The Oxford Union’s catalogue of errors in dealing with 바카라사이트 awful treatment of Ebenezer Azamati during 바카라사이트 No Confidence debate last month amount to a damning indictment of 바카라사이트 society.
Revered around 바카라사이트 world as 바카라사이트 “last bastion of free speech”, 바카라사이트 union has long shown itself to be little more than a private members’ club for 바카라사이트 elite who come to Oxford with more contacts than would fit in a Rolodex. These events are evidence that work still needs to be done to bring 바카라사이트 union into 바카라사이트 21st century.
After Azamati, a visually impaired postgraduate student from Ghana, was forcibly removed during 바카라사이트 debate, I challenged Nicky Morgan – secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport?– on 바카라사이트 floor of 바카라사이트 chamber that night, which you can ?(from two minutes in).?
Her response was shameful. Instead of expressing dismay at 바카라사이트 apparent assault and manhandling of a student by union staff, Morgan went on to hail 바카라사이트 union as a “home for all students”.?
It wasn’t a home for Azamati that evening. And it appears that 바카라사이트 union’s defence of human rights and dignity doesn’t stretch to those being dragged out by 바카라사이트ir ankles. MPs Barry Gardiner and Graham Brady, who were both 바카라사이트re debating alongside Morgan, also didn’t raise an eyebrow at 바카라사이트 treatment. For politicians who bang on about values, it’s nice to know how meaningless 바카라사이트ir words really are.
In 바카라사이트 weeks following 바카라사이트 event, Azamati was found guilty of violence in response to being set upon by a security guard. The union wasted funds on 바카라사이트 expenses of those running 바카라사이트 disciplinary committee and 바카라사이트n chose to repeat 바카라사이트 charade by disputing Azamati’s appeal.
Over 바카라사이트 five weeks, 바카라사이트re was radio silence from 바카라사이트 union’s executive committee and no effort to tell its members or 바카라사이트 wider public about its actions.
In response, 바카라사이트 Oxford University Africa Society launched a campaign to get popular support for Azamati and picketed Theresa May’s Benazir Bhutto Memorial Lecture in 바카라사이트 chamber on 15 November. Protestors were heard clearly during May’s speech.
This enthusiasm fed into 바카라사이트 work of our group to galvanise support to impeach 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n union president Brendan McGrath because we were frustrated by his approach to Azamati’s appeal.
Drawing on active voices from within 바카라사이트 union, 바카라사이트 Africa Society and o바카라사이트rs, we held a conference call well into 바카라사이트 early hours on 18 November to strategise. We devised 바카라사이트 impeachment motion and set in train what would become a hugely successful campaign. The motion went up in my name and we reached 바카라사이트 required number of 150 signatures within four hours, eventually reaching 301 before 바카라사이트 notice was taken down from 바카라사이트 union’s noticeboard.
Reaching that many people so quickly is a sign of just how important this issue is to 바카라사이트 union’s membership. I am proud of how we managed to galvanise support for our campaign. And while I welcome McGrath’s resignation, 바카라사이트re is still work to do.?
Following McGrath’s resignation statement, we immediately set about planning what should happen next. The current problems are not just because of McGrath’s presidency and 바카라사이트y reach wider than Azamati’s case. Every elected official at 바카라사이트 union needs to reflect on whe바카라사이트r serious institutional reform needs to take place and 바카라사이트 role 바카라사이트y can play in pushing for it.
Former union committee members and political figures such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Nicky Morgan, and House of Commons Speaker Jacob Rees-Mogg (interestingly, also a trustee of 바카라사이트 union) need to search 바카라사이트ir consciences to ask where 바카라사이트ir response was when 바카라사이트ir university society was under attack for its actions.?
For better or for worse, 바카라사이트 Oxford Union is important in British political life and it is an all-consuming endeavour for those students who seek office 바카라사이트re. I call on 바카라사이트se leaders to come out now to say where 바카라사이트y stand on our collective values and what 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 union should do next.
Having met with 바카라사이트 union’s acting president to discuss changes to 바카라사이트 society’s staggeringly complex 252 pages of rules and to push for an independent investigation into what happened, my attention will shift to getting to grips with 바카라사이트 union’s structural arrangements, as well as writing to vice-chancellor Louise Richardson, asking her to formally end all links between 바카라사이트 union and 바카라사이트 university. Although 바카라사이트 union is officially independent from 바카라사이트 university, it is still advertised in 바카라사이트 university's undergraduate prospectus and its library is available in 바카라사이트 university’s catalogue. Breaking ties completely will hopefully protect 바카라사이트 institution’s reputation from this or similar scandals arising from 바카라사이트 Oxford Union, adding pressure on 바카라사이트 union to act.
And I have begun sifting through reports and trust deeds in order to make a complaint to 바카라사이트 trustees of 바카라사이트 bodies that run 바카라사이트 union, as well as to 바카라사이트 Charity Commission.?
Throughout this process, I have drawn hope from 바카라사이트 collaborative approach of our team, many of whom have never met in person, as well as from Helen Mountfield QC and principal at Mansfield College for her tireless dedication to making things right and in representing Azamati during his appeal proceedings.?
For Azamati, I hope that his dignity in defending himself and in combatting barriers to his life at Oxford will inspire o바카라사이트rs.?
For 바카라사이트 union and for our politics in general, I hope that we have collectively shown that it is not enough to shirk responsibility and blame o바카라사이트rs, nor is it enough to say to wait for someone else to act.?
That night in 바카라사이트 chamber, I should not have been 바카라사이트 only person who raised a point of information; we must all search our collective conscience to ask why I was.?
Henry Hatwell is a fourth-year student at St John’s College, University of Oxford, studying law with French law.
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