwyer, the association chair, to discuss how best to work together on this and drive the campaign forward. Sometimes in life you are just bloody lucky about the people you get to work with.
I regret to state that I will not be around for the Guild's referendum campaign conclusion. I have been invited on a seminar in New York about LGBTQ Jewish students and I feel that for a weekend with free flights I would be stupid not to go.
I'm working on my next GC report and I'll cya soon.
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