The Guardian writes back: 21st Century Feminism is here...

'That's the kind of feminist resurgence we need'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/24/middle-class-feminism-politics

Kent Uni claims victory over redundancies.

The Biosciences department at the University of Kent was under threat of eleven compulsory redundancies, around one-third of the staff. The University management claimed that research was poor within the department, despite the quality of teaching being ranked amongst the best by students. The University decided to 'restructure' the department and sack staff, some who had been in the department for up to twenty-two years in favour of employing research-only 'high-fliers' who would bring in better RAE scores.

After an historic extraordinary meeting of the UCU, over 130 members of the union unanimously voted to ballot for strike action or action short of a strike if the university planned to go ahead with the redundancies. Students were involved from the beginning and were invited to the meeting and links were formed at the earliest opportunity.

Several open meetings later, student groups on the campus united together and led grassroots action and planning to defend lecturers. It was crucial to garner the support of the average student and explain to them that defending the biosciences department was a matter of defending the quality of education and teaching standards. Student Union policy was passed to oppose the redundancies, mandating the Union to take a vastly differently stance to that of 2006 when it actively campaigned against the UCU during a pay dispute – pressure from Biosciences students and education activists ensured that such a course would be unthinkable in the present.

During an initial planning meeting of 20 students, the group debated strategy and unanimously agreed to plan a demonstration on a UCAS open-day against the job losses in solidarity with the lecturers. It was also agreed to send notice of such a demonstration to the deputy vice-chancellor stating that press would be invited. A week later, the student's union sabbatical team also agreed to follow such a route and promised to make their resources available i.e. leaflet-printing, e-mails to all students and website updates. Over 350 students were confirmed to attend, with societies and individuals pledging to come out in number to be vocal in their opposition to the job cuts with local press such as the BBC and newspapers planning on creating coverage.

The day before the planned protest however, a joint statement from the UCU and University management was issued saying that strike action had been called off and all threats of compulsory redundancies had been lifted as well as plans for a redundancy avoidancy agreement; a clear and decisive victory for students and staff. Even at the University of Kent, noted in recent years for its political conservatism, students can lead important struggles, defend their education and most importantly come out victorious. The UCU issued a thank you to all students and noted that it was only possible because they had strong student support.

Here's to a reinvigorated student movement at Kent, and long may it continue!
Aaron Kiely


Sent from my iPhone

Arrest attempt of Tony Blair

A short while ago, I got up close and personal with Tony Blair.   As the former prime minister made his way into a packed committee room in the European Parliament, I stepped up to him and laid my hand on his arm. "Mr Blair, this is a citizen's arrest," I said. For a split second, he looked directly at me, treating me to an expression that seemed both blank and quizzical. Then I was pushed away firmly, though not too aggressively, by one of the phalanx of body guards surrounding him. "You are guilty of war crimes," I shouted after him, adrenaline giving me the kind of high I haven't experienced in years.   I had prepared a more lengthy speech about how I believed Blair should be prosecuted for authorising the war against Iraq as this involved crimes against peace and the crime of aggression. I had also intended to invite him to accompany me to the nearest police station so that I could file a criminal charge against him. Yet to no surprise, I did not get a chance to recite these arguments and to test out my hastily acquired knowledge of the Nuremberg principles that were set down following the Second World War and the more recent Rome statute (the agreement under which the International Criminal Court was founded).   I will happily admit that my attempt was the work of a copycat. A woman named Grace McCann made a more daring effort to apprehend Blair as he left the Chilcot inquiry in January. And Peter Tatchell suffered permanent damage to his health when he was beaten up by thugs shielding Robert Mugabe as he tried to hold the Zimbabwean autocrat to account for human rights abuses in 2001. I guess that I could invoke Oscar Wilde's defence of plagiarism – "talent borrows, genius steals" – but it would be more honest to say that I could not think of a more original method of protest.   Although I passionately concur that Blair must be tried at some point for lying to Britain and the world about his motivations for joining George Bush's offensive against Iraq and for helping to cause the deaths of possibly one million Iraqis, there are several other offences for which he should be tried. His similarly gung-ho enthusiasm for the war in Afghanistan; his refusal to condemn Israeli atrocities during its 2006 attacks in Lebanon; hisacceptance of Israeli settlements in the West Bank; his approval of the use of cluster bombs during NATO's bombardment of Serbia in 1999 are all despicable and worthy of criminal investigations.   More generally, I am tired of the notion (rarely questioned among the media or political elite here in Brussels and some other European capitals) that war crimes are only committed by men with names that westerners have trouble pronouncing or by 'savages' in distant lands. I fully support the work of the International Criminal Court but am outraged that all of the indictments it has issued have been against Africans. And why have all the proceedings relating to atrocities in the former Yugoslavia been against Serbs and Croats and Bosnians? Were the NATO forces that relentlessly bombed Serbia incapable of committing crimes?   I am troubled, too, about how Blair is now an international envoy to the Middle East. The film-maker Ken Loach has pithily explained the absurdity of that appointment. "They say that satire died when Henry Kissinger was given the Nobel Peace Prize," Loach told a little-reported event in Brussels last year. "Well, it died again when Tony Blair was appointed a special representative for the Middle East." To prove just how unworthy of that job he is, Blair has only visited Gaza twice since he took up the role of envoy in 2007. And he has kept largely mum about the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem, even though he can see some of the houses that have been expropriated by Israeli settlers from his office in the luxurious American Colony hotel. (OK, he recently described the building of new settlements in East Jerusalem as "unhelpful", but that hardly counts. "Unhelpful" is the kind of term that's suitable if you encounter a grumpy waiter in a restaurant, not for denouncing the attempted erasure of an entire culture).   George Monbiot, the environmentalist and founder of the Arrest Blair campaign, has indicated to me that I am eligible to a share of a bounty he has collected (after I go through a verification process). Because Blair has abetted crimes committed against the Palestinians, I have asked Monbiot to donate any money I might be owed to a Gaza-based human rights organisation. My feeble efforts are nothing compared to the relentless work undertaken by many of those who have to live with the consequences of war crimes.

