Get Ready for the naked action against sweatshops

The Independent, (the national paper) maybe coming to cover the story of the international day of action in the UK as ours will be the best action in the UK.....making it great if lots of people turn up but very bad if not many people do.... that being said them turning up guarantees nothing particularly if there are not many of us there.

Please do get the message by any means you can, get your friends along and don't forget to tell them about the great naked after party at the naked lunch toga party on 9th afterwards!!

at the photo shoot there will be

one big banner for people just to show there faces and feet

some medium size cardboard signs which much like the pic on the group go between thighs and and shoulders.

a few small small A2 sizes

and one small A3 sign for Ed sparkes who has volunteered to stand at the very front... what a guy!

please do message me back saying which size you would like I will reserve one for you, it would aslo be help to know just how many of each type we will need.

myself and few volunteers are going to be door knocking around halls trying to get people and selling tickets to Ethical fashion show on the sly, on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evening, if you would like to join us please do message back.

Public meeting -5pm in joes, Yarl's Wood Hunger Strike Solidarity

I hope many of you will have similar sentiments to mine regarding the recent violent events in yarls wood detention center.

The media coverage of the strike has been very poor, but I am sure some of you will have seen, that a mass hunger strike has been ongoing by the women detainees of yarl's wood against the disgusting conditions and abhorrent practices there.

The demands of the hunger striking women can be found here , they include demands such as "End the frustrations, physical and mental torture at the centre" ,"To end all false allegations and misrepresentations by the UKBA regarding detainees in order to refuse bail or temporary admissions." and "Access to appropriate medical treatment and care as in the community, access to edible and well cooked food, phones with good mobile connections, with camera and recording facilities to back up cases." which are very reasonable.

shockingly The private security guards of the Serco group have violently attempted to end the hunger strike and attempt on the 8th of February saw 70 women being locked in a corridor for up to 8 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care. Many collapsed and about 20, who climbed out of a window, were beaten up and taken into isolation cells. Four of the women, singled out as 'ringleaders', were taken to Bedford police station and subsequently transferred to HMP Holloway prison in London, without being charged with any offence or brought before a judge.

These women are guilty of nothing except trying to survive, Serco's activities make me sick.

students across the country have been engaging in a number of protests in solidarity with the hunger strikers have taken place. On 10th February, students held a two-day solidarity hunger strike at the London offices of Serco, the private security company that runs Yarl's Wood. Two days later, on 12th February, a noisy demo was held outside Serco's offices, with around 50 people present. 84 Northwest No Borders activists also took part in a 24-hour fast in solidarity with the 84 detainees on hunger strike. 66 people in Bradford also took part in a one-day solidarity hunger strike. On 17th February, a protest was held outside HMP Holloway in solidarity with the 'Yarl's Wood four'. Another protest at the Serco offices in London has been called for Friday, 26th February.

Knowing that the Serco Birmingham offices are In selly oak not and not a stones throw from my house, I would like to call a public meeting to discuss what we can do at 5pm this Wednesday in Joes, in the guild of students.

"The strikers include -below is from from press release on indymedia


Women on hunger strike include:

Ms O, who has now been taken to Holloway prison. She fled to the UK having suffered years of domestic violence from her uncle in Nigeria and was then threatened with Female Genital Mutilation. She was told by a woman who befriended her that she didn’t stand a chance of asylum.[6] In 2007, she was arrested and convicted of possessing criminal property as she had a little money in her bank account because her parents’ home had been sold. She was remanded in Holloway and eventually in desperation and believing that she would be released sooner, pleaded guilty. She was taken straight from prison to Yarl’s Wood. She reported to the Yarl’s Wood health centre that she was a survivor of torture and showed them her scars. But she remained in detention. (Women Against Rape helped another woman win £38, 000 in similar circumstances.) A lawyer demanded £4000 to represent her. Her barrister used the wrong name in court, didn’t present all the evidence in her case and she was refused. During the
hunger strike, she was told by Yarl’s Wood staff that "You are from the jungle” and she should“go back”.

Ms D, a Black woman and a mother of two, has been detained for 11 months. She was convicted of“racially aggravated assault” after police were called to an argument in a shop. She tried to stop police taking her youngest son from her, was held down and accused of kicking a policeman. One of the police officers (all white) called her a 'black bitch' to which Ms D responded 'white bastard'. This led to a conviction for possession of drugs. She was imprisoned and then taken
to Yarl’s Wood. Her 16 year old son is in the care of social services and her seven year old with a cousin. Ms D was assaulted by a guard on Monday and suffered bruising to her head. She is being held in segregation because she has visible bruises and she has had no medical treatment for her injuries.

