19 June 2009
soas cleaners update
Here.
Like the Roehampton protest recently against the presence of Shell on campus, the SOAS action draws on the contradictions between official University policy (sorry, 'vision') and practice:
In the SOAS strategy and Vision document management state that they are
'poised to become the University of the 21st century: it is concerned with the regions that matter and the issues that matter (such as human rights, poverty reduction and globalisation).' (“SOAS 2016: A Vision and Strategy for the Centennial”, p5 )
That the directorate is disturbed by the possible role that ISS played in this raid demonstrates to us that the school are committed to upholding their further Centennial Goals of
“maintain[ing] the highest ethical standards in all of its dealings and foster the values of openness, honesty, tolerance, fairness and responsibility in all areas.” (SOAS 2016: A Vision and Strategy for the Centennial, p9)
We will work hard to ensure that this sentiment is translated into concrete action which ensures that cleaning is brought in-house and management never again facilitate an immigration raid on campus.
Alberto points out that 'Even the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has recognised the extent to which London's economy depends on the labour of immigrant and undocumented workers and has proposed an amnesty.' When the Tory mayor of London is more reasonable than Universities which are supposed to be bastions of internationalism and human rights, then something is seriously amiss in the academy.
As my colleague pointed out yesterday, the raids at SOAS are the tip of the iceberg - many undocumented workers all over the city are being quietly spirited out of the country.
Within the academy, there are other, newer problems to contend with. As Alberto notes, 'if the government has its way, universities will become extensions of the border control, with lecturers and administrators effectively required by law to monitor their students on behalf of the Home Office.' The government proposal is that lecturers constantly monitor their international students, and send attendance sheets to the government: academics are to become ultra-suspicious border guards.
Like the Roehampton protest recently against the presence of Shell on campus, the SOAS action draws on the contradictions between official University policy (sorry, 'vision') and practice:
In the SOAