xtra ordinary silence protests and activism

Don’t be fooled we (all those that opposed the motion) knew this was going to go through. From the day that NUS decided to put the reform proposals through in two extraordinary conferences we knew that the game was up for those that opposed it or had doubts about it.

With all our NUS fees being thrown at this half-hearted attempt of a propossal which gives an excuse to the failures of the past, the opposition who themselves are not full time officers of NUS, could not do anything against the vast resources of NUS . Why scream and shout when a bulldozer is fast approaching a condemned building? It won’t make any difference.

They talked about governance to Sabbaticals at training, whilst overlooking racist events and religious intolerance taking place at these events. They talked about governance along with staff members when they visited our unions whilst not focusing on the pressing concerns of student issues on campuses. They continued to focus on governance when the government cut the eligibility for students grants, potentially affecting 130 000 students but talked little about this. So how on earth was governance not going to go through when they did nothing but talk about it all year?

They forced governance down everybody’s throats and sabbaticals swallowed the information, in fear of being brandished as a leftie or radical etc. So when another conference was called, we knew this would go through. Why try and bargain with those that have already accepted the bait. Unlike many in NUS some of us will campaign with the little resources we have in order to make a difference on campus and worldwide. NUS dont deliver on their promises and we continue to see evidence for this.

NUS exec brandish all those that don’t agree with them as lefties, loonies, commies etc in an attempt to scare the independents and tarnish the left who are the only ones that are on the frontline campaigning against the BNP, fighting for free universal fees, calling for international justice and solidarity, all whilst NUS carry on with the side show of governance using our money. How can the left do all this campaigning with little to no money and NUS guzzle our fees (at Coventry this is £33k a year) only for a broke and broken HSBC facebook campaign to show for the last two years.

Today NUS made it about forcing through the proposals undemocratically, so we made this about Palestine. Do you think we talked about Palestine to try and win the vote? Don’t be silly!! We Knew NUS would carry on with what it knew best, rearranging the chairs whilst we actually spoke up for what we really believed in. We wanted NUS to condemn the atrocities that have devastated Gaza. NUS speak out against other issues of international violence but they won’t speak out on this issue!!

Instead of condemning Israel for its political decisions, they have turned this into a religious issue and are trying not to focus on the 1300 deaths of the Palestinians that have perished. For NUS not to condemn the bombing of a University is unbelievable and disgraceful. They have sat in silence as Gaza has been obliterated in what can be described as an unfair, unbalanced and illegitimate assault on this open air prison leaving many dead in their homes, schools and streets.

When we at Coventry tried to get students down to the Gaza national demos, we faced opposition from within our union. Some elected officers discouraged protesting as it ‘could lead to arrests’. They voted against handing out leaflets on boycotts because the apparently there was ‘no evidence of any links’ and tried to stop students going to the national demos. They used the politics of fear and apathy to put us off but we showed that students will be engaged if you engage with them. You cannot oppose things from the comfort of your desk and not be wiling to discuss these issues with students on the ground.

Myself, our BME officer, the VP Academic Affairs, Sabiha Teladia and our 84 year old part time students’ officer managed to attend this however no other elected officer joined us along. We took 60 passionate students on the protests and were joined by 3 other coaches from local trade unions, residents, councilliors and campaigners. At the rally we were joined by other community organisations, trade unions, teaching unions and students unions at the national Gaza demo, but NUS did not attend and said nothing. NUS seems to love silence.

Its silence on Palestine was deafening and the silencing of the Black Students Officers’ email account was alarming. We asked for an investigation on the racist and religious disregard at NUS events and it took weeks for NUS to even come up with any real result. However Wes was pretty quick in silencing the opposition when the Black Students Officer sent out the information without breaking any protocols. Silencing opposition and keeping silent in the face of atrocities worldwide and racism within the union is ridiculous and amounts to a dictactorsip of the apethetic. NUS has truly lost the faith of black students and many other students that want a campaigning union. Looking out onto conference floor after a year of being sidelined and treated badly due to our differing opinions, it was obvious that there were only a handful of black students. Many were the ones from black students committee and others were merely sycophants and main party job sekers, that claim they are ‘Black’ and then go and speak against Black students policies. Let me let you know this…….Just because you are ‘black’, it does not mean that you can speak on behalf of black students, this right is only reserved for those elected at Black Students conference. Black Students are fed up with NUS sidelining their concerns and issues and also their sabbaticals that claim to represent them.

When we mentioned the harassment, unfairness and bullying of the Black Students Officer, conference did not want to know. But when we staged a peaceful protest it was deemed by Wes as intimidating and threatening towards Jewish Students. Why even pretend to be impartial when it is very clear on your stance. The stench of hypocrisy today was overwhelming.