Sent from my iPhone

Against Miss Bolivia & mass idiotization of society

Eva Morales is spending $20m to satisfy Donald Trump. A Soas student provides a rough translation of the brilliant protest literature against this. 

The miss universe benefits the entrepreneur, the industry of objectification of women and feeds patriarchy. The miss universe is the machista idiotization of society)

For the dignity of women in Bolivia, No to miss universe!

March 8th, International women's day. The president Evo Morales called to hundred of women, among female ministers, deputies and candidates, to the 'Palace of government', to present them a tribute. The invitation was an excuse to give them a comfortably machista sermon in which, among other things, blamed them for being "the machistas" themselves. They were all facing down accepting their "fault".

Further down, the Mujeres Creando arrived to the Minister of Cultures and, in front of everybody's gaze, we put 2 big wall papers showing the president and the vice-president  Álvaro García Linera masturbating while watching a miss, on a typical model pose: on her knees and with her hands on her neck, her body contortioned, and of course, in bikini. She carries a sash that reads "miss humiliation" and instead of the characteristic loose sight, on her face it is written "I don't have a face, I am a thing"

That was our tribute for all the women in Bolivia, to the girl children that deserve to live on a different way, to the thousands of young women that at this very moment are living thousands of contradictions about their bodies, about freedom, about being a woman.

Like that we disordered and paid a tribute to this March 8th, protesting against the governmental plan that plans to have Bolivia as the world host of the mega event of beauty; that it is nothing but the machista idiotization of society, for which the government is willing to waist nine million USD building stages that fulfill the demands of Donald Trump, the capitalist from the US, owner of miss universe. In the meantime, thousands of women are unemployed and have taken the streets to survive, despite the municipal violence exercised against them.

(...)

The guards policing the streets nearby the Palace didn't even realized that we used a big ladder and post the walls. They only noticed our presence when we stop the circulation to spread colorful "papel picado" (short pieces of paper, like confetti) on the street to parade (like on a catwalk) on that carpet, the same way we do it on the local parties in Bolivia.

In our sashes we were not carrying beauty titles with which the machism and patriarchy identify and qualify women with, measuring their size to legitimate them and locate them on a place of thing, with no capacity of thinking, and even less of reflection and revelry. 

In our sashes there was the day to day lives of women (in spanish miss can also be read as 'my'): miss/my abortions, miss/my lovers, miss/my declassified files, miss/my debts, miss/my sadnesses, miss/my collapses. The craftswoman who made then, using the Bolivian flag and bright golden letters, have done thousands of sashes for objectifies girls in school age, objectifies university students, to objectified cholas (in Bolivia the word cholo, or chola, is a widely used term which generally refers to people with various amounts of Amerindian racial ancestry), but never for a protest against a beauty contest. She cunningly accepted these job.

(...)

Mora than 30 police arrived to the place and tried to stop us. Lots of people passing by criticized us, they though that we were being disrespectful against the president of the government by showing him naked, but the same amount of people, among men and women, were supportive because they though that both the miss universe and some other actions and attitudes from the government were humiliating on daily basis against women.

