NUS Black Students' Campaign November Update
1) Conference success!
Thank you to all those who came to our Campaign's Winter Conference last weekend and made it the biggest, most successful Black students conference in our history! We hope you have been inspired and empowered to make a difference for Black students on your campuses.
Please look at the previous article on this website for information about materials that were available to Conference, including model motions for NUS Conference for you to pass in your union. Look out for a more detailed email about the Conference with links to all the materials that were in the delegate packs in the next update.
2) NUS Black Students' Campaign motions to NUS Annual Conference 2007
NUS Conference is your opportunity to direct the work and policies of our national union. Your student union has a chance to play an active role in deciding what campaigning work NUS will do next over the next year. The deadline for submitting motions is 1pm, Friday 1 December 2006.
The Campaign is encouraging students to submit in the following zones:
- Welfare & Student Rights zone: 'Unite Against Fascism – Stop the BNP' or 'Challenging Racism on Campus and our Communities'
- Strong and Active Union zone: 'Winning Black Representation In Our Unions'
- Society and Citizenship zone: 'Defending Palestinian Human Rights' or 'Democracy and Social Progress in Venezuela'
Please remember that each student union is entitled to submit only ONE motion in each of the four zones. You must only submit motions that have been passed at your student's union governing body, or in a manner approved by it - (e.g. union council, general meeting, etc). Motions can be emailed to NUS, using the secure website facility.
3) Race and Faith – Leadership summit
Monday 27th Nov, 6-9pm, City Hall, London
NUS Black Students' Campaign will be representing the views of Black students at the 'Race and Faith' event organised by the 1990 Trust and other key allies to highlight the increasing institutional, structural and persistent racial inequalities we face in every walk of life.
Key figures from the Black communities, including Lee Jasper, Tariq Ramadan, Peter Herbert QC and Cllr Salma Yaqoob will address the summit to challenge the axing of the CRE - at a time when it is needed the most – and to discuss a viable and effective alternative that defends the interests of Black people in a climate of increased racism and religious discrimination.
The event is free but please book in advance by emailing summit@blink.org.uk or phone 0207 582 1990.
4) Mental Health Lobby of Parliament
Tuesday 28th Nov, 1pm onwards
NUS Black Students' Campaign is encouraging all Black students to attend the Mental Health lobby of parliament to campaign against proposals to amend current mental health legislation.
The enquiry into the death of David 'Rocky' Bennett found institutional racism to be 'a festering abscess' in the health service. The proposed amendments suggest a new definition for mentally ill people, which will enable clinicians to section (incarcerate) people based on a very broad definition of mental illness. Black people are already over-sectioned as a result of discrimination in mental health services, and if this amendment goes ahead, would be a regressive step for the Black community.
Please gather at Parliament Square at 1pm for a full briefing before the lobbying. More details can be found on: www.mentalhealthalliance.org.uk
5) 'Where Next? Policing Post 7/7' Panel Discussion
Wednesday 29th Nov, 6pm
NUS Black Students' Campaign is encouraging everyone to take up a unique opportunity to question the police about their treatment of the Black community in a panel discussion. The debate will take place at Imperial College, Lecture Theatre 220, in the Mechanical Engineering building.
Panel members include: Tarique Ghaffur, Asst Commissioner, Metropolitan Police; Rose Fitzpatrick, Metropolitan Police Service; Musa Admani, Director, Luqman Institute; Geoff Edwards, Mirror Columnist, and Nicholas Owen, from ITN, who will chair the debate.
6) Yorkshire Stop the BNP Conference
Saturday 2nd Dec, Leeds University Union
NUS Black Students' Campaign is encouraging all students in northern colleges and universities to attend the Yorkshire & Humber Unite Against Fascism (UAF) regional conference, where the Black Students' Campaign will be running a workshop on challenging Islamophobia. The day will focus on how we can build a powerful, anti-fascist movement that unites communities and pushes back the BNP in one of its strongest regions by challenging the racist myths on which it feeds.
For more information email info@yhuaf.org.uk
7) Palestine Solidarity Campaign Lobby of Parliament
Wednesday 29th Nov
NUS Black Students' Campaign will be organising a delegation to attend the national lobby of Parliament and put pressure on our MPs to: stop starving the Palestinians; stop arming Israel; restore aid to the Palestinian Authority; release Palestinian parliamentarians and respect Palestinian democracy.
We will be meeting at 3pm outside the House of Commons, please contact me by email beforehand if you would like to be part of the student delegation.
For more information visit: http://www.palestinecampaign.org
8) To receive regular updates…
If you know of any students who would like to be included on our campaign emailing list, please email their contact details to me at ruqs@nus.org.uk
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