Student Respect member, Assed Baig, will be standing for NUS national Black Students Officer at the conference next May.
Assed is a committed activist both around his local community in Alum Rock, Birmingham and at Staffordshire University where he sits on the students’ union executive committee. At this year’s NUS conference he stood as Student Respect’s candidate for National Secretary and achieved our best ever vote at national conference. And at this year’s Black Students Conference he was elected to the Black Students Committee with the highest vote for the “open rep” position.
“My recent campaigning priorities have included Stop the War activity, and campaigning against Islamophobia and racism – but I see a link between these issues”, says Assed.
“The war, in addition to the destruction of the Middle East, has created an increase in racism back home as politicians have tried to scapegoat minorities. But there are many other important issues too – I was at the Heathrow Climate Camp recently. The results of climate change are going to disproportionately affect poorer countries, as is the fight to grab the world’s resources in the interests of profit”.
“Part of my vision for the Black Students Campaign involves a massive increase of our activist base, in addition to building closer links with existing student groups such as Stop the War coalition societies, anti-racism groups and other important campaigns. Crucially, we need more activists and more radical action”.
The Black Students Conference will be held on 17–18 May. Student Respect activists and supporters should be getting themselves delegated and talking to other delegates about Assed’s candidature. More information and publicity will be available soon, or contact students@respectcoalition for more information.
