Just a quick update on some upcoming events in the New Year. Hopefully most of us have had the opportunities to fill our bellies and get down to some seasonal merriment over the winter break because we are going to need it!
2011 is set to be a monumental year for student activism and solidarity with fellow movements and unions. It will see the greater unity of student movements and trade unions coming together to oppose the cuts to public spending. If you have any events you would like mentioned here please get in contact with us.
First on the agenda for the new year is:
05/01/2011 – ORGANISATIONAL MEETING – VENUE TBC
We will be meeting to discuss our plans for the coming year and brainstorm some ideas about how we continue after the suspension of the occupation. This is a very critical meeting and we hope to see as many people as possible. Please do not slack off and leave it for the rest of us. Also if you have any issues you would like raised and put forward into the agenda, please either drop us a line here or the Facebook group.
Also venue is to be confirmed.
07/01/2011 – NICK CLEGG’S BIRTHDAY
It’s our favourite student “representative’s” birthday and as a special thanks for representing us and using our votes to support such a wonderfully progressive coalition, we encourage people to come up with creative ways to show how much we care. Send him a birthday card, bake him a cake or organise a street carnival to show your support. Let’s make it a day he won’t forget so readily, like his pledges and election promises.
Facebook event can be found here – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134892613234379
11/01/2011 – SCRAPPING OF EMA PARLIAMENT VOTE
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) have called for a day of national action on this day because they expect parliament to vote on the scrapping of EMA. Unfortunately, there is little information surrounding this event. There is no official agenda to vote on the issues on the parliament website and some more verification should be sought before hand.
NCAFC is citing this website (http://emacampaign.org.uk/) as a resource for campaigning material and information.
Here is a link to the Facebook event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138065529585690
22/01/2011 – NCAFC CONFERENCE – UCL
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) are organising a conference at the University College London. They hope to reflect on the student activism of 2010 and bring together as many organisations, movments, unions and otherwise concerned people into a common debate. As well as consolidating the experiences of the various movements, they hope to debate about how to campaign democratically and effectively.
More information will be available via their website and their Facebook group.
Facebook event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=184072304938176
26/01/2011 – NATIONAL WALKOUT/ DAY X4 TO DEFEND EMA
Again another The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) event calling for students to walkout and take part in local demonstrations, begin occupations or otherwise protest about the cuts to EMA.
Facebook event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176843452345159
29/01/2011 – NATIONAL DEMO – LONDON AND MANCHESTER
Once again another The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) event being organised in London to coincide with the Young Members Network of the civil service union PCS, UCU and others demonstration in Manchester. There is a bit of confusions about why there are two events but this is clarified in greater detail here (http://anticuts.com/2010/12/20/a-two-of-two-demos-demonstrate-in-london-or-manchester-29-january/), there is also a copy of a letter from Aaron Porter explaining the NUS’s stance on both events. It seems that Aaron Porter, tactical genius and fence-hopper he is, has spoken out. he is against the holding of two events on the same day, calling them tactically invalid and “unhelpful”. As we should all know by now, Aaron Porters tactical prowess is rather limited and he seems more focused on police appeasement andnotdemocratic action.
Essentially they are two separate events with two slightly different perspectives on public sector cuts that are holding complimentary demonstrations on the same day. Each site has broadened its support base to allow a greater number of people to attend either event and this is reflected in the union support of both events. Regardless of Aaron Porters perspective on the events, it is impractical for some students to travel to Manchester and vica-versa.
Here are some links on the event.
http://anticuts.com/2010/12/20/a-two-of-two-demos-demonstrate-in-london-or-manchester-29-january/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/20/students-trade-union-support-protest
Facebook Event for Manchester – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174574149230929
Facebook Event for London – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=184694258211136
30/01/2011 – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR EDUCATION – EDUCATION ACTIVIST NETWORK
The Education Activist Network organised a meeting on Tuesday the 14th of December to organise and set-up National Assembly for Education. This will be their first official meeting to discuss the agenda.
More information can be found here (http://educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/report-from-the-coordination-meeting-of-a-national-assembly-of-education/).
Facebook event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131135960280538
Brighton Students Against Cuts 