2008
Lets Talk
22/03/08 11:38 Filed in: Personal
I’m going to put forward a rather unorthodox view for
a Green Party member: that the party should willingly
co-operate and communicate with other political
parties and with companies. I say this is unorthodox
because, from my experience, it seems as if most
party members are very much of the opinion that the
Greens are the alternative to normal politics, and
that somehow by co-operating and communicating in a
meaningful manner with other parties, we are losing
something of our otherness. I don’t know how much
this is just something that occurs in the UK, and I
could of course, be totally wrong, but I was inspired
to write this post by another post
on a blog written by a friend of mine. Read More...
on a blog written by a friend of mine. Read More...
A Busy Time
15/03/08 19:18 Filed in: Personal
The past three weeks have been my busiest of the year
so far. Starting with Fairtrade Fortnight, I was
desperately trying to get all the events and
information stalls in order. It went pretty well in
the first week. There was a debate about Fairtrade,
which was well attended and had some good questions.
We also managed to get a few stalls going on the
ground floor of the Union.
However, week two was slightly less successful. I stood in the Union Executive elections, so instead of being able to supervise the Fairtrade Fortnight events, I had to wear a fluorescent yellow and pink T-shirt and hand out flyers for my campaign. It paid off, I'm Officer Without Portfolio-Elect, and the rest of the people on my slate all got elected as well. What didn't happen were the Fairtrade stalls that were due to take place. I'm a bit miffed that people didn't take the initiative and run the stalls themselves. Anyway, what's done is done.
The only slight problem with spending so much time on elections and the Fortnight was that I, sort of, forgot about my academic work. Hence, week three has been spent hurriedly writing and submitting course-work. I'm not sure its my best work, but it is in, and hopefully will get a decent mark.
So now I get to rest for a week or so, before exam revision takes over. Read More...
However, week two was slightly less successful. I stood in the Union Executive elections, so instead of being able to supervise the Fairtrade Fortnight events, I had to wear a fluorescent yellow and pink T-shirt and hand out flyers for my campaign. It paid off, I'm Officer Without Portfolio-Elect, and the rest of the people on my slate all got elected as well. What didn't happen were the Fairtrade stalls that were due to take place. I'm a bit miffed that people didn't take the initiative and run the stalls themselves. Anyway, what's done is done.
The only slight problem with spending so much time on elections and the Fortnight was that I, sort of, forgot about my academic work. Hence, week three has been spent hurriedly writing and submitting course-work. I'm not sure its my best work, but it is in, and hopefully will get a decent mark.
So now I get to rest for a week or so, before exam revision takes over. Read More...
How to do a Hustings
03/03/08 21:52 Filed in: Personal
Do:
- Be calm, relaxed and confident.
- Know what you're going to say.
- Enjoy it.
Don't:
- Forget manifesto points.
- Tell the returning officer that you've lost it.
- Flee.
Guess which of the two lists I followed.
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- Be calm, relaxed and confident.
- Know what you're going to say.
- Enjoy it.
Don't:
- Forget manifesto points.
- Tell the returning officer that you've lost it.
- Flee.
Guess which of the two lists I followed.
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Busy Fortnight
02/03/08 17:06 Filed in: Personal
I’m quite excited, as on Tuesday, the ballots open
for the Students’ Union Executive at my university.
I’ve been thinking of different ways that I can
campaign. Fortunately, I am standing unopposed, but
after the 2007 general election, I’m never calling
anything definite again.
The biggest problem that I think I’m going to face is just being able to put in enough time for campaigning. Next week is week two of Fairtrade Fortnight, so I have stalls and a film night to co-ordinate for that. I have classes all week that I can’t miss, and some assessed work to hand in the week after.
I tried making a rosette for the campaign, but it just ended up looking like a Lib. Dem. rosette. I don’t quite know why the slate picked yellow, but I suppose I can probably manage to find a wooly jumper and a cup of tea and just go with the liberal flow.
The biggest problem that I think I’m going to face is just being able to put in enough time for campaigning. Next week is week two of Fairtrade Fortnight, so I have stalls and a film night to co-ordinate for that. I have classes all week that I can’t miss, and some assessed work to hand in the week after.
I tried making a rosette for the campaign, but it just ended up looking like a Lib. Dem. rosette. I don’t quite know why the slate picked yellow, but I suppose I can probably manage to find a wooly jumper and a cup of tea and just go with the liberal flow.
Throw Down The Blinkers!
08/02/08 23:28 Filed in: Personal
I'm in the middle of writing an essay on biofuels and
climate change at the moment, so energy supply is an
issue that is weighing quite heavily on my mind just
now. I sometimes get quite pessimistic about climate
change, simply because it is such a difficult problem
to communicate, and the solutions that are available
are correspondingly difficult to communicate.
Take the interchangeability of the terms 'climate change' and 'global warming' in common conversation. When such a bond between the two terms exists in people's minds, how are you to discuss the possibility of localised cooling as a result of climate change? The link between warming and climate change is so strong that any suggestion that some areas may experience different forms of climatic change just leads to accusations of weak science. Read More...
Take the interchangeability of the terms 'climate change' and 'global warming' in common conversation. When such a bond between the two terms exists in people's minds, how are you to discuss the possibility of localised cooling as a result of climate change? The link between warming and climate change is so strong that any suggestion that some areas may experience different forms of climatic change just leads to accusations of weak science. Read More...
Why? Just Why?
04/02/08 02:42 Filed in: Personal
Why, oh why, do people like Derek Conway have to be
politicians? Most people already seem to hold the
opinion that MPs are overpaid and have far too
generous allowances, and when prats like this come
along, all it serves to do is whip Daily Mail readers
and sympathisers into a frenzy of calls for MPs to
live ascetic lives with vows of poverty. Read
More...
Lets Not Get Side-tracked
30/01/08 22:56 Filed in: Personal
Every now and then, I lose faith in Green politics.
We have a tendency to sometimes get side tracked in
unimportant things and infighting. The GPEW
leadership farce has been a good example of this
recently. I really can't believe that some people
want to split the party over that! Of course, it is
important to have a leadership structure that works
well for the party and somehow reflects our ideology
but, honestly, the Green Party exists to tackle some
of the biggest problems that humanity faces: climate
change, social injustice, among others.
So it was very encouraging to go along to a FYEG seminar on migrant youth in Helsinki last week. Hearing from the speakers who were invited, and meeting other young greens from around Europe was inspiring. Us British can often be too inward looking. I think it is important that we face outwards and participate with our neighbours, learning from them along the way. Anyway, enough of the epic speech style of writing. Its time to be green!
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So it was very encouraging to go along to a FYEG seminar on migrant youth in Helsinki last week. Hearing from the speakers who were invited, and meeting other young greens from around Europe was inspiring. Us British can often be too inward looking. I think it is important that we face outwards and participate with our neighbours, learning from them along the way. Anyway, enough of the epic speech style of writing. Its time to be green!
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