Stay of execution comes to an end: NUS democracy abolished

By Daniel Randall, University of Sheffield delegate to Extraordinary Conference (pc).

Yesterday’s NUS Extraordinary Conference finally ended the stay of execution that the left had won for the union’s democracy by pushing back ratification of the new constitution at Annual Conference 2008. The constitution comes into immediate effect, and this March’s Annual Conference will elect members to the new National Executive Council and the Trustee Board. For a report of the first Extraordinary Conference, click here, and for ENS’s criticisms of the original “Green Paper” on Governance that launched the process that culminated yesterday, click here. For ENS’s leaflet to the 12th November Extraordinary Conference, click here.
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New NUS constitution destroys democracy - activists need to ask “What next?”

Yesterday, 20 March, an NUS Extraordinary Conference voted by a large majority to ratify NUS’s new constitution, gutting democracy in the national union.

University of Sussex Students’ Union has called a meeting on Saturday 7 March for student union officers and activists who opposed the new constitution, oppose NUS’s current disastrous trajectory and want to discuss what to do next. Below is the text from the Facebook event and a link to the event. Full report of the Extraordinary Conference soon.
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International Students Movement demands free education worldwide

By Gemma Short, Sheffield University and NUS Women’s Committee

Recently I took part in an international webchat conference organised by activists, mainly in continental Europe, under the banner of the “international students movement — emancipating education for all”.
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School staff take action to defend teacher sacked for wearing trainers!

For the Facebook group “Friends of Adrian Swain”, see here.

Staff at St Paul’s Way School in Tower Hamlets, East London, will demonstrate outside the town hall at 3.30pm on Friday 16 January to protest against the sacking of Adrian Swain - the socialist, Permanent Revolution member and NUT activist sacked for failing to comply with a new dress code by wearing trainers and tracksuit bottoms.
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SOAS students occupy in solidarity with the Palestinians

From an ENS supporter at LSE
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