I'm glad to say I will be attending NUS Extraordinary Conference on 12 November and will be voting to reform the national union.
Wolverhampton is the setting for the conference, called by over 25 member unions, that will discuss and vote on the proposed new constitutional framework. It requires a two-thirds majority to pass at two consecutive conferences.
For more details visit the NUS's intranet page on the reforms.
Oh, by the way, if you're a student at the University of Manchester then they are holding elections for NUS delegates right now. Look for candidates who will vote for reform or are "choosing change" at the conference and rank them high in your preferences.
JR
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Friday, 17 October 2008
NUS Reform ... That's Better
Looks like someone saw my blog of a few months ago and took the proposals to heart. Well, I can dream.
NUS Reform is a much better title than NUS Governance, the word governance became a turn off during the campaign and had negative connotations, while the word reform gives the process an interest and positive outlook.
National Conference will now be called National Conference (not Congress as in the previous proposals), which makes this sound like the event isn't changing ... because it isn't! The name Congress was just a stupid idea.
But the other titles have also changed to more recognisable forms. For example, the National Executive Committee will now be the National Executive Council, i.e. NEC to NEC. This gives a nod to both the current NEC and the National Council, which will effectively merge to form the new NEC.
So an Extrodinary Confrence has been called for, probably to be held in late November or the beginning of December. I'll be there because I'm a reformer. (Note: not an offical slogan, yet).
JR
NUS Reform is a much better title than NUS Governance, the word governance became a turn off during the campaign and had negative connotations, while the word reform gives the process an interest and positive outlook.
National Conference will now be called National Conference (not Congress as in the previous proposals), which makes this sound like the event isn't changing ... because it isn't! The name Congress was just a stupid idea.
But the other titles have also changed to more recognisable forms. For example, the National Executive Committee will now be the National Executive Council, i.e. NEC to NEC. This gives a nod to both the current NEC and the National Council, which will effectively merge to form the new NEC.
So an Extrodinary Confrence has been called for, probably to be held in late November or the beginning of December. I'll be there because I'm a reformer. (Note: not an offical slogan, yet).
JR
Sunday, 12 October 2008
I Don't Like You Maverick, You're Dangerous
Of course I'm not talking about Lt Pete Mitchell in Top Gun, but John McCain. The reason why he's dangerous hasn't actually got anything to do with him but his running mate, Sarah Palin.
Remember, John McCain is 72, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination for him to die in office. If that were to happen, then Sarah Palin would become the 45th President of the United States.
It's not as if the situation never arises, as she would be the 6th president that wasn't elected to the position.
Why is she dangerous? Well in an interview with Charles Gibson on 11 September she said;
It's not as if that is untrue, if Georgia and the Ukraine were admitted into NATO then the US (along with the other NATO nations) would be obligated to protect and help them; but you just don't give an answer that basicly says we should attack Russia and start a nuclear war! What's even more scary is that she knows where Russia is (as she's keen to point out in almost every interview she gives)!
Sarah Palin is the reason why the Maverick is dangerous, she just doesn't know when not to give an answer. I bet McCain is questioning his own choice of running mate.
JR
Remember, John McCain is 72, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination for him to die in office. If that were to happen, then Sarah Palin would become the 45th President of the United States.
It's not as if the situation never arises, as she would be the 6th president that wasn't elected to the position.
Why is she dangerous? Well in an interview with Charles Gibson on 11 September she said;
PALIN: Well, you know, the Rose Revolution, the Orange Revolution, those actions have showed us that those democratic nations, I believe, deserve to be in NATO. Putin thinks otherwise. Obviously, he thinks otherwise, but...
GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?
PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.
It's not as if that is untrue, if Georgia and the Ukraine were admitted into NATO then the US (along with the other NATO nations) would be obligated to protect and help them; but you just don't give an answer that basicly says we should attack Russia and start a nuclear war! What's even more scary is that she knows where Russia is (as she's keen to point out in almost every interview she gives)!
Sarah Palin is the reason why the Maverick is dangerous, she just doesn't know when not to give an answer. I bet McCain is questioning his own choice of running mate.
JR
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
I Know A Man Who Can
When your car has a breakdown then you call for the AA (other breakdown services are available). Why? Because they have a man who can.
When there's something strange in the neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
To repair the broken society, who should you call for? David Cameron set out his stall as prime minister in waiting today, in his speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. In it he talked about a plan for social change, that I was most interested in.
Who can deny the truthfulness of the proverb "prevention is better than cure"? Well it does look like the Labour government is in denial over this. They are more interested in treating the symptoms with tougher sentences and effective punishment, and of course there's no reason to stop sending people to prison. However, society will remain broken unless we deal with the causes more effectively.
Cameron, in his speech, said;
This is the problem in a nutshell. The twenty-first century family is failing, falling apart, breaking up. The benefits system works against families where the parents are still together. Advice from the Job Centre staff is that, financially, it would be better if mother and father lived apart. This is crazy! This has to change. The couple penalty must go.
If the family does fail, the schools give children another chance. The problem is that there aren't enough good schools.
This speech from David Cameron was one of a statesman, a leader of a united party, and, some might say, a prime minister in waiting.
A man with a plan. That's who we need to repair our broken society. Gordon Brown hasn't got one, so I'm going to call for David Cameron.
Find out more about that plan by watching the video below ...
JR
When there's something strange in the neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
To repair the broken society, who should you call for? David Cameron set out his stall as prime minister in waiting today, in his speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. In it he talked about a plan for social change, that I was most interested in.
Who can deny the truthfulness of the proverb "prevention is better than cure"? Well it does look like the Labour government is in denial over this. They are more interested in treating the symptoms with tougher sentences and effective punishment, and of course there's no reason to stop sending people to prison. However, society will remain broken unless we deal with the causes more effectively.
Cameron, in his speech, said;
Come with me to Wandsworth prison and meet the inmates. Yes you meet the mugger, the robber and the burglar. But you also meet the boy who can’t read and never could. The teenager hooked on heroin.The young man who never knew the love of a father. The middle aged failure where no-one in the family has known what it’s like to go out and work for two generations or maybe more. Miss the context, miss the cause, miss the background and you’ll never get the true picture of why crime is so high in our country.
This is the problem in a nutshell. The twenty-first century family is failing, falling apart, breaking up. The benefits system works against families where the parents are still together. Advice from the Job Centre staff is that, financially, it would be better if mother and father lived apart. This is crazy! This has to change. The couple penalty must go.
If the family does fail, the schools give children another chance. The problem is that there aren't enough good schools.
... we will break open the state monopoly and allow new schools to be set up. And to those who say we cannot wait for structural reform and competition to raise standards I say - yes, you’re right, and we will not wait.
The election of a Conservative government will bring – and I mean this almost literally - a declaration of war against those parts of the educational establishment who still cling to the cruelty of the "all must win prizes" philosophy and the dangerous practice of dumbing down.
This speech from David Cameron was one of a statesman, a leader of a united party, and, some might say, a prime minister in waiting.
Rebuilding our battered economy. Renewing our bureaucratised NHS. Repairing our broken society. That is our plan for change. But in these difficult times we promise no new dawns, no overnight transformations. I’m a man with a plan, not a miracle cure.
A man with a plan. That's who we need to repair our broken society. Gordon Brown hasn't got one, so I'm going to call for David Cameron.
Find out more about that plan by watching the video below ...
JR
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