With the same clumsiness as ever they pushed us away: more than 30 against 7 of us. That didn't stop our claim. In our way, we got into a police office nearby the Palace: on the reception desks there was no one. We also got into the offices of the vice-presidency of the republic, avoiding the police control: there was no one neither. It was 11 AM and no one could told is where people went; someone sad that everybody had been called to a governmental reunion. 

(...)

for pictures have a look at http://www.mujerescreando.org/ and just click on (leer mas) underneath the imaged posted here

Sent from my iPhone

Protest against the Digital Economy Bill this Wednesday

It's time to show MPs what we think about the Digital Economy Bill.

As it stands now, the Bill, if passed into law, will allow disconnection, web blocking and could see the death of open wifi.

Come along to the ORG demo on Wednesday 24th March at 17:30 and protest against disconnection without trial and censorship on the Internet.

We'll have placards; just bring some black tape to gag or blindfold yourself.

Disconnection is a collective punishment.  It is unacceptable, unfair and disproportionate.

The demo will be at Old Palace Yard (opposite Parliament, next to Westminster Abbey).  Tell us you are coming by requesting a "ticket" - you don't need to bring this with you - we only want registrations so that we can contact you.

If you can't make it to London, why not set up your own demo?  Choose a prominent place in your hometown; if possible, a local party HQ or MP constituency office, and let us know and we'll advertise it on our website.

http://bit.ly/disconnection

Sent from my iPhone

Revolution on Film at Soas, KCL & LSE next week

All welcome...

NUS UPDATE: HEFCE - FUNDING CUTS HIT UNIVERSITIES AND STUDENT PLACES ARE REDUCED

Protest Saturday UCU and students. Soas people meet soas steps 11am to join up with UCL.   

on SOAS steps today 12-30-1.30

**Sent on behalf of Aaron Porter, NUS Vice President (Higher Education)** 

Dear all, 

As you may have seen this morning, the Chief Executive of the Funding Council in England (HEFCE) has written to heads of institutions detailing the provisional funding allocations to institutions for 2010/11, and has given further details of student numbers for next year. 

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will distribute £7,356 million to 130 universities and higher education colleges, and 123 directly funded further education colleges, for the academic year 2010/11. Although the total grant of £7,356 million for 2010/11 is a reduction in cash terms of £573 million compared to the budget for 2009/10 of £7,929 million, this is largely due to the bringing forward of £250 million of capital funding from 2010/11 into 2008/09 and 2009/10. 

Adjusting for this capital shift, the underlying reduction in grants from 2009/10 to 2010/11 is £123 million - 1.6 % in cash terms. 

The BBC are reporting that three quarters of England's universities are facing real-term budget cuts this year. 

The attached spreadsheet contains summary grant allocation data for each institution. Please study it closely as it provides a breakdown of total teaching funding into widening participation and student success funding, total research funding, moderation funding, the higher education innovation fund, total recurrent grants and, crucially, the percentage change from 2009/10 funding. 

Full data tables for institutions with more useful information are detailed here: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2010/10_08/ 

The changes in allocations to individual universities and colleges vary depending on changes to the funding of research, funding of additional student places, reductions in targeted allocations which have formed part of teaching grants and the withdrawal of moderation funding. 

There will also be controls on student numbers that mean the number of student places for 2010/11 entrants will decrease from 2009/10 and estimates of the overall reduction vary between 5,000 and 15,000. This is despite a 23% rise in university applications for the year ahead and a student places crisis that left more than 100,000 applicants disappointed last year. It is clear that many applicants look to be disappointed this year unless there is urgent action to create additional student places. 

On the basis of these announcements, we have today warned of a summer of chaos, as cuts were announced for almost half of institutions and the number of student places for the coming year was reduced. 

Wes Streeting, NUS President said: 

"With record demand for places at a time of looming cuts, urgent action must be taken to fund an expansion of places to meet demand. Potential students and their families need honesty and openness about how the mounting crisis in university places will be addressed. We must ensure that those with the ability and aspiration to benefit from higher education will not be left out in the cold this autumn. 

"We are now seeing the real impact of cuts spelled out for universities and students. Short term cuts will cause long term damage to students and universities. The Government, and those who aspire to govern, must rule out further cuts to education, research and student support." 

UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt said: 

"We believe the cuts could lead to thousands of jobs being lost and the staff who survive the cull left with more students to teach and less time to spend with them.  The consequences of the cuts will be building projects on hold, class sizes growing where jobs are lost, thousands of students denied access to university and staff following them to the dole queue". 

