contribution by Liam Burns

There have been some profound changes to the nature of campaigning over the last few years. Associated with this is the rise of very loosely organised campaigning approaches, such as that epitomised by UK Uncut.

How we best campaign on this in a manner which is coherent nationally but relevant locally is therefore a challenge now more than ever.

Whilst we are great at running large-scale national events – mobilising over 50,000 students together with UCU last year – adapting to locally run disparate actions on wide-ranging issues is more difficult.

Student Activism 2011, an event being run at Goldsmiths College, London this Saturday 19 November, is designed to help look at and reflect these types of questions.

And this new model is also reflected in the nature of the event itself – we provide the framework, we have booked out the rooms, and we have publicised it across the student movement; but having provided the ‘skeleton’ of the event, we are leaving the development of the sessions themselves to students, student leaders and sister organisations.

And so the sessions are incredibly ranging, from workshops, debates, training sessions and talks; while the topics covered range from for example campaigning against education funding cuts locally, to highlighting ‘hidden course costs’, to direct action on climate change, to the Robin Hood tax, interfaith engagement, internships, to the ‘internationalisation’ of university campuses, the living wage, trade unions in Swaziland, to travel costs and the restoration of the education maintenance allowance.

It is critical that we confront the challenges associated with campaigning, to build the capacity and strength that is necessary to fight against what is without question a wide-ranging, ideological assault on our public services.

In such a desperate climate, we as a student movement must and will be at the forefront of this effort to fight back, for all of our futures.

We are up to this challenge, and this responsibility – and so I am proud that in the week that youth unemployment spiralled beyond one million, we will also see the biggest student activism conference ever.

—
Liam Burns is the head of the National Union of Students

Reader comments

1. Vic Langer

   Read @nus_liam blog on the Liberal Conspiracy site ahead of #activism2011 http://t.co/SLg4u8zl

2. Liam Burns

   Student activism: how a new landscape is being created | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/qqNkEKjT via @libcon

3. Green City Media

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4. Joe Oliver

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5. Danielle Grufferty

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6. toni pearce

   Student activism: how a new landscape is being created @nus_liam http://t.co/aJESsdNC via @libcon #activism2011

7. Dani Beckett

   Student activism: how a new landscape is being created @nus_liam http://t.co/aJESsdNC via @libcon #activism2011

8. Verity

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9. hannah charnock

   Student activism: how a new landscape is being created @nus_liam http://t.co/aJESsdNC via @libcon #activism2011

10. NUS UK

    Read @nus_liam blog on the Liberal Conspiracy site ahead of #activism2011 http://t.co/SLg4u8zl

11. Alex Braithwaite

    Student activism: how a new landscape is being created | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/AwCP6RVX via @libcon

12. Larry Gardiner

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13. NUS-USI

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