Welcome to NUS' Society and Citizenship Campaign
Hello. We're Dave Lewis and Susan Nash, the co-convenors of the Society and Citizenship Campaign (affectionately known as Soc/Cit). NUS has a proud history of campaigning on issues affecting wider UK society as well as promoting peace, justice and equality around the world. Students have been at the forefront of campaigns such as Make Poverty History, the anti-war movement and, less recently but just as important given Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday this year, the UK anti-Apartheid movement. This section of the site is designed to help that continue by giving you, and consequently your students, access to the resources and information needed to fight social injustice.
Latest convenor blogs
Reclaim the night from men like Steve Right
Kat Stark speaks on the Suffolk murders
Blogged by: Kat Stark on 26/02/2008
Five years on, the Darfur crisis continues
On 13 April, call for an end to the crisis
Blogged by: Adam McNicholas on 07/03/2008
National Holocaust Memorial Day
Blogged by: Adam McNicholas on 30/01/2008
Passionate about climate change?
Added on 14/07/2008
NUS is looking for a handful of officers who have a interest in environmental policy and practice to participate in a exciting round table discussion with Baroness Morgan on Wednesday 23 July. This is an opportunity to give direction to the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills on how it can support students to take action to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change. NEC members Susan Nash and Elizabeth Somerville will lead the round table discussion but would like to invite student officers with a particular responsibility/mandate to attend and enrich the discussion.
We are looking for officers whose role it is to campaign or implement ethical and environmental changes in their union, however we will consider applications from those who demonstrate a strong knowledge and leadership in broader campaigns on climate change issues.
Given the short turnaround time needed please send no more than 200 words about the role of students in helping to lead the way on meeting the challenge of climate change to jean.mclean@nus.org.uk. Attendees would need to be available from 3:00pm-8:00pm, and DIUS will cover all expenses. Applications will close on Wednesday 16 July and we will inform the successful applicants on Friday 18 July.
George Bush is coming to London
Added on 06/06/2008
George Bush is coming to London and, to coincide with that, a demonstration is taking place in London on 15 June. NUS wants to make the Stop the War demonstration on 15 June a rallying point for all those opposed to the ongoing wars that have marked Bush’s time in the White House.
Join NUS and the Stop the War Coalition as we demonstrate for an end to Bush's war policies. Bring your students’ union banners, student societies and friends.
Date 15 June
Location London
Further details to be confirmed
Downloads
The way forward for Society and Citizenship
Added on 28/05/2008
We’ve had some great successes over the past year but what does the future hold for NUS' Society and Citizenship campaign? We’ve put together a document outlining the future aims of NUS in the coming year. You can view it here.
Could your students be greener?
Added on 02/05/2008
In April 2007 NUS Services, the commercial arm of NUS, was awarded Carbon Trust funding to run an energy efficiency project in students’ unions. Called the Carbon Academy, the project seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of the students’ union movement by 4 per cent per year - equivalent to 4,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
Greening your students’ union
To find out more about how the project could help you green your students’ union please visit the dedicated project pages at www.nussl.co.uk.
Making your students greener
To find out more about how you can take action to reduce your own carbon footprint please visit the following sites.
Energy Saving Trust
Every Action Counts
The government's environment and living page
People and Planet
Support lecturers and teachers
Added on 17/04/2008
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and FE members of the University and College Union (UCU) have democratically decided to take strike action on Thursday 24 April. This is to fight for fair pay ( teachers pay has failed to meet inflation since 2005, representing a cut in real terms).
NUS is encouraging unions and students to join the action with a march and rally on April 24 meeting a Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, at 11 am – and to bring your students' union’s banner.
Those newest to the profession will suffer most. Young teachers struggle to make ends meet in the face of ever-rising housing and transport costs. The rate of interest on student loans has doubled to 4.8 per cent; government pay policy holds their pay increase at 2.45 per cent.
This is particularly important for students who are training to be teachers or our considering entering the profession, but having poorly paid teachers and lecturers affects everyone. Their workloads are increasing, yet their pay is decreasing. This is damaging to the education of our pupils, students and learners, and detrimental to the conditions of employment for the staff that support them. This also causes real damage to the cohesion of our communities.
There are further events happening all over the country. For details of events happening in your area please visit the NUT website.
Join the march and rally on Thursday 24 April
11am: assemble Lincoln’s Inn Fields
12.30pm: rally at Central Hall, Westminster
DownloadsNUS have produced leaflets for you to print off and photocopy at your union or to use as posters. There is a generic one for all students, and then one specifically for trainee teachers and one for FE students.
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