This year not one, not two, but THREE dedicated Disarm UCL campaigners are receiving an award by the UCL Union Social Colours and Arts Awards Committee.
Second year undergrad Craig Griffiths (UCLU People and Planet Society) will be awarded the Social Colours award and MA student Ed Hood (UCLU Stop the War Society) and PhD student Sara Hall will both receive the centenerary award.
CONGRATULATIONS ! WELL DONE !
Awards are given to students, who have made an outstanding contribution to the UCL community. The award ceremony will take place on 28 May.
We at Disarm UCL are delighted that three of our members are receiving the awards. We believe that everyone involved in the Disarm UCL campaign deserves an award for an outstanding contribution to the UCL community: getting our university to move towards an ethical investment policy !
CONGRATULATIONS ! WELL DONE EVERYONE !
We will of course continue to campaign for UCL to ditch the shares in arms company Cobham, for UCL to adopt a meaningful ethical investment policy and for student and alumni representation on any committee dealing with the question of ethical investment at our university.
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Disarm UCL students and alumni on facebook !
To be added to our mailing list please drop us a line: info@disarmucl.com
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Disarm UCL campaigners win Student Union awards
Thursday, 20 March 2008
UCL Council sets up a sub-committee on ethical investment
Dominique Fourniol, Head of Media Relations at UCL released the following information regarding the UCL Council discussion on ethical investment last week:
'At its meeting on 13 March, UCL Council received the report of a review, commissioned by the Provost, of UCL's approach to ethical standards in investment selection. Council agreed that, in the light of this review, UCL should further develop its socially responsible investment (SRI) policy - and is setting up a sub-committee of Council to take this work forward. The sub-committee is charged to submit to the next Council meeting in June specific proposals for the further development and implementation of SRI policy at UCL.'
We congratulate UCL Council on taking steps towards ethical investment.
WE CALL ON UCL COUNCIL TO GIVE STUDENTS AND ALUMNI A FORMAL CONSULTATIVE ROLE IN DEVELOPING THE ETHICAL INVESTMENT POLICY !
Monday, 17 March 2008
MEETING TODAY @ 6 pm and END OF TERM DRINKS
We'll be meeting today at 6 pm in the CSC meeting room to discuss the decision of UCL Council to delay the adoption of an ethical investment policy and plan the next steps for the campaign.
Two anti-arms trade/ethical investment campaigners from Warwick university will be at the meeting as well and share their experiences about the National Day of Action for ethical investment at Warwick university.
EVERYONE WELCOME !
Afterwards we'll be going out for END OF TERM DRINKS in the Union Bar. It's been a really good term of dedicated campaigning to Disarm UCL and everyone deserves a celebration :) - and it's Jen's 21st today so we have even more reason to celebrate :) Happy Birthday, Jen !
Saturday, 15 March 2008
UCL Council hestitates again to come clean on investment
Yesterday we received the following information from Jim Hunkin, who was present at the UCL Council meeting as Acting Finance and Administration Officer of UCL Student Union.
"The proposal that UCL has an ethical investment policy was indeed discussed at the UCL Council meeting yesterday. The committee took the view that the investment policy was a very complicated issue and thus decided that there needs to be more consideration before a decision can be reached. That’s pretty much what they agreed!"
The Disarm UCL campaign calls on UCL Council to adopt an ethical investment policy swilftly and give students and alumni a formal consultative role in the process.
WE ALSO CALL ON UCL COUNCIL TO DITCH THE ARMS SHARES IMMIDIATELY !
Since the UCL Council meeting Jim Hunkin has been suspended by the UCL Union Sabbatical Officers, following a motion of no confidence.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Report on ethical investment to be presented to UCL Council tomorrow
- IMMEDIATELY DIVEST FROM ARMS TRADER COBHAM PLC
- make the timetable for developing an ethical investment policy clear and publicly available
- give a formal consultative role for students and alumni in the process of developing and monitoring an ethical investment policy for UCL
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Arms dealers in the quad ! UCL students protest UCL's investment in arms trader Cobham
Just a quick one to say that the Disarm UCL protest in the quad went really well today. We dressed up as arms dealers and tried to sell toy guns and missiles to everyone around in the quad. Our opening line "Can we interest you in any missile components today ?" made people stop and talk to us about the ongoing arms investments.
The vast majority of students were outraged by the arms investments and signed our petition.
There were also many prospective students in the quad having a look round their future university. We talked to them about the arms investment. The future students were shocked to learn that UCL invests in the international arms trade.
One prospective student I spoke to told me: "This is outrageous. I will not let the arms investments stop me from coming to UCL. I want to join you to make sure UCL adopts an ethical investment policy."
Our protest today was part of a national action day for ethical investment. Students at seven other universities across the country also protested against the dirty investments of their unis.
I've just spoken to Barnaby Pace, a third year mechanical engineering student at Warwick on the phone: "It is really inspiring to be part of this national movement for ethical investment at UK universities" he told me. "Like you guys at UCL we also dressed up as arms dealers today. We got a lot of positive responses from students and staff. Most people believe that the international arms trade should have no place in a university. "
Well done to everyone at UCL and around the country who took part in the action day. It really is time for UCL and the other unis to come clean on investment !
The BBC reported about the national action Day.