NUS is liaising closely with UCU about the impact of cuts to ensure that students, staff and the educational community are protected and will be working to develop relationships between students' unions and local trade union branches as cuts are implemented. We will keep you posted. 

In the meantime, I encourage you to read our existing support for those who are facing cuts: 

http://www.officeronline.co.uk/education/articles/277164.aspx 

Please do get in contact if you need further help, assistance. To provide direct support to members we have a dedicated email address - cuts@nus.org.uk - and helpline - 0207 380 6659 

I strongly urge you to stay in contact with your institution ready to ensure that you are involved in any decisions that may impact on provision or the student experience. 

Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions.

Best wishes,

 

Aaron Porter

 

Vice President (Higher Education), NUS

email: aaron.porter@nus.org.uk

tel: 0871 221 8221

fax: 0871 221 8222

Follow me on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/AaronPorter

 

websites: www.nus.org.uk & www.officeronline.co.uk

address: NUS, Centro 3, Mandela Street, London NW1 0DU

No disaster Capitalism for Haiti...public mtg at SOAS TMRW.

Sorry for late notice-have stepped in and snapped up this opportunity at last minute...

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=380052099544#!/event.php?eid=380052099544&ref=mf

Please forward and invite others. See you soon.C

Counterfire roundup...

China - Obama's dangerous game Kate Hudson looks at how US plans to ring China with missile systems reflects Washington’s strategy for containing growing Chinese economic power. Read more... Video Campaign: Who occupied Sussex House? Join the imaginative new campaign urging people to show solidarity with six victimised students at Sussex University. Read more... Pay soars for university vice chancellors A new inquiry, by The Guardian, into the pay of British university vice chancellors has revealed more than 80 heads of British universities now earn more than the Prime Minister. Read more... Anti-capitalism ten years after Seattle In 1999 thousands of activists fought with riot police to close down the WTO conference in Seattle. Ten years on Chris Nineham looks at the future of the anti-capitalist movement. Read more... Stop the EDL in Bolton on 20 March Protest against the EDL Saturday 20 March, 11am Victoria Square, Bolton More information from Manchester UAF Read more...

My 1st speaking engagement as ULU President elect...

I have just been added to the line up...the united fight back against cuts begins here...

Me, Maham Ian won the ULU election

Hi all, thank you so much again. Sorry I haven't been able to reply to all of you individually...

The results are as follows:

I was elected as President, Ian Drummond as Vice President and Maham Hashmi as student trustee! Unfortunately our good friend and campaigner Hilary Aked was closely pipped at the post but we are sure that she will continue her hard work.

See the great report at our Counterfire website

So, the united fight against cuts begins here...

We would like to thank everyone who helped out in whatever way they did. It all helped to make the campaign a success.

We will have a planning meeting in the next month or so to get started and hit the ground running. There is going to be so much to do.

SO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS BLOG OR JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP IF YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED...I will send the invite out on here.

Once again, thanks for all your help-WE DID IT.

Speak soon, Clare

(who is the cheeky monkey at second 13 in this video?!)
--

In solidarity Clare Solomon
http://solomonsmindfield.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/solomonsmfield

My election results and results drinks....

Well, as you can imagine we are all exhausted. And it's still not over yet...The lady is about to start singing tho :-)

I have had positive feedback from every campus so if nothing else we have created a good network of activists to build out of.

*Drinks tonight*: 5.30pm ULU, Malet St. The results are due to be announced at 6pm unless there any complaints. I don't know exactly which room but go to the Duck and Dive on 1st and I will put up posters if we move to another room. Please do try to make it and feel free to bring friends!!

==========================================

For those that cant make it we will send a msg at about 6.15 if it is announced on time. Please spread the news on facebook etc.

I can't wait to get out of this election frenzy-it takes over ones life!

Speak later. Clare

Flyer to print off

--

In solidarity Clare Solomon
http://solomonsmindfield.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/solomonsmfield

Leninism in the 21st century-welcome to Counterfire

Well, now the lack of stuff on this blog is explained...we have all been busy beavering away behind the scenes with a brand new project. More details on how to get involved on the front page-sign up for our weekly bulletin which will provide details of how to register for the sight, how to send in articles, videos, photo's etc.

We look forward to working with you in this brand new way.

I shamelessly copied the blurb from our news editor's blog The Sauce because, in true internet fashion, we operate on a creative commons licence :-) Thanks Brendan!

News and theory publication Counterfire was launched today with a plethora of reports and essays focusing on the crisis in capitalism, imperialism and war and popular culture.