Today was never going to be about democracy that is why attendance was so poor. The very fact that this undemocratic conference was filled with a majority of Sabbaticals and their mates most of whom were not actually elected by cross campus ballot shocks but doesn’t surprise me. When NUS staff were on conference floor sitting amongst the delegates trying to change opinions, I was shocked, but once again not surprised. (so much for staff protocol eh??) Many unions cannot budget for even one conference a year but NUS expects them to pay for 3 conferences in one year. So when attendance was low and we went ahead with the vote regardless, yes I was shocked and yess I was horrified. This should have gone to Annual Conference but was pushed through today. Today the National Union of Sabbaticals was truly born as a majority of sabbaticals voted this in from a minority of unions.

After wasting our affiliation fees and time on this bureaucratic rearranging of the deck chairs I am shocked that the Union is headed in this direction. Where lazy sabbaticals don’t want challenging debates and would rather engage one to one with facebook and email than be active with freshers and Erasmus students. When NUS become apathetic, sabbaticals become apathetic, and then we get unions asking themselves ….’ oh why aren’t students getting involved??’ They need to ask themselves why? This is not about structures or deficits, boards or zones. It always about justifying their failures. If this is not the case then I look forward to increased participation, campaigns and accessibility next year. No more excuses right??

This will not deter me or the hundreds of campaigners and activists that hate the bureaucracy but undertand that NUS thrives on it. We will continue to to fight on the picket lines and in our unions. NUS may have changed but we will never change because we have always looked at things with a bottom up approach. Congratulations NUS for this top down proposals that you have force fed us, just what the NEC and sabbaticals need, but certainly not what the students on the ground want.

I am just waiting for the new financial and legal experts for NUS. Good luck finding one…. the legal system is inherently institutionally racist and the financial advisers are getting financial advice themselves.

Students need to take a stand, do something or say something. Do whatever you can to get your voice heard.

‘You may not be able to change the direction of the wind but you can send your message in that direction.’

Peace in the Middle East,

Bonolo Woracker ~VP Welfare, Coventry University Students Union ~NUS Black Students Campaign Committee (Open Place Job share) ~Another Education is possible

Stop the Search

 

The figures are out, and its official, the amount of stop and searches carried out have increased by a third. Officers in 2006/7 carried out 1.8 million stop and searches. This is an astonishing rate which has increased further in a single year.

 

Stop and Search powers derive from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, and allow the police the right to stop and search specific members of the public for weapons, drugs, stolen goods, terrorism and various other crimes.  These are now widely used and are commonplace in police duties. They are however unrepresentative in their use as the powers of stop and search under this law are unfairly used. Figures released for 2006/7, also showed that Asian people were 2.2 times more likely to be Stop and Searched than a white person. Black people faired worse. The report showed that Black people are seven times more likely to be Stopped and Searched by police than a white person. Not just twice as likely, three times more likely but yes your read it correctly, they are SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY to be Stop and Searched.  These figures again showed an increase on the previous year. The report outlined that the biggest increase in Stop and Searches came from the category of ‘in anticipation of violence’. This saw an alarming increase of 84% in the number of stop and searches under this power against black people alone.

 

These are shocking statistics to comprehend and what is more shocking is that these statistics went largely unnoticed by the national media. This obviously goes against the flavour of the day issue which at this current time is the ‘Knife Crime wave of attacks’ that is raging through our socially deprived areas. The British media need to be more balanced on this issue. Of course you need to highlight the knife crime attacks that are devastating the inner city community, but also highlight the social, economical and political factors that these communities face on a daily basis which lead to these atrocities. There is a failure by the media to highlight the deprivation, lack of opportunity and hope that these young people face.  The media will press the government for a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ which will no doubt act as a plaster to the gaping wound. For a real solution to this there needs to be a far ranging debate on the issue of progression and attainment in education, job opportunities and skills training as well as racism and organised crime within all these communities. What is clear is that there is no easy fix to these situations, however unfairly targeting Black and Asian minorities is unacceptable, biased and unjust. Stop and Search procedures only breed hatred for the police, makes the targeted feel violated of their rights and is an obvious sign of institutionalised racism at its worst. It so obvious but no one wants to admit and the media will not highlight this.

 

 The government are clearly not doing enough on this issue.  Instead of dealing with the issues that are affecting the black and Asian communities, the Government chooses to clamp down on individual freedom, oppress those that are threatened and disregard civil liberties in the process. Why must the government seek to infringe on peoples civil liberties when it holds one of the world’s largest DNA databases in the world, many of which are innocent? Why must we succumb to this paranoia that is sweeping the nation like a contagious epidemic?  It seems that you are guilty until proven innocent in this country. The UK needs to set an example to other countries but instead continues with its stealth stop and search procedures that target communities that already have deep reservations about the government and police.

