It’s been a hard few weeks. Lots to do as always. And I have to get this finished before going to a London Student Assembly Steering committee meeting. Its very exciting to be getting that project up and running this year. Through this project, I have no doubt that NUS will be able to deliver much better representation for students in London, who are governed by unique government structures, like the GLA and elected mayor, with uniquely devolved legislative and executive powers. It won’t be a ‘talking shop’ as some have said, it will be a highly articulate student think tank, developing policies which NUS London and ULU will campaign to implement.

I’m also besieged with research at university. Anyone who knows what Bertrand Russell was going on about with his Grey’s Elegy Argument should feel free to email me and explain.

More to the point, NUS has finished its first National RAG week, which was brought to life by 15 unions who did a great job taking part. It wasn’t always organised as well as it should have been from my end, but NUS is new to this, and the more we do it, and the more you take part, the more this union will change to cater for you better. Once I know how much we raised I will let you know. The money should be on its way to us soon and we will pass it on to the National AIDS Trust who do great work fighting for the rights of sufferers throughout the UK and to the South African Union of Students who work in a country where 40% of the population is infected – we would love to help them build their capacity to help their infected students.

National Holocaust Memorial Day is on the 27th of January and is about commemorating all of the communities who suffered as a result of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. The central focus for Holocaust Memorial Day remains the Holocaust, but it is also an opportunity to reflect on more recent atrocities that raise similar issues. The tragedies of Rwanda, Kosovo, Darfur and other terrible events in the world show that there are still many lessons to be learnt, both in international and individual terms.

The National Union of Students supports the concept of a National Holocaust Memorial Day, and tries to engage its membership with it. We therefore actively encourage all those student unions throughout the country planning to stage an event to commemorate the day.

Every year, a different theme is announced for Holocaust Memorial Day. This provides a focus for events and education in local and national commemorations. In 2007, the theme is “The Dignity of Difference,” an issue close to the heart of the student movement. Our liberation campaigns are at the forefront of the fight for a free and fair Britain (and world) that respects and celebrates our differences without trying to make us all the same.

The NAZIs hated difference. We, in an age where the idea of faith schools are under threat, and where people of faith are automatically branded, ‘extremist,’ must celebrate difference. Packs will be sent out to Student Unions, and if I can be of any help in staging events at your union – please be in touch.

I was in Cambridge recently trying to convince people that the highly representative democratically elected representatives of the Jewish community have more of a right to define antisemitism than do individual Jews, or worse, student unions. Unfortunately, I didn’t succeed. The Lawrence and Macpherson inquiries stipulated that the victims of persecution have the right to define the terms of their persecution. Surely this principle should be extended to all victims of persecution?

On a more positive note. I attended the Interfaith Network day on campus interfaith with Ruqayyah, which was attended by FOSIS, UJS, BOSS, NHSF and many Christian and other student faith groups. The day was an inspiration, and under Gemma’s leadership, I’m sure that NUS is going to play a much more proactive role in empowering student faith groups on campus and helping to create an environment where good interfaith relations are the norm rather than the exception. Through the work I’ve already done with the interfaith Network, I know that we’re well on the way to making this goal a reality.

Also, to end positively, AR/AF has met and is set on delivering a great conference on February 25th alongside a campaign in favour of our no-platform policy and a separate campaign to defend Muslim students in the face of a horrific rise in Islamaphobia.

Please contact me if you have any questions on the work that I’ve been doing for NUS – or if you just want a chat.

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