The website is being launched on International Women's Day with a 60 strong team including an investigations team, an industrial unit, arts reviews and peer reviewed publications.



Lindsey German, author of Material Girls, Women, Sex and Work and convenor of Stop the War said: “We live in a world of growing conflict, crisis and inequality and Counterfire is a much needed new voice calling for fundamental change.”

Adrian Cousins, editor of the new site, said: “Counterfire includes snappy news articles alongside expert analysis of the most important issues today with original design, photography and video. There is a blog aggregate so those interested in the movements know where to come.”

John Rees, broadcaster and author, said: “The journalism and analysis on Counterfire will provide a welcome alternative to the discredited and failing policies of the political elite.”

Elly Badcock, women's officer at SOAS and women's editor, said: “It's fantastic that on the 100th International Women's Day this powerful new site which uses the latest technology is providing a platform for the new feminism of the 21st Century.”



The site features daily news from the movements including articles on protests, petitions and campaigns alongside theory analysing the economy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and campaigns against the BNP and the English Defence League.

The site is available at counterfire.org with news being fed through twitter at www.twitter.com/counterfire with a video feed at youtube.com/counterfire. Articles on the site can be reproduced with permission and attribution.

Launch articles on the site include:

The Feminist Manifesto for the 21st Century, with video from Saturday's packed meeting at Housmans bookshop by Lindsey German and Nina Power

Report from Joe Glenton's court martial, from the organiser of the Stop the War protest

An examination of Gramsci's relevance today

Advice for EDL marchers: "please do not chant the 'Allah is a pedo' song"...protest tmrw

An Email sent to EDL members about the demo to be held in London TOMORROW

 Today at 18:55

From EDL(English Defence League):
> London March 5th
>
> Friends of EDL, on Friday March 5th we will be demonstrating in central London in the home of democracy, to protect democracy. Geert Wilders has been harassed, threatened, litigated against and terrorised because of his views. Whether you agree or not, his voice should be heard as a legally elected representative of his country.
>
> When we go to London, there will be for the first time a properly organised stewarding system. It must be remembered by all that these stewards are 100% loyal EDL supporters, they are there because their presence is to the benefit of EDL. Just their presence makes things much easier for us to get a fair hearing in our demonstrations, and for the first time, an agreed march.
>
> Now this email is not about the details of the actual march itself, more of what you can expect from it. Those kind of details will be sent out through the divisional and regional organisers.
>
> As the march is progressing, the police may stop the line from time to time (indeed we should expect this to happen quite often). This is not an attempt to halt the march. It is more so that the rear end can catch up, or to clear an obstruction ahead, so please do be patient during these times. It is normal, and to be expected. The march itself will take much longer than it would take to walk the distance, this is exactly what we want as our 'exposure' along the route is greater.
>
> The stewards will be colour coded, team leaders will have orange hi-vis vests, and first aiders will have green vests. Ordinary stewards will wear yellow. Anyone volunteering for any of these roles please see your organisers and they will put you in touch with the right people. We do have enough vests though please feel free to bring any you wish to donate, as more stewards can then be called upon to help (ie you) if needed.
>
> If you are asked by a steward to leave the demo, please do so without fuss. Any complaints can be handled later, though it is very unlikely a steward will ask someone to leave for nothing. Racism and violence will not be tolerated. Please back up our stewards at every opportunity.
>
> Also, please refrain from using the 'Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?' song, same goes for the 'Allah is a pedo' song, these are not the kind of songs the EDL leadership feels are appropriate for our demonstration purposes. Also, please be respectful to any members of the press. While we all know certain sections of the media have been atrocious in their reporting of us, sticking fingers up at them will not alleviate that situation, only inflame it. We only ask the press for a fair hearing.
>
> The demonstration area is the heart of our great land, anyone attempting to destroy any property of this area can expect the wrath of those around him, as well as ejection from the demonstration. Parliament might have what we consider the wrong kind of people in it right now, but the walls themselves are sacred to us.
>
> One final note with regard to toilet facilities. The demonstration location is a tourist spot and thus an area of our nations beauty, so there will be no 'portaloos' available. However there are public toilets available nearby and people will be allowed to leave the demonstration in small groups to use those facilities. However it is preferable and easier if you 'go' before we start the march. Excessive drinking before the demonstration is to be avoided, remember this is a serious issue we face, our protests actually mean something, so it should always be borne in mind that we are embarking on a protest, not on a day trip beano.
>
> Regards
> EDL Admin


This is the man to which they wanna protect.....
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7047443.ece

--

In solidarity Clare Solomon
http://solomonsmindfield.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/solomonsmfield