Ms N, a lesbian woman and a single mum with two children, has been in the UK for 12 years. She fled to the UK from Jamaica after she witnessed a murder, was falsely accused of being a “police informer” and beaten and stabbed. She had no idea that she could claim asylum in the UK. For years she was unable to speak about the rape she suffered from her stepfather as a child. She eventually
disclosed it to Women Against Rape describing how when she told her real father about the abuse, her stepfather killed her mum. She won asylum in late October but the Home Office appealed and has been kept in detention since. Her son has been attacked by a gang and threatened with guns while she’s been inside.

Ms W has been in Yarl’s Wood for eight months and is on the seventh day of her hunger strike. She has lived in the UK for 10 years and her daughter is British. She was convicted and imprisoned for 10 months for possession of drugs after she was forced to carry a package by men who threatened to kill her and her daughter. She could never speak about the threats as the men told her that they knew where her daughter was and would kill her if she talked. Ms W has not seen
her seven year old daughter for 1 ½ years. Her daughter cries constantly on the phone. Relatives say that she sometimes starts packing her bags to “go and see mummy”.

Ms S has been in Yarl’s Wood for eight months. Ms S is from Jamaica. Her mother left for the UK when she was six and she didn’t join her mother until she was 12. She was traumatised by the separation. In her teenage years, she started using drugs and at 19 was arrested for intent to supply. She was threatened by a gang that if she gave information to the police she would be killed so, fearing for her life, she went on the run. After 15 months she was caught and
got a heavier sentence because she had broken bail. She now faces deportation to Jamaica where she has not been since a child. Other women say she has been transferred to prison but we can’t get hold of her.

Ms M fled rape and other torture in Gambia. She tried to get help from the legal aid clinic in Yarl’s Wood but they didn’t get back to her for four months. She is on five different medications but still joined the hunger strike."

Resurrected: policy from the dead, continue your movement

All guild policy lapses after three years, which means unless is it renewed by guild council it lapses and is forgotten, As guild council motions are not easily accessible and as there is no updates about motions lapsing, We actually lose many many motions to be forgotten.

This is shame for a movement for our long-term progression and development as movement requires a collective sense of identify and history, which is something that we lose by not seeing what our predecessors did.

Last guild council I dragged up two policy documents from the past one several years lapsed and the second only two weeks.

The first was “Balloon releases and the environment”, which for four years between 1999- 2003 was recurrent issue which the guilds conservation volunteers championed, On 23rd January 1998 the Guild launched 1000 black balloons into the atmosphere as part of the anti tuition fee campaign, the move was heavily criticized as balloons take can take 6 months to degrade in the environment longer in cold water and are very damaging to marine life, this resulted in four years later ,in 2003, Edward Polehampton of Recycling Society and Ro Jackson of Conservation Volunteers passing motion banning balloon releases.

This policy lapsed and one of the societies behind it disappeared, GC has now renewed it, but the movements narrative and continuity can be said to be broken, unfortunately we don’t record our history particularly well as an movement, the best records we have are anecdotal ones kept by the occasional PHD student who has been around forever. Recording what we do stops us cyclically repeating ourselves and acts as a resource for future students.

If conservation volunteers had recorded their past activities would their current members have championed the legacy rather than let it slide?

The best immediate thing you can do as society is start your own blog, record what you are doing, so future students can look back when thinking about what to do next.

For example take a look at the radish old and new it is record of discussions and ideas and activities.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Group

Notes of meeting

Present: Trevor Shields, Donna Willmetts, Niki Constantinou, Edd Bauer, Tom Guise and Peter Larkin

No. Item. Action
1. Apologies
Dave O Driscoll
2.
Update on Current Initiatives
(i) Binless Office Sceme
The scheme was continuing to go well in the Muirhead Tower with around 10 to 20 bags collected each day. There was potential for a glass bin on the ground floor.

4 locations were now taking part with a further 9 locations having expressed an interest in signing up. From the original stock of 230 bins there are now only 80 bins in stock. A bid for funding for further bins was in place.
Action: Publicity to be updated regarding current situation of glass bin in the Muirhead.

(ii) Rocket Composter
A meeting was being organised to discuss the future location of the rocket.
Action: The group to be updated on progress.
(iii) Grounds and Gardens

Around 20 tonnes of wet leaves were collected last year (not 60-70 as first stated).
Recycling bins on the Vale were not being widely used.

There were concerns regarding the service provided by the City Council.

Action: The Guild to contact the RA’s regarding publicity for the Vale recycling bins. The Guild to contact the City Council to encourage improvements in the service.

(iv) Guild Initiatives
The University was looking at a potential charity scheme with Veolia for recycling ink cartridges.

Action: The group to be updated on progress.

Action: The possibility of the Guild joining the University waste and recycling contracts was to be put to the Guild Trustees at the end of March.

(v) Batteries

A recycling bin was to be placed in the each of the Village receptions, and the Muirhead ground floor.

Action: The possibility of small bins to be placed in the Guild.

