At The North-East Social Forum

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At The North-East Social Forum
For Your Reference:
Durham University Social Forum

News In Brief
Workers back pensions action
Employer found guilty over deaths

- By a student from Newcastle University -

It is Friday afternoon, June 20, a hot sunny day, and I'm just about to arrive at the first North East Social Forum. It has been organised by the Durham University Social Forum (DUSF) student society around the theme of "Another North East Is Possible, Another World Is Possible!"

I should have registered at the "Save our Sands Solidarity Camp", organised in protest of the decision to build yet another car park on a strip of the grassy bank of the River Wear, which runs though the centre of Durham. However, I am slightly late and decide to go straight into the first conference, held in the Fonteyn Ballroom of the Students' Union, and register later.

In all, the Forum will be lasting until Monday, and by then will have involved six main conferences discussing the basic tenets of the DUSF that are defined in its constitution: Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Oppression, Education, Environment, International Co-operation and People Over Profit.

Alongside these conferences are to be various seminars and workshops, around 25 in all, plus numerous informal discussions as well as cultural events – including films, art and photo exhibitions, sculpture, live music and fashion shows.

The conference I am participating in, which begins at half past one, so I must rush, is entitled "Anti-Discrimination: If people have different needs and abilities, how can we treat them equally?" Its purpose is to examine questions raised by the first tenet of DUSF, which reads "This forum stands firmly against any form of discrimination ... This forum will take and encourage action to condemn and deter manifestations of discrimination ... the flourishing of all people rests on the prevention of discrimination ... personal dignity and free development of personality are at the very core of participatory government."

There are three speakers. First is Dr Esti Rimmer, an Israeli in self-imposed exile and consultant clinical psychologist, who also lectures at Newcastle University. She speaks about the individual and group psychology of discrimination, the role of leaders and how the mental process of categorisation and projection of qualities onto a group is used and manipulated by leaders.

Second, Judex Paul, Durham Social Services Equal Opportunities Officer, and a member of the Commission for Racial Equality, talks about his experiences of coming to England from Mauritius in 1970, as well as the work of the Council and the Commission.

Finally, Fr Chris Hughes, a Roman Catholic Priest at Ushaw College, speaks about his experiences of working with the mentally disabled at L'Arche, a live-in community, and about the human value of these people who do not have a contribution to the economy as such. In his view, their contribution is that they are a "school of humanity", and that by acknowledging the distinct needs of individuals, we are acknowledging the equality of everyone.

But most interesting is the discussion. The atmosphere is open and people give their views without pushing positions or taking sides, and goes on enthusiastically until after four o'clock. Points are raised on the question of rights: that as well as people having rights by virtue of their humanity, they also have rights as members of various groups and collectives.

Somebody raises the question of education – its role in preventing discrimination. It is remarked that the right to conscience is important, and under the very guise of anti-discrimination the right to consciousness is being attacked, even in law through the "incitement to racial hatred" laws.

The various speakers had pointed out the importance of working together. Participation is key to putting differences aside as well as utilising and developing them. Does education facilitate young people to participate in society? And so the discussion carries on.

I leave feeling refreshed: we've all been involved in doing our own thinking. The first steps are being taken in setting our own direction for society. I head for the camp with a couple of others to pay the registration fee, the discussion continuing, on this and other things, between us.

 

For Your Reference:

Durham University Social Forum

Durham University Social Forum is an ongoing, grassroots process involving volunteering and campaigning groups and individuals from all over the university, all united by their concern with issues of social justice, sustainability, democracy and equality. As part of the World Social Forum process, Durham University Social Forum supports its members in their battle for a different, better world. This includes the facilitation of networking and debate, provision of resources, training and publicity for campaigns, and the establishment of a Social Centre where groups and individuals can come together and share experiences, victories and frustrations, and feel first-hand the challenges and rewards of genuine participatory democracy. From June 20-23, DUSF hosted the North East Social Forum, which involved people from all over the region and beyond, in days of lectures, workshops, protest and cultural activities.

Constitution

(From http://www.dur.ac.uk/durham.socialforum/resources/constitution.htm)

The Durham University Social Forum is comprised of various groups, who represent a wide array of interests. In the interests of openness and transparency, DUSF differs from the World Social Forum Charter of Principles in that DUSF does permit political party representation to participate. The aim of the Social Forum is to pull together these societies and individuals into a coalition in order to highlight the commonality of the groups and to provide central organisation for social response. The mandate of the Social Forum is to follow the lead of the constituent groups, who will set the agenda of the Social Forum in regard to the issues that are addressed and the actions taken. DUSF does not claim to represent Durham civil society as a whole (See point 5, World Social Forum Charter of Principles).

This constitution is intended to act as the basis for the Social Forum and a starting point for its governance. In order to maintain flexibility in response to the constituency of the Social Forum and to significant current issues, it is probable that this constitution will evolve. It is envisaged that discussions and talks about relevant issues will occur on a regular basis with the result that motions may be carried by which the constitutions will develop. (See the paper on structure for full details about this process.) DUSF respects the principles of the World Social Forum Charter of Principles. However, in DUSF's particular context, certain clarifications are necessary.

