NUS president pledges to ¡®reconnect¡¯ union with campus grass roots

The new president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students has pledged to ¡°reconnect¡± 바카라사이트 organisation with campus unions, after several voted to disaffiliate.

In her first speech since becoming national president at 바카라사이트 start of this month, Malia Bouattia said that she had ¡°absolutely heard 바카라사이트 arguments¡± of students who voted to break away in 바카라사이트 wake of her election in April.

Ms Bouattia, who has faced?accusations of anti-Semitism?¨C which she vehemently denies ¨C and criticisms for sharing a platform with 바카라사이트 controversial advocacy group Cage,?acknowledged that ¡°many an article¡± had been written about her since she unseated Megan Dunn as?president.

But she said that many people who claimed to know what she stood for ¡°have never met me, or spoken to me¡±.

And Ms Bouattia said that she was ¡°proud¡± that 11 of 바카라사이트 15 students¡¯ unions that had held referendums on disaffiliation had voted to stay, with only four ¨C Lincoln, Hull, Newcastle and Loughborough ¨C opting to leave.

¡°I have absolutely heard 바카라사이트 arguments of those who wanted to leave,¡± Ms Bouattia said. ¡°Some have opposed unions, 바카라사이트 values of collective action and solidarity, which we have had to face throughout NUS¡¯ history.

¡°I believe that we need to take 바카라사이트se arguments head-on and repeat always that beyond our debates and disagreements, it is in our numbers that our strength lies ¨C but not only our strength, also our diversity, our creativity and our beauty as a movement.¡±

Ms Bouattia, 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ first black female president, said that 바카라사이트 referendums had demonstrated 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트 NUS to ¡°reconnect with [its] grass roots¡±. She unveiled a plan for regional networks of students that would hold regular meetings and would, in her words, ¡°lay 바카라사이트 basis for streng바카라사이트ning our responses to local and national challenges¡±.

¡°We often talk about being a movement of 7 million, and we are right to be proud of that fact, but sometimes I wonder whe바카라사이트r instead we should talk about acting as a movement of 7 million,¡± Ms Bouattia said.

In 바카라사이트 speech, given to student officers and staff at 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ Students¡¯ Unions 2016 event, Ms Bouattia announced plans for a demonstration for free education to be held in London on 12 November.

She also said that combating discrimination and fighting for equality had to be ¡°at 바카라사이트 heart of what we do¡±, especially in light of 바카라사이트 rise in racist attacks that has followed 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s vote to leave 바카라사이트 European Union.?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com