PL, DW, TCS, TG, EB, PL, TGPL, TG, EB

3. Waste and Recycling Figures
Updated figures were discussed. The trend over 5 years for waste to landfill was generally downward, however the increase over the last year was possibly due to the large number of office moves.

Action: Barry Higgins to be contacted regarding paper purchasing figures.
Action: The recycling figures to be circulated to the group.

TCS, PL
4. Awareness and website
The environment and Guild websites had been updated.
There was to be a staff student forum in the Guild at 5:00pm on 2nd February.

5. AOB


4. organisations were to be interviewed from a shortlist of 5 for the general waste and cardboard tender.

7. Date of Next Meeting

Wednesday 14th April 2010 @ 11.00 am, No 54 Pritchatts Road

Fairtrade Steering Group – 3rd February 2010

Present: Stuart Richards (Director of HAS – Chair), Pete Nobbs (Medicine and Dentistry), Sue McLaren (Director of Catering), Lucy Whalley (Oxfam), Erika Malone (Retail), Jane Colbourne (HAS Procurement), Edd Bauer (Guild Ethical and Environmental Officer), Sylvia Gardiner (Library & LUCIA), Margaret Healy-Pollett (Chaplaincy & Traidcraft stall), Lizzy Bell (People & Planet), Louise Sherratt (Catering Operations), Edmund Duesbury (Fairtrade Supporter), Zoe Pflaeger (Post Graduate)
Apologies: Steve Burton, Angie Gibson, Kate Weiler, Helen Senior

1) Minutes/Actions from last Meeting
• Jane has been in touch with Starbucks about arranging a meeting but has yet to set a date. JC
• Website – Helen has updated the Fairtrade webpage and has added the Fairtrade fortnight events. http://www.has.bham.ac.uk/catering/fairtrade/

• Redbrick article – unsure whether an article went in Redbrick.
• Fairtrade Officer for Oxfam – this is ongoing but should be ok
• Fairtrade offer at new Guild catering outlet. Sue has emailed Adrian at the Guild about offering Fairtrade products.
• Stuart has spoken to LGUA about serving Fairtrade beverages at meetings
• Report to the Fairtrade Foundation – the University’s Fairtrade status has been renewed and the Foundation congratulated us on the number of events organised. Well done all!
• Erika has been trying to get FT sales figures from Spar and Costcutter.
• Coffee Nation – this coffee is not Fairtrade but is Rainforest Alliance certified. Louise has spoken to Ken from Coffee Nation but there is no current plan to change. Sue will keep this under review.
2) Fairtrade Fortnight
• Wine tasting 22nd February 6.30pm Café Aroma Staff House. Lucy is awaiting confirmation from John Boyle that the Co-op will support the event again this year. If not the ticket price may need to change. Payment for the wine can be made by purchasing card if cardholder goes with Lucy to collect it. Sue offered transport for collecting the wine via one of the catering managers. (LW, JC)
• Ethical Buffet 25th February 7.00pm Noble Room Staff House.
• Fashion show – Friday 12th March Great Hall 7.30 – 9.30pm with stalls open from 6.45 and until 10.15. There is an issue with drinks – Sue will speak to her managers about this (LB, SJMcL)
• 27th February Fab n Fresh at the Guild with Traidcraft stall
• Fairtrade beer and wine festival at the Guild during all of Fairtrade Fortnight
• Naked Day of Action – Students against sweatshops (People and Planet and Fairtrade Foundation campaign) 24th February.
• Fairtrade Association Birmingham (FAB) will have a marquee in Victoria Square on 27th February 10.00 – 3.30. May also be arranging a Fairtrade Tea Dance nearby.
• Lucy will prepare a poster for all the events for everyone to circulate. Stuart offered to get the events circulated on the all-staff email list if Lucy sends the text to him. (LW, SR)
3) Traidcraft – Margaret has a new volunteer but more volunteers would be welcome so the stall could be opened for longer. £170 was banked after Christmas sales. Sales are growing. Unfortunately the safe had been broken into again however there was no money stolen this time as it had been banked. Margaret has not had a response about the Guild volunteer form.
4) LUCIA
• Coffee tasting in Starbucks 10th March at 6.45pm. Tickets £2 in aid of LUCIA. Starbucks has a link with coffee growers in Ethiopia which is where LUCIA supports projects.
• An art exhibition with local artists is planned in June
• Beer and skittles at the Selly Park Tavern 19th February. Tickets £4.00 from John Rickards in the Library.
• LUCIA will have a stall in the FAB marquee on 27th February.
5) FAB
• Jane has sent text about Fairtrade at the University for the Fairtrade City pamphlet that is being prepared for FAB.
6) AOB
• £712 was raised by Angie Gibson and her colleagues at a bake sale at the Medical School yesterday in aid of the Haiti appeal.
• Angie asked (via email) whether anything could be done to encourage the University to use Fairtrade products at high profile events such as the BUAFTAs. Stuart will investigate the pricing structure.(SR)
• Erika reported that Spar intend to widen their range of Fairtrade products
• Erika offered a stall at the Farmers Market on 24th February for Fairtrade. If anyone is interested they should contact her.
• Fairtrade apple juice is now available and also Divine butterscotch flavour. Fairtrade chocolate flavoured milk has been trialled but did not sell well.
• Organisation of a tea party had been mentioned at the last meeting. It was suggested this would be better held later in the year in the Great Hall.
• Edd would like the University to support the Workers Rights Consortium. There is a cost of £1000 per year – the Guild has offered £500 and Kukri a further £100. Edd circulated a letter to the University requesting its support.
7) Next meeting – 12th May 3.00pm 3rd floor Staff House

