Friday’s sleepout was a huge success! Congratulations to all of those who saw it through to Saturday morning and helped raise awareness for the destitution of asylum seekers. Many thanks go out also to those who lent out sleeping bags, played uplifting music, dished out food and brought us some warming drinks! Huge thanks to Daniel Brown, Chrissy Barnacle and Colette O’Connor for all their organising efforts, it most certainly paid off!

Lots coming up over the coming weeks!

* Tuesday 1st March Meeting: Preparation for our “Scotland Stands for Human Rights” Q&A evening on the 8th of March. We shall be knowledging up and putting together some questions for the MPs and party members.
* Amnesty-STAR-Red Cross Ceilidh, Sunday 6th March, 7.30pm, £5, Qudos, QMU: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129472320455227
* “Scotland Stands for Human Rights” Q&A evening, Tuesday 8th March, 5pm, Boyd Orr Lecture Theatre E (room 611), Sandra White MSP and Lisa Strachan, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rutherglen: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=138162552915994
* AGM, Tuesday 22nd March: Want to be on next year’s committee? The AGM is your chance to run for all of next years positions (more details below)
* Action For Change Weekend: Essential training for activists, Friday 11th March – Saturday 12th March, Human Rights Action Centre, London. One place left!

“Scotland Stands for Human Rights” Q&A Evening

May’s Holyrood elections give the people of Scotland our third chance to discuss and debate the values of the Scottish Government. GU Amnesty International are taking this opportunity to raise awareness of the key Human Rights concerns facing Scotland today by holding a Q&A session with two of our candidates. Sandra White MSP and Lisa Strachan, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rutherglen, have both kindly offered to answer your questions on campus.

The issues we will be focusing on will include:

1. The Scottish Government’s obligations under the European Convention on Trafficking
2. The Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee
3. The role of Human Rights in Scotland’s international relations
4. Action to combat discrimination again Scottish Gypsy Travellers
5. Women fleeing violence with no recourse to public funds
6. Use of tasers by Scottish police forces

This will be a fairly informal event (biscuits and beverages provided!) so we hope you’ll take the opportunity to come along and get involved.

Tuesday 1st March meeting: We shall be delving further into the 6 issues outlined above so as to all be prepared next week with some good, thought provoking questions for our candidates.

Amnesty-STAR-Red Cross Annual Ceilidh

Every year, Glasgow University’s STAR, Amnesty International and Red Cross groups’ team up to host a ceilidh. The idea – to raise funds and awareness in a joint effort for the human rights abuses against refugees and asylum seekers everywhere. Come and DANCE FOR DIGNITY. Tickets are a bargain price of £5 for all you students with traditional music from the awesome, ‘Exploding Folk’ group. This is an event not to be missed! All proceeds are going to the Red Cross Refugee Unit so come along for a night of fun and for a worthy cause!

Posters shall be distributed at this weeks meeting so spread the word! I will also be asking for some willing volunteers to go raffle prize collecting later in the week.

The AGM

The time has come where we need to begin handing over to a new committee for 2011/12. Positions available are,

1. President
2. Vice President
3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. Fundraising coordinator
6. Campaigns coordinator
7. Publicity Officer
8. Website Convener
9. Ordinary Board Member

Anyone wishing to run for a position may nominate themselves or be nominated by another member. All candidates running for a position will then be given a minute to say a few words upon which will be asked to leave the room whilst voting occurs.

Voting will run from the top down. For example, if you wish to run for president but do not get elected you will then have the chance to run for vice president etc.

It would be great you all come along and vote- and indeed stand for a position. The society cannot run without a strong committee and the exciting new ideas they’ll no doubt bring.

If anyone is interested in hearing a little more about what each position entails, get in touch and myself and the rest of the committee will be happy to answer any questions!

Action For Change Weekend

For more information on the weekend itself go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103322796414806.

We are able to send 4 delegates and thus far have Sophie, Jessie and Martin confirmed. This means there’s one place up for grabs! If anyone is interested get in touch as time is running out to book up!

Thank you and hopefully see you at some of our many upcoming events!

Best,
Megan.