Sept 7 Organised and chaired NUS Black Students’ Committee meeting at Leeds University; attended Student Assembly Against Racism’s northern meeting in Leeds
Sept 8 Had meeting with Glen Tarman of the Trade Justice Movement about Nov 2 rally
Sept 9 Prepared materials for NUS national mailing; met with NAAR on dealing with racism in community and supporting family campaigns; attended NUS Wales winter conference
Sept 10 Spoke at NUS Wales winter conference in Bangor on racism and supporting Muslim students on campus post the 7/7 bombings; attended Black students gathering in Bradford; wrote article for Independent newspaper
Sept 11 Wrote articles on the NUS Black Students’ Campaign for Smart and Kaleidoscope Magazines
Sept 13 Met with Clare Ettingham, chief executive of the Hansard Society about engaging students in politics and representation; met with the Winant-Clayton Volunteers Association to look at promoting the Anglo-American experience to Black students
Sept 14 Had meeting with NAAR to discuss anti-racism campaigning issues; attended OBV ‘Power in Unity’ event with Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP about Black communities and voter participation; attended student Rise Against Racism week meeting at City Hall, with union officers from across London and the Mayor’s staff
Sept 15 Wrote briefing on Black people and mental health issues for NUS Mental Health Day at Manchester University; helped with the NUS office move
Sept 16 Wrote article for The Times newspaper on the merits of multiculturalism
Sept 18 Attended Terence Higgins Trust training event on sexual health and welfare
Sept 19 NUS office move; NEC meeting: feedback on resignation of three NUS members; NUS NEC meeting on national demonstration
Sept 20 Meeting with Michael O’Conner from the BBC re: Islamic extremism on campus; interview with Channel 4 news and Eastern Eye newspaper on Islamic threat
Sept 21 Meeting with Hayley Baker of Oxfam at NUS HQ re: Make Poverty History campaigning work with NUS; television interview with BBC on Hizb Ut Tahrir; meeting with Jamal and Jess (anti-racism co-convenors) regarding campaign and conference
Sept 22 Meeting with Simon Israel, producer at Channel 4, regarding programme on Hizb Ut Tahrir at NUS HQ
Sept 23 Prepared materials for NUS mailing to send out to all unions
Sept 24 Attended the national anti-war demonstration calling for troops to be brought home and an end to the occupation of Iraq
Sep 26 Met with the TUC at Congress House re: co-ordinated fight against the BNP and the TUC national academy for learning
Sep26 – 29 Attended Labour Party conference: spoke at fringe debate on ‘Labour’s Third Term Against Racism’ with Claude Moraes MEP, Shami Chakrabati from Liberty, Raj Jethwa from the TUC and Dr Richard Stone from Jewish Council for Racial Equality
Sept 30 Attended demonstration to re-instate Keith Shilson – president of Middlesex University union – excluded by his institution; attended Justice for Columbia meeting at NUS HQ; attended meeting with Kat Fletcher and Jamal El-Shayyal re Islamophobia
Oct 3 Attended NUS NEC meeting at Birkbeck College, London
Oct 4 Attended meeting at Luton University about Islamic groups on campus; attended first night of Ramadan event at the East London Mosque, in Whitechapel
Oct 5 Spoke at Leeds University on rise of the far-right and stopping the BNP on campus
Oct 6 Spoke at London School of Economics’ anti-racism meeting in London
Oct 7 Attended University of London Union freshers’ fair; attended Student CND meeting at Birkbeck College, London; attended the TUC Black History Month lecture at Congress House, London
Oct 8 Co-ordinated conference on involving the Black community in the electoral process in Lambeth, South London
Oct 11 Meeting with NAAR, Kat Fletcher and NEC members regarding the rise Islamophobia on campuses and in society – strategised NUS’ response to situation
Oct 12 Co-ordinated stalls at Black and Asian Grad diversity careers fair at Manchester University, part of NUS Black Students Black History Month activities; spoke at Sheffield Hallam University on UAF and challenging the BNP
Oct 13 Attended and spoke at the University of Liverpool Guild UAF on the threat of the far-right
Oct 14 Organised and chaired NUS Internationalism and the NUS Anti-Racism/Anti-Fascism meetings at NUS HQ
Oct 15 Spoke at launch of Staffordshire University anti-racism week activities
Oct 16 Co-ordinated the NUS and Concern charity’s ‘Cut It Out for Concern’ national events – part of the UN World Food Day – we raised more than £40,000; attended dinner and debate event on fundraising for Asian earthquake with Dr Maleeha Lodhi, High Commissioner for Pakistan at Pakistani embassy
Oct 17 Meeting with the National Assembly Against Racism in Aldagte to discuss racist backlash post July 7 and ongoing work; provided induction for new NUS Black Students’ part-time staff member
Oct 18 Attended and facilitated sessions at NUS Liberation event, Chester Hall, Chester
Oct 19 Attended NUS Parliamentary lobby on Right of Appeal for International Students; co-ordinated stunt for NUS’ Kick Racism Out of Sport day of action, in Chester
Oct 19-20 Attended and facilitated sessions at the NUS Equality and Diversity event, Chester Hall, Chester
Oct 21 Put materials together for the NUS mailing
Oct 25 Spoke at Manchester University Black History Month event about what the NUS Black Students’ Campaign is; spoke at Sheffield University Black History Month event in debate about multiculturalism and the Black identity
Oct 27 Co-ordinated NUS and ActionAid’s national day of action for victims of the Asian earthquake – unions ran event across the UK and we raised more than £150,000
Oct 31 Attended NUS London Regional Conference, in London, ran session on Glees Report and Muslim students
Nov 1 Attended NUS South West Regional Conference, in Bristol, ran session on Glees Report and Muslim students
Nov 2 Attended NUS West Midlands Regional Conference, in Coventry, ran session on Glees Report and Muslim students
Nov 3 Attended NUS North West Regional Conference, in Liverpool, ran session on Glees Report and Muslim students
Nov 4 Attended AGCAS Careers Race Task Group meeting to debate needs of Black student graduates in Middlesex; put materials together for the NUS mailing
Nov 5 Chaired panel debate at ‘Who Stays, Who Goes?’ STAR conference on refugee and asylum rights at Nottingham University
Nov 7 Attended launch of UUK guidance document: Tackling Intolerance and Hate Crime on Campus at Senate House, London
Nov 9 Spoke at Liberty rally on civil liberties in Parliament alongside Shami Chakrabarti; met with Love Music Hate Racism about national campaign work in Feb 2006
Nov 11-12 British Muslim Research Council conference – Windsor Castle
Nov 13 Attended Remembrance Sunday event to mark contributions of the Black community during the two world wars
Nov 14 Attended tail-end of NUS National Council meeting in Coventry; attended emergency NUS Anti-Racism Committee meeting about the upcoming conference
Nov 15 Attended an employment tribunal to support a Black student in his appeal against racial discrimination
Nov 16 Attended NUS Scotland’s first-ever Black Students’ event in Edinburgh
Nov 17 Attended NUS Scotland Anti-Sectarianism/Anti-Racism event at Glasgow Central College of Commerce
Nov 18 Met Transport for London re opportunities to work with NUS Black Students; prepared materials for NUS Black Students’ Conference; planned and chaired the NUS Black Students’ Committee in Wolverhampton

The Blogs on this site represent the individual views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or practices of the National Union of Students.

All links in blogs will open in a new browser window.

The permanent URL for this specific blog entry is: http://www.officeronline.co.uk/blogs/pavakhtar/271787.aspx