Ethical and Environmental Committee, minutes, 9th of February

In Attendance: Lizzy Bell, Maia Stone, Laura Beckman, Sandhya Trott, Ellie Barendt
apologies: Deborah Bazeley, Gemma Bending,Lincoln Smith

1. Elections Ethical and Environmental working group.

Brief discussion on what form of voting was most appropriate AV, FPTP, MPR group settled on deciding the elections by consensus, electing Laura Beckman and Sandhya Trott who I am confident will be excellent Reps.

2. Co-ordination of campaigns

Lizzy Bell: Mentioned the Ethical Fashion show and asked for support from other groups, UN society and Carnival RAG are going to look into publicizing the event to their members.

Discussion of attendance to the E&E committee, decided attendance should not be compulsory for student groups, should attempt to build genuine membership.

3. Suggestions

Simplification of the universities recycling system, discussion about benefits of a unified system and methods of spreading it around campus, creation of inter department green league and global advocate list action all, join global list action Edd - lobby more staff members to join.

RA's and the environment Sandhya and Edd to approach Residents executive about having specific Environment Rep and compulsory membership of the Halls ethical and environmental forum


4. Renaming of group from E&E forum to E&E committee want to differentiate from the new forum system being set up in the guild and encourage a more active participation in decision making.

5. AOB

group very unhappy about the DSR proposals want to talk with a sabbatical about them, Perhaps at the next E&E forum, talked about possibility of campaigning against them.

Naked Lunch supports; students getting naked

The Iconic Birmingham club night, and strong proponents of nudity the Naked Lunch, will be givin out free guest list tickets to their March party on the 9th - to any student who takes part in the naked photo shoot for a transparent fair system.

This is not just about public nudity however …

the workers rights consortium is not just about sweatshops it is about; LGTBQ rights, Human rights, Women's rights, fighting Racism, Ageism and all forms of discrimination( gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin).

Why not get your group involved in the action, message me if you want me to come meet with you or your committee.

A Time To Get Naked! - wednesday march 3rd 1pm

or at least time to get other people naked, depending on how you feel about public nudity... whatever.

after two international conference calls, between 26 students from all over North America and Europe (Including students from Birmingham UK & USA)a international week of action against sweatshops has been been organized for, the week starting the 1st of march.

The theme is "I'd rather go naked than, wear sweatshop clothing"

Why take part! - this is not just for the kicks

the people working for university’s suppliers are often working under slave labour conditions, with no union, no healthcare, 80 hour working weeks and 5p an hour wages, with no safety, no breaks no guarantees or job security and as consumers we are often given no guarantees of origin, no independent auditing.

There is a powerful student movement against sweatshops coming into fruition on both sides of the Atlantic. Students have set up the workers rights consortium to monitor companies globally and by asking universities to affiliate to it, we are asking them to "bare all" and uncover the factories that their suppliers use.

We Have already gone far, 186 universities have signed up, $2.5 million dollars have been given to workers in compensation for abuses, 1,200 laid-off workers have their jobs back and Russel athletic have extend the right to unionize for all their factories (find out more ... New York Times and new internationalist .



you don't actually have to get naked just, as demonstrated in the pictures, create the illusion of nudity.

over the next few weeks I'm going to messaging loads of group on campus student societies, sports teams, guild officers, members of staff and the Vice chancellor asking them to take part and show their support. I will keep a running update of groups and individuals helping people getting naked on this blog so keep checking!

talk to you soon

xx

FAIRTRADE STEERING GROUP – 3rd February 2010

3rd Floor Staff House – 3.00pm

1 Introductions
2 Minutes/actions from last meeting
3 Fairtrade Fortnight Events
4 Review Fairtrade Policy
5 Annual Report to Fairtrade Foundation
6 Traidcraft Stall at the Chaplaincy (volunteers and publicity)
7 LUCIA – forthcoming events
8 FAB
9 AOB
10 Dates of Next Meetings – 12th May 2010, 20th October 2010