People & Planet has a strong commitment to democracy as part of our vision for a better world and as something that increases our ability to campaign effectively on the issues that students care most about. We also believe that decision-making should be accessible, fun and empowering! Read on to find out about a list of the main democratic structures through which P&Pers can participate in organisational decisions.
The Forum
P&Pers at The Forum 07 worked in small groups to assess campaigns options against campaigns criteria
This is our main democratic event. Students gather from across the country, to discuss, debate and decide on the future of our campaigns and participate in discussions about other important issues such as our overall strategy and direction, the diversity of the network or how we raise money. This is where new ideas can be raised, feedback given and received and where key decisions are made. The event is great fun and a fantastic opportunity to meet and party with other student campaigners.
Read about all the discussions and decisions at The Forum 07.
The Management Committee
The Management Committee oversees all the work of People & Planet. It approves the budgets, hires the director and makes sure the staff are working on the best projects to support your campaigning. It also has a democratic role within P&P as it is half made up of students members, who are elected at the Forum. The other half are non-student members, drawn from other organisations such as Oxfam, Friends of the Earth or ActionAid. University or Sixth Form students are encouraged to stand for election to the MC. The next vote will be held at the Forum 2008.
Get in touch with your Management Committee representatives.
Working Groups
People & Planet needs to react fast to changing events, but we still want to involve students at every step of the way. That’s why we form working groups on issues such as developing our democracy, responding to devolution in Scotland and on other issues. Joining a working group gives you the chance to have a really big impact on our activities - your idea might be printed on 100,000 campaign cards!
Let us know if you’d like to take part in a working group.
Volunteering as a Regional Rep and Participation
Get stuck in! If you’re a university student, become part of our outreach team by volunteering as a Regional Rep. Reps visit groups in other universities in their area to encourage and support them, help provide training and help organise regional events. Its loads of fun, you’ll meet plenty of cool people and full training and expenses are provided.
Email John to volunteer.
Democracy in Your Group
One of the great things about P&P is that its up to you how your organise your own group. This provides a good opportunity to learn about different, more radical ways that groups can operate and make decisions.
Learn about ways to make sure everyone is included at your meetings and is happy with the decisions your group makes.