If Bentham had a grave he'd be spinning in it

UCL alumnus Richard Wilson has written another brilliant comment piece protesting against UCL's arms investments on the Guardian website. Check it out.

Read and comment here

The Independent today published link to Disarm UCL petition for readers to sign

The Higher Education Supplement of the Independent on page 2 has today reported about the Graduation cermony from "the university of war" Disarm UCL campaigners staged two days ago. They have also published the link to our online petition for interested readers to sign :).

On the same page a letter by UCL alumna Dr. Kate Wilson was published. Dr. Wilson wrote she was "dismayed" by UCL investments in Cobham and said that the ongoing arms investements call UCL's commitment to developing a sound, long-term ethical investement policy into question.

"UCL sticks to its guns"

"UCL sticks to its guns" was the headline in an article in the Evening Standard yesterday evening. The piece focused on UCL's ongoing investment in arms trader Cobham and mentioned the Disarm UCL protest yesterday.

Well done, everyone who came to the stunt ! You made the papers the very same day :). Good work !

UCL students stage graduation ceremony from “University of War”

UCL students gathered in front of UCL Dome today dressed in
camouflage uniforms and with mortarboards on their heads. As a protest against
UCL's investment in Cobham plc – a leading arms company – they staged a spoof
graduation ceremony in which a student dressed as a general handed out diplomas
and toy guns to students.

Most UCL students approached by the campaigners knew about UCL’s arms
investments and voiced their disgust at UCL’s investment decision. Over 700
people have backed the campaign calling on UCL to ditch the shares.

Craig Griffiths, a student campaigner said:

“UCL tells us that it wants to look into investing its money ethically. Clinging
on to the arms shares calls the commitment to ethical investment into question.
Many UCL alumni have told the Provost that they will not donate to UCL as long
as the arms investment continues. UCL students are outraged. It is time to
ditch the arms shares.”

UCL Student protest: Graduating from the University of War

Tuesday, 27 November, 12.30 - 1.30 pm, UCL Quad, Gower Street ,WC1

UCL students and alumni will gather in front of UCL Dome and “graduate” dressed in camouflage uniforms and mortarboards on their heads. This will be a protest against UCL's investment in arms company Cobham Plc.

One student dressed as a military general will hand out diplomas and toy guns in a spoof graduation ceremony. Other students will hold a banner protesting against the investment. UCL students and staff will sign a petition asking UCL to pull out of the arms trade.

Come along
Sign the petition
Get involved

Student Union tells UCL to ditch arms shares by 14 December

Great news:

The UCL Union Council voted tonight UNANIMOUSLY to lobby UCL to disinvest from Cobham PLC before the end of the 2007 winter term.

The amendment to an earlier ethical investment motion was brought forward by the Ethics and Environment officer of UCL Union.

NONE of the UCL Union Council members at the meeting even wanted to make a speech opposing the amendment. This is yet another prove that there is no one left at UCL who wants to stand up and defend the arms investments.

UCL Union also calls on UCL to give a formal role to students and alumni in the developmental process of an ethical investment policy and to establish this policy swiftly, with the process and timetable for designing and implementing it made clear and publicly available.

Read the full text of the motion here

We call on decision makers at UCL not to ignore the voices of students any longer ! Ditch the arms shares NOW !

Please sign and promote our online petition here

Disarm UCL campaign week - great success !

Thanks to everyone who helped out with Disarm UCL campaign week. We really had a successful week. Our lunchtime stalls in the Union went well and we got a lot of signatures for our petition.

We also developed a proposal for ethical investment at UCL (download the proposal here) and discussed our suggestions with Lord Joffe and Edwin Glasgow, who is looking into ethical investment at UCL.

We still need to get a few more signatures for our petition to hit our target so please help us promote the online petition and get all your mates to sign it.

You can also print out a paper petition here and pass it round in your lectures. Please return signed petitions to: UCLU People and Planet Society, 2nd floor Bloomsbury Theatre (behind reception). Cheers.

Please come to our next meeting: Thursday, 22 November at 5 pm at CSC meeting room, 2nd floor Bloomsbury theatre.

At the meeting we will plan our next Disarm UCL photostunt.

Don't miss it !

Sign the BRAND NEW petition.

PLEASE SIGN HERE TO TELL UCL TO DITCH THE ARMS SHARES NOW

DISARM UCL BIG IN THE NEWS

Disarm UCL features in an article on universities and ethical investment
in the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE.

Read it here.

Also: Disarm UCL is sharing the secrets behind the success of getting UCL to move towards ethical investment on the New Statesman website.

Read and comment on it here.

All your questions on ethical investment answered

Want to find out more about universities and ethical investment ?

Students campaigning for ethical investment have set up an ethical investment wiki.

It's a great resource. Check it out !

It also features a mailing list you can post questions to regarding ethical investment.

DISARM UCL CAMPAIGN WEEK 12th - 16th November

Watch out for the up-coming Disarm UCL campaign week

The week will see the launch a new petition calling for immediate divestment from arms trader Cobham PLC and for a serious commitment to ethical investment at UCL.

Disarm UCL will have a stall in the Union at lunchtime on 14, 15 and 16 November. Come and sign our petition and talk to us about the issue.

If you want to help out with collecting signatures - just show up at the stall between 12 - 2 pm.

During the campaign week members of Disarm UCL will be meeting with Lord Joel Joffe to discuss ethical investment and our suggestions to UCL Council on how to move forward on this matter.

Thanks a lot to everyone who voted for the Disarm UCL campaign bid. Your vote helped us win !

Disarm UCL alumni network

UCL alumni who are dismayed by UCL's investments in arms companies have set up a Disarm UCL alumni network.

If you are an ex-UCL student and would like to get involved there are two easy things you can do:

1) Join us on facebook ! Join the Disarm UCL alumni group here.

2) Contact our alumni coordinator Dan ! E-mail him for more information on how you can make a difference: info@disarmucl.com