Welcome from Reem (She/Her) Co-President Democracy and Education
Welcome from Reem
I’m Reem, one of your SU co-presidents this year!
Whether you're here for an undergrad, masters or pHD you are now part of community with a rich history and extraordinary reputation that long proceed all of us, so welcome- you're in for a ride!
You might be here to get a degree, but one of the biggest parts of any university experience is the Students’ Union (SU). We are that middle ground between the university and students here to represent you and your interests, making sure your time here is as smooth sailing & fun as possible.
That ranges anywhere from facilitating societies and sports; supporting students with wellbeing as they go through the highs and lows of university; to aiding and creating campaigns on relevant issues. So, whether you want to be an activist, or just want to find a community to have a good time there is a space for you here!
As your Democracy & Education Co-president I’m a huge believer that while the university gets you that certificate at the end, your informal education you get here is what preps you for life. I want to focus on equipping as many people as possible with the skills and knowledge to feel confident enough to contribute to our vibrant university community – because we all deserve to be represented on our campus.
I want you to look back and feel as though you have made the most of these next few years, so if there is anything you want to see from us, we are more than happy to listen.
Make sure to come and say hello once we are back on campus, I’m excited to meet you all!
Reem's Manifesto
Hello,
My name is Reem, and I am currently finishing off my third year as a Politics and IR student here at SOAS. I am running for the democracy and education role, because throughout my three years, I have come to realise, more often than not, that educational institutions are not on the side of students- whether that is prioritising profits or neglecting the calls of students.
Throughout my years at uni, I have dedicated my time to different organisations with aims I care about- I am the gensec of a Muslim youth organisation, and have worked on the media capabilities of a Syriam organisations to make information accessible to different people. But I want to bring these skills and passion for grassroots work and activism to the university space that has given to me for the past three years. I want to represent you and your concerns.
If I am elected I will:
- Push to disaffiliate from the NUS- after the removal of democratically elected president Shaima Dallali for the first time ever in NUS history, over her support of Palestine and alleged antisemitism shows it is not a space dedicated to the decolonisation of our institutions or representative of the student body after failing to address institutional racism.
- Providing a space for different groups to come together to discuss issues they are facing navigating the university space, because our education extends further out than just what we learn in our courses, but also how we engage with our university space. Both reporting back to relevant student committees and providing workshops to provide them with skills to run their own campaigns and represent their concerns in the university space.
- Also, how many of you really understand what the SU is? We are told the SU represents our voices but aren't really given much clarity on how it works- I want to work on pushing awareness on the organisation that represents us, providing more transparency and ways to understand each role, so later more of you will want to get involved!
- Working to protect the rights of students to protest on student campuses, we have all seen the increased level of security on campus, after last year’s forceful removal of students who were occupying the campus. SOAS students should have the right to peacefully express their concerns without fear of security or police retaliation.
- Support the different campaigns running across the student body. It only makes sense that democracy and equality come hand in hand, so if I am elected I would hope to work on supporting campaigns like BDS, decolonising the curriculum campaigns, and "put the A back in SOAS" pressure, as we have seen the cut of courses uniquely available at SOAS. I would work closely with the liberation and equality co-president on this.
I am open to hearing from students what else they feel needs addressing and acting accordingly, it is after all, all about democracy and representation.
Contact Reem
Copresidentdemocracyandeducation@soas.ac.uk