Panels and political education

What is a just transition and how do we win one? (Panel)

As the climate crisis deepens, calls for a “just transition” have erupted across the world. But what makes that transition really just? Join us for a deep-dive discussion with grassroots organisers, climate justice campaigners, writers and academics on what it means to build a just transition that puts workers, frontline communities and global solidarity first. Together, we'll unpack the systems driving climate injustice and “unjust” models of a green transition, explore how movements are resisting these across the world, the role of workers, and how students can play a part in collectively organising for a future we need.

With:

• Harpreet Kaur-Spannos (Greenpeace UK, writer and climate justice advocate)

• Clara Paillard (Unite the Union and Tipping Point)

• Derek Wall (Ecosocialist writer and activist)

• Seb Muñoz (War on Want)

Rising fascism and rising profits: How we got here and why we must take on the border industry (Panel)

The far right in the UK is on the charge. Across the Atlantic, ICE continues to tear families apart. In the EU, they say that ‘Asylum is dead’. The wave of border militarisation sweeping through the Global North, fortified by the growth of the far-right, has shaken our communities to the core. However, these are not accidents of political circumstance. The repression of migrants is a function of a global system which serves the rich and the powerful. In this panel, our speakers will unpack the networks, the systems, the profiteers and the corporations which lie at the heart of our ever-strengthening borders, and they will use their diverse experiences in solidarity to reflect on how we can fight back.

With:

• Munya Radzi (Regularise)

• André Dalls (People & Planet)

• Mallika Balakrishnan (Migrants Organise)
  
  
• Sara Bafao (Writer and community organiser)

Unjust energy transition? Challenging the critical mineral rush (Workshop)

With London Mining Network

The global rush for “critical minerals” is being sold as an essential step towards a greener future. Yet rapid mine expansions are escalating catastrophic social and environmental harms, often in the Global South, with communities facing land dispossession, water depletion, toxic contamination, and the steady erosion of subsistence economies and cultural ways of life. Those who resist are increasingly met with intimidation, surveillance, and criminalisation.

Unjust Energy Transition? Challenging the Critical Mineral Rush is an interactive workshop developed and delivered by London Mining Network that unpicks what is really driving the boom in demand for minerals like lithium and copper, who really benefits, and who bears the cost.

Researching Corporate Interests at your university

With Corporate Watch

Want to uncover the corporate ties to your university? This workshop will provide you with all you need to know how to track hidden ownership structures, understand financial ties, and use Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to expose corporate interests and relationships with your university.

What is the Defence Universities Alliance and how do we stop it?

This April, the UK government established a new Ministry of Defence initiative, "The Defence Universities Alliance (DUA)". It's currently seeking 20 founding university members to integrate higher education into the "Defence Industrial Base," redirecting campus research, student career pathways, and institutional resources to serve military and arms-industry interests. It doesn't look good. So let's get organising!

Skills Workshops

Non-violent Direct Action Training

Curious about direct action? Wondering if its for you or not? Come along to be inspired and find out about all the different roles and tasks needed to make it accessible, effective and fun. The session will be participatory / interactive in its nature and have plenty of opportunities for questions.

With: Seeds for Change

Building a Group and Movement on Your Campus

Groups are central to our organising experiences. Whether you’re looking to build one from scratch or strengthen your group. Learn how to empower your group to build a movement on campus fighting for a common cause!

Know Your Rights

With: Liberty

Over the past year, student-led protests have sparked important conversations around the right to protest at university, and the clampdown on freedom of expression and student activism. Liberty are delivering a know your rights workshop to empower students about their legal rights to protest at university, including through encampments and occupations, to help students feel comfortable and safe enough to advocate for change through protest.

Digital Organising

Want to learn how to use social media and other digital tools to take your campaigns to the next level? Join this skills workshop on the art of digital organising! In this session we'll be covering: Why digital organising is important, what makes great social media content, tips and tricks to build your audience and supporter base, how to build effective online petitions and other tools to put pressure on your targets, and more!

Effective Outreach

Want to get your campaign message out there? Keen to build your skills communicating your campaign or cause? Join this workshop for all you need to know about running effective stalls, delivering memorable lecture shout outs and spreading the message through campus accommodation doorknocking!

Power and Privilege

Understanding privilege is an uncomfortable but vital part to creating campaigns that challenge the status quo. By examining our own privileges and biases, we understand their impact and begin dismantling power dynamics within our movements. In this session we'll look at what we mean by power and privilege, hoow it shows up in our organising spaces and how we can begin to dismantle these systems of oppression within our own campaigns.

Campaign Strategy

Learn how to build a powerful campaign strategy - from choosing your goals to identifying your target and how to escalate to win! This workshop will provide key tools for you to develop your campaign plans from step one to success!

Running a great freshers week and first term

Running a great freshers week is key to recruiting new members and ensuring they stay an active part of your group. In this workshop we'll discuss how to make the most of freshers week, things to plan in advance and how to keep up the momentum throughout the first semester. We'll also be doing some plannning of freshers week and first semester timelines so you'll hopefully go away ready to make the most of semester 1.

Facilitation

With Seeds for Change

Meetings can be enjoyable, productive and inclusive and there's ways to make tricky decisions a lot easier! Come along to this session to remind yourselves of all the different roles and tasks that need to happen for a successful meeting and to explore a suggested process and tools for good decision making.

Powerful Speeches

Learn how to write and deliver a powerful campaign speech at a rally or demonstration! We'll be introducing how to think about your message, structure your speech, use rhetorical devices, and deliver your speech with the power and punch that will inspire crowds of all sizes!

Press and Media

Engaging with the press is a vital - but often overlooked - way of communicating about your campaign and increasing its reach and impact. In this session we'll discuss the basics of how to engage effectively with the press and how to write a press release that journalists can't wait to pick up!

Lobbying your university

Negotiating with university management is a powerful way of bringing your demands directly to decision-makers and convince them of your demands. In this workshop we'll discuss the benefits of engaging in lobbying, using negotiations as a strategic tactic within your campaign, and how to win the argument with stubborn university leaders!

The University League

People & Planet’s University League (see table below) is the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance. Learn how to see how your university is performing, and use it as a tool to influence your university to do better and sign up to your campaign! Fossil Free Careers, Fossil Free, and Divest Borders are all criteria in the league so you can push your university to win points by signing up to your campaign demands!

How SUs can help build movements for change

This workshop is specifically for elected student union officers! Join us to learn how to support grassroots groups of students and societies to build powerful campaigns on your campus! Share your experience of student organising on your campus with other officers and together let's build student unions that foster and support vibrant campaigns and organising culture on your campus!