I. Definitions: At the outset of this document, it is necessary to define terms important to the pursuits of the Social Forum.

1. Action – This forum understands action as being composed of awareness-raising activities and non-violent direct action. Direct action is embodied in various forms of social engagement ranging from negotiating and petitioning to volunteer work to civil disobedience. We consider action to be a core element of the Social Forum agenda and we will engage in action as an expression of our civil liberties and in accordance with the will of the Social Forum members.

2. Oppression – This forum defines oppression as the unjust denial of basic human rights and freedoms, such as movement, expression, association, material necessities, democratic governance and a due rule of law.

3. Human rights – This forum declares the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings. We adopt the understanding of human rights as described by the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

4. Sustainable – This forum adopts the understanding of sustainability as described by the United Nations Development Program as that ‘…which meets the needs of the present generations, especially of the poorest people, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

II. Tenets of the Social Forum:

1. Anti-Discrimination

a. This forum stands firmly against any form of discrimination on the grounds of race/ethnicity, age, disability, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, employment status, immigration status and political orientation.

b. This forum will take and encourage action to condemn and deter manifestations of discrimination.

c. This forum believes that the flourishing of all people rests on the prevention of discrimination. Furthermore, we believe that personal dignity and free development of personality are at the very core of participatory government.

2. Anti-Oppression a. This forum opposes all embodiments of oppression.

b. This forum believes that oppression occurs in many forms and on all levels of society. Some of the manifestations include political, economic, military, and cultural.

c. This forum asserts that oppression in its many forms has often been a tool wielded by nation states, either against the state’s own people or against people outside that state, in order to maintain or to extend control.

d. This forum commits to awareness-raising of oppression and to action against it as main missions of the Social Forum.

e. This forum believes in the necessity and potential effectiveness of action taken on a local scale by local people, to impact regional, national and international events.

3. International Co-operation

a. This forum believes that international co-operation, solidarity and understanding between peoples are the only means by which current global problems can be solved.

b. This forum will seek to realise this aim by building co-operation between groups at Durham University, at other universities, and within the broader regional community.

4. People over Profit

a. This forum believes in putting people over profit.

b. This forum asserts that peoples’ dignity, rights, and welfare should not be sacrificed in the name of pure economic gain that will only benefit an elite minority. c. This forum supports sustainable economic activity that is beneficial to broad sectors of the population, rather than a corporate elite, and that is not destructive of ecological resources.

5. Environment

a. This forum is against environmental degradation caused by the pursuits of commercial and economic gains without regard to sustainability and peoples’ livelihoods.

b. This forum believes that environmental justice has to be of primary importance on the global agenda. Urgent action has to be taken to curb unsustainable activity that affects irreversible and catastrophic ecological damage.

c. This forum believes in sustainable development rather than unregulated growth. 6. Education

a. This forum believes in universal and free education for people in the language of their choice in the manner of their choice.

b. This forum affirms the right of every individual to education regardless of her or his economic situation and social background.

III. Aims and Objectives:

These are the aims and objectives of the Social Forum, which are subject to emendation according to the prescriptions of the General Assembly and within the guidelines of Social Forum structure.

1. Awareness

a. The Social Forum aims to raise awareness throughout the university of the root causes of the social issues outlined in the constitution and those adopted by the forum.

b. The means by which the Social Forum will meet this aim is by organising discussions, hosting speakers, spearheading university-wide poster campaigns, initiating a social centre, producing a journal, networking with other groups, and engaging in action.

2. Social Centre

This Social Forum aims to found and maintain a social centre to act as a library, resource room and meeting place for members of the forum and other students who are interested in the issues of the forum.

3. Journal

The Social Forum aims to produce a journal dealing with social issues relevant to DUSF.

4. Co-operation between Groups

The Social Forum aims to foster collaboration between groups within the university, locally, nationally, and internationally in order to achieve the aims of the forum.

5. Action

The Social Forum aims to coordinate action among students and the societies of the social forum in order to address issues of urgency, as determined by the constituent groups. When direct action is deemed necessary, the forum will undertake various forms of social engagement, as defined above.

About 600 workers at chemical firm, Rhodia in Oldbury, West Midlands, have backed industrial action over plans to close their final salary pension scheme to new employees. The GMB General Secretary said, "Closing the scheme to new workers is the first step to stripping current workers of pensions too."

Workers are opposing cutbacks in pensions by backing their objections with actions.

Employer found guilty over deaths

Such was the outrage over the deaths of workers in a West Bromwich factory that the courts have had to respond to the crime. The factory owner has been found guilty of manslaughter of two employees.

The workers, Mumtaz Hussein and Ghulam Sarwar were both from Birmingham and they had breathed in and been overcome by toxic fumes, which had leaked from a paint processing area.

It is high time that this kind of mal-practice was put a stop to. Sweat-shop conditions can no longer be tolerated in this day and age. Obvious dangers to health and safety can no longer be tolerated by workers.