Soas Students' Union

SOAS Students' Union Elections: Nominations now open!!
Nominate yourself here: https://soasunion.org/elections/
Check out the different roles and download the nominations pack on the S.U. website!!

Nominate yourself here: https://soasunion.org/elections/
Nominations close: 5PM (sharp) Monday 25th Feb

SOAS S.U. is looking to improve its governance!!
We are running a referendum to get your opinion on our proposals for a better board of trustees.
It's important to have your say!! Have a read and vote here:... https://soasunion.org/democracy/trusteesr eferendum/
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Vote here right now!!
https://soasunion.org/democracy/trusteesr eferendum/

Sign-up for the Food Coop shift tomorrow here!!
Volunteers get a discount ~
https://docs.google.com/…/1Z-2185qe_FFc 5Cl7SmOUM3gIjz…/edit…

Let’s talk... - a discussion group about social media, social movements and gender-based violence.
Monday 4th February 2019, 6.30-8.30pm
Senate House, Room 3.13
... A discussion group in association with women’s rights charity FORWARD. We’ll be having an informal discussion about gender-based violence, social media and social movements. Particularly how young black women, and women of colour, are affected. There will be snacks! :)
RSVP aniesha.obuobie@gmail.com
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Second Sustainability @ SOAS meeting TODAY from 15:00-16:00 in room G3!
Please come along to get involved with plans for Green Week & an exciting campaign to target plastics at SOAS - and with any other ideas you have! No prior experience necessary, we'd love to see you there

Happy Queer History Month, SOAS! Check out the schedule of the months events below ~

Following the success of the 'Decolonising Contraception' Event in Black History Month, we have decided to start a series around the topic! The second in our series is on sexual and reproductive health within the South Asian Community.
Decolonising Contraception Presents: Sexual & Reproductive Health within the South Asian Community. We know the continent is vast and experiences are varied so, we will be unpacking a range of areas and myths to explore in future events too.
Qu...estions we will be discussing include myths about sex and sexuality, the stigma surrounding sexuality, contraceptive myths, the effects of colonialism including forced sterlisation, beyond the gender binary and much more.
Panel Discussion followed by Q&A
Please check the notice board for panellist information
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Tuesday, 5th Feb- People for Prisoners Society
People for Prisoners Society needs volunteers to assist with the promotion of their upcoming initiatives, including events and fundraising campaign in partnership with the Fair Justice Initiative based in Ghana:
2-3 Filming Volunteers- to assist with the creation of content for a fundraising campaign for the female inmates of Ghana's largest prison (Nsawam Prison). The funds will go towards care packages of bas...ic necessities and an International Women's Day Celebration, taking place on 8th March 2019. *Needed anytime between 12-2pm. Please sign up here.
2-3 Volunteers- to sign up for a minimum of a 1-hour slot to assist with a P4P promotional stand in the Senate house cloisters. The role will involve handing out flyers on upcoming events and member registration. Please sign up here. For any enquiries please email people4prisoners@gmail.com.
People4Prisoners Society
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Sustainability @ SOAS open meeting TODAY at 2PM in room MB 266!!
Please come along if you've got ideas for how SOAS could be more environmentally friendly. If you can't make it but would still like to get involved, please email hs61@soas.ac.uk

The SOAS Dance Society are hosting this awesome event in just 6 days!! Check it out!

Check out this message from your campaigns officer <3
Sign up for the e-mail list to stay updated with upcoming activities: https://goo.gl/forms/gIeoQl56iMbtgPdl2

Got ideas on how SOAS could be more environmentally-friendly? Come along to the Sustainability @ SOAS open meeting tomorrow to share your ideas!
2-3PM, room MB 266, 1st Feb
If you can't make it but would like to be involved, or have specific ideas, please email hs61@soas.ac.uk

SOAS PhD scholar Vidya Venkat writes on the subject of India's 70th Republic Day and how the very idea of a Republic is in danger, in the context of the right to information movement.
Here's the link to the essay published in the journal Economic and Political Weekly:

TONIGHT!!! #SudanProtest

Latest issue of SOAS Spirit just in!! Pick up a copy in the JCR ~

SOAS union has always defended the student body and taken actions that represent our vision of education. Campaigns like decolonise SOAS, and Justice for Cleaners are what really set it apart from other unions and what all unions should aspire to do. Thank you for all the hard work ! Solidarity forever !

"If only we had these young people around in 1939. We wouldn't even have to send a single Heinkel bomber across the Channel. They would have unconditionally surrendered the moment we jammed the BBC Radio airwaves!"