 

The days of individual freedom are long gone. This is the era of ‘big brother’ surveillance and Parliamentary Paranoia. Everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. Have we already reached this point in history when all faith in human nature is lost. This extreme right wing notion that human nature is inherently flawed, allows the media and the government to portray an image of society that is both pessimistic and in need of serious changes. Fear and pessimism in the psyche of society, give government the mandate to pass laws that violate civil liberties and give the police free reign to accuse suspects and ask questions later. This is a violation of our fundamental human rights which is at its core discriminatory questioning of minorities. Stop and Search however, is for the Government, an accepted way of dealing with overreaction to the media and is overtly unjustified especially considering the vast difference in stop and searches between the races. The media and government wonder why these communities feel like they are being side lined discriminated against and unfairly treated, when they themselves are the ones perpetrate social disintegrations themselves.

 

The Home Office are now proposing to cut the ‘red-tape’ by reducing the foot long form to a simple receipt. This would allow officers to carry out more Stop and Searches which could lead to a rapid increase in Black and Asian Stop and Searches. Rather than tackle the root causes of stereotyping, and institutionalised racism within the police. The Home Office proposes to make this process easier to carry out for officers and is literally endorsing this procedure, knowing full well that it will have a negative impact on Black and Asian Communities. The Home office should not be adding fuel to this debate, but must be seen to be tackling this overt discrimination carried out with using our taxes. Stereotyping and unjust targeting of communities is unfair but in this case is worse because it is being carried out by the very people that are supposed to protecting our rights and liberties. How can Black and Asian people have faith in the justice system and government when these public bodies place no trust I these communities, constantly infringe on their liberties and accuse them on racial grounds rather before any thing else. Stop the ‘stop and Search procedures’ because they are clearly not meeting the aim of their purpose. Stop the racism, stop the stereotyping and Stop the Searches.  

Time for the hunter to apologise?

I welcome the debate but I am shocked at the lack of education surrounding the issue of Black history which still remains controversial even within the student body.

Black History is a fundamental part of British History. Britain has relied on immigration both forced and voluntary in order to build its empire, economy and society. At a time of multi-culturalism and globalisation, why are we not given the opportunity to learn more about the diverse history of Britain and the world, through the university and in the curriculum? We as a community need to call for the government to make the curriculum more diverse as a reflection of our varied population. Why are issues such as the Rwandan genocide, which happened in 1994 left out of the curriculum, even though over 1 million people were killed in the space of 100 days? Black history education is neglected at all levels of education, unlike in the USA where they have mandatory subjects in the history of emancipation, slave trade and the civil rights movement. In America Black History month is widely celebrated and is a major campaign for institutions. There is even a Public Holiday called Martin Luther King Day. Now I’m not advocating a call for anything on that level however this clearly highlights the fact that UK is not taking a lead in setting an example to other states or its own people.  

The Stephen Lawrence inquiry recommended diversifying the curriculum as a powerful weapon to counter and eradicate racism amongst young people. The government also believes that more black role models are needed in society, but how is this to be achieved now if black people do not event know their roots or how they have benefited society in the past.

To illustrate my point on why we need to have black history taught to all students, I will briefly tell you about the difficulty I faced when running the Black History Month campaign on campus in October 2007. The Black History Month campaign drew criticism from most people which I had not anticipated in a year of great historical importance. 

·         Many students argued that there is no need for such a campaign because we are all equal.

·         Many students have told me that everyone is equal and, the fact that I am running this campaign makes it unfair to white people. 

·         Some have even suggested that I run a white history month campaign. (For me this would not make sense because British children are taught this from the day 1)

·         I had people unknowingly use racist terminology when talking to me. (They obviously had not been told what terms were considered ok and what terms were not). 

The fact that these issues were raised highlights the fact people are probably taking more information from the daily mail and express than they are being taught in schools, at home or in university. Black British History spans over 400 years and is a celebration of Black investment to the arts, music, sport etc and is also a way of educating people on its significance in history and our everyday lives. Education is a powerful tool and it is obviously not being harnessed to its potential.

 Secondly, as many of you may or may not know, last year we celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the UK. I believe that this marked an important time for students to recognise the significance of our history in the wider context of history.

I believe that there is still a strong case for an apology for leading role of the British state in the transatlantic slave trade. This is not an apology for individual guilt or personal regret, but is a political apology acknowledging the collective responsibility of the state, Monarchy and Parliament in this titanic crime against humanity. The city of Liverpool council and the Greater London Assembly have apologised on behalf of their citizens so why cant the government. 

 The slave trade did not just finish 200 years ago, but has actually continued in the form of colonisation of Asia and Africa. Only in the last half century have we seen institutionalised subordination of other races reduce with the rise of independent states. However it must be noted that slavery has increased in other parts of the world since then with the rise of forced labour in developing countries, human trafficking and sweat shops. Yes Slavery on paper officially ended 200 years ago, however it is evident that it still overtly exists in the world today. We clearly have not learnt enough lessons about the mistakes that were made in the past. An apology is also a way of denouncing slavery in any form.

