Tuesday 23-01-2018 - 19:35

Firstly; welcome back! I hope your January exams and assessments have gone well, and you’re ready to tackle term 2!

 

via GIPHY

 

Speaking of tackling things, this is our #NoHateHere week, where we talk about Hate Crime. But why is important to students, and why are we doing it here?

Hate Crime is a criminal offence that is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice. A hate incident any incident perceived to be motivated by prejudice. Since Brexit, there has been a noted rise in Hate Crime across the UK, and actually since 2015 we have seen a rise across Europe in racism and fascism, with far-right nationalist groups growing in membership and popularity.

On a personal level, this frightens me. On a professional one, as your VP Welfare, it’s my job to react to trends like this. It’s my job to talk about issues that may be difficult, and it’s my job to ensure we as your Union stand up for liberation groups and say: #NoHateHere. I was elected on a manifesto to tackle hate and support liberation, which is exactly what I have been doing.

This week we have each day dedicated to a liberation group, where the liberation officers have had control over the schedule. We’ve got a panel talk about Hate Crime with some excellent panellists, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation are coming in to show a film and give a talk about their work tackling hate, and we’ve got a live web-cast with holocaust survivor Janine Webber where students will be able to ask questions and listen to her lived experience.

Photo: Janine Webber for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

Check out our Facebook event for a break-down of what’s going on; https://www.facebook.com/events/1819614644776070/

If you have experienced hate because of your sexuality, race, religion, gender identity, age, or disability, the Students’ Union Advice Centre is a Third Party Hate Crime reporting centre. You can come here to report and get support.

 

In love and solidarity,

Your Vice President Welfare, Rosie xx