~ A. Hitler

“We refer to the SU's decision to blockade the school's main building on 16 March 2018, and refer also the accompanying statement titled “SHUT DOWN SOAS: In Solidarity with UCU Strike” released over Twitter on 16 March 2018.



We are extremely disappointed in the SU and its co-presidents with their decision to blockade the school’s main building on 16 March 2018, preventing staff and students from accessing the site. The undemocratic nature of this blockade, with no referendum or consultation with the student body, was carried out in the name of the 'students'.



What this blockade is, in light of this undemocratic process, is the imposition of one's will on others. For a union that privileges democratic rights and freedom, it is appalling to see how this forceful barricade is aimed at depriving students' right to decide for themselves if they wish to enter the school building.



Furthermore, we are extremely alarmed that students and staff members were hurt during the incident, and would like to formally register our disappointment with the SU. Such incidents go against the SOAS spirit and our collective and individual rights and freedoms.



We hope union leadership will reflect on how contradictory their actions are to the spirit and aims of the union”

maybe if you concentrated more on your education and less of your liberal left wing political beliefs you would have a better grounding for your future place in society

Your a disgrace to the country that is giving you the chance of an education,freedom of speech & opinion is for everyone,shouting pathetic slogans is just--well,pathetic.why are some of you hiding your face,s ?will daddy stop the pocket money ?

You ignorant, marxist, cowardly thugs. Obviously not a brain between you. God help this country if this snowflake generation ever had to go to war against the likes of hitler. Every last one of them would winge about it, then find a safe place to claim how down trodden they are. Pathetic the lot of you

Who on earth gave you the rights to physically block the main entrance to the college building?? And has it become a sort of common habit of SOAS student union to insult and throw abusive words to the fellow students? You guys are bunch of people who just do not realize what is wrong and right. Shame on you all.

These people have no respect for their countries history this union should be shit down aswell as this facebook page.

There wasn’t an option to give 0 stars or I would have!

How dare you go into a business that commemorates one of our war hero's and try and cause trouble!

Who do you lot think you are. Grow up.

The role of the student union when I was at university was to do things like keep an eye on/help sports teams and societies function, offer assistance with university related issues for individual students and push the university to do things like open the library 24/7 during periods when most students had a lot of assignments due in. They had a positive impact on my education. Reading about what you lot do now in your own words on this page disturbing. How about focus on what you're meant to be doing and not validating behaviour which will have a long term negative impact on your students prospects, such as feeding hate towards the country and people they live with, and will need to be able work with, if they want to get on in life.

I honestly think the sort of thinking you support is what helps lead to a cycle of poverty and resentment. Please grown up, and do it quickly.

The immature protest at the Blighty Cafe does nothing to further the causes of socialism, human rights, or social justice. It simply brings these causes, which are dear to my heart, into disrepute. Your behaviour was a gift to the far right, who will use it to undermine meaningful work in these areas.

Terrible work from this SU. Ruined the strikes for the UCU by putting their performative politics and personalities first. Disappointing to say the least. They fostered a hatred towards them through their inflammatory stances, and were ultimately conflated with the strike itself by many . misrepresented us as students and never even asked what we thought.

Student Union should be there to help the student's not try and make political gain, by insulting your countries history, the people who entered the cafe yesterday want to hang their heads in shame, and also grow up, in a democracy, debate is just that debate, not screaming your agenda to people when they are having a quiet drink.

Just some pathetic attempt to get your 5 minutes of fame. I think it backfired. Why not protest at mandalas statue being in place as he was a terrorist and his party murdered people apposed to him. This is just the dumbing down of the education system.

I think it only shows that this little country is

Still a great place to be long after the fact the great man is no longer around this man should

Never be forgotten in any shape or form and if any one person of his of his great leadership

Does not come fourth this country will fall

all the lifes lost will be for nothing and the future of our people to come will never know the life and safety you have all lived in

I am amazed that you want to close a cafe down because of the name, Churchill was not just a prime minister twice. He was a prisoner of war when he was a correspondent trying to tell the truth. He received a noble prize for literature which I feel you will not be getting for your chant. I shall leave you with one of his quotes You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Disgusting what you done in that cafe if it wasn't for Churchill you likely would not be here

Be proud of your heritage, your history, where you come from and the people who made a contribution to our great nation. Help your fellow man when they are struggling to make a success of an independent business in a time when its damn hard to survive.

Am shocked at your actions at the Winston Churchill Cafe ! You are shortsighted in your actions and thoughts without a care of the consequences. If you represent our countries then future I fear for it. As students perhaps you should concentrate on the learning side of education.