The affect of the slave trade is still evident in every day life. It took 400 years to remove the physical chains and scars of slavery and it will take 400 years to get remove the invisible chains and scars that many people walk around with on a daily basis. This invisible chain is racism, a notion based on the idea of one race being superior to another, which is illustrated through discrimination, abuse and even death (all the factors that the slave trade relied upon). 

We have a duty to the forgotten contributors that lay the foundations for the expansion, industrialisation and modernisation of the United Kingdom. Calling for an apology and teaching Black History is the least we can do in respect of the millions that perished for the sake of the British state.

I will leave you with this African Proverb to ponder over…

‘Until the lion has a historian of his own, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter’

 

 

 

Pushing Black the barriers

Bonolo Woracker Vice President Welfare

At Coventry University Students’ Union

 

 

 

Why I stood…..

 

Becoming the first ever member of my family to go to University was a privilege even though I knew full well it was a fundamental right. Studying Law and Politics at degree was the catalyst that helped me decide to run for the position. Representation and justice are areas that I was very interested in. I then turned to the students’ union which provided the opportunities for me to take my interests further on my campus. As a Black student I understood clearly the needs of students from widening participation backgrounds as they are the students that are most likely to face financial hardships, discrimination and lack of opportunities in their lives. Having struggled to self finance my studies for three years through various part time jobs, I considered myself to be in a more experienced position than others from similar backgrounds to run for a position on the union executive and so I did and went for the position of Vice President Welfare.

 

 

Now………..

As a Sabbatical Officer at Coventry University Students’ Union it has been my job to oversee the welfare and security provisions on campus for our diverse membership. I was elected Vice-President Welfare in 2007 and have been re-elected for a second term in my post carrying out campaigns, helping run a union and representing students at Coventry University.

 

As a Black Sabbatical Officer it has been very challenging in my role but I believe it has allowed me to positively influence my union and university on issues that affect all students and not just those from ethnic minorities. As a Sabbatical Officer I believe that I have brought more than just my educational, work and political experience to the role. I believe that my race has helped me bring a new dimension and opinion to the union which may have otherwise not existed.

 

Having to face frequent racism on the streets of Coventry was disappointing and shocking but I knew that I was not the only one in this position. Instead of working against the system I chose to push myself straight into the deep end and represent all students on campus facing problems. I have pushed forward policy in the union to make Black History Month an annual event and ran the very first BME Caucus at Coventry University. I have also run our annual One World Week which celebrates diversity and culture within our union. However it is clearly obvious that there is still a long way to go for Black and minority ethnic students here at Coventry.

 

Coventry University has the 11^th largest population of BME students in the country however are poorly represented within the unions’ democratic structures. I was the only Black candidate in my first sabbatical elections out of a total of 15 candidates. I became the only Black student on the sabbatical team and the only Black person working full time in the Students Union. I am glad to say this has improved for the better over the last year. Our sports and societies are poorly represented in terms of BME students and to add to all of this our BME events are few and far between in our union. Hopefully the establishment of a BME officer on union council and greater representation within the union will prove to be a beneficial force in our union over the years to come. I am aware that the number of full time BME sabbatical officers nationwide is very low but I am glad to see this figure increasing albeit at a slow pace.

 

It is clear to see that Black students are continually underachieving, dropping out of courses at alarming rates, attaining lower grades at every level of education and are becoming more and more disengaged in politics. This should not be the case in 21^st century Britain where opportunity should be given to everyone and not the elite few. I believe that the black community should be at the epicentre of the movement to tackle social and educational change for minorities. It is only the Black community that can recognise our failings, strengths and problems so it should be this community that should determine what is best for them. I believe that Black students are best placed to tackle educational and welfare issues that affect them which is why I back the NUS Black Students’ Union Campaign. This national campaign is highlighting injustices and promoting opportunities for BME students. NUS and individual Unions must work together in order to address the needs and concerns of this growing group of students. Engaging BME students is going to be even more difficult as we see the demographics of the student population change.

 

Where next?

 

There is still more to be done and I am proud to be at the forefront of our movement for better representation, campaigns and equality for all students, especially the students from widening participation backgrounds. I have been elected onto the Black Students’ Committee where I hope to take my experience nationwide and help students’ in my community. It is important that as a collective we remain united when confronted with racism, remain politically aware when socially suppressed and remain intellectually positive when educationally deprived.

I want to fight against ignorance and stereotypes by continuing to push representation, retention and participation of minorities onto the agenda at every level of education. Only through political activism and educational achievement, can equality be achieved. As Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.  If we can influence the most powerful weapon (our education) then we, as a community can provide the spark that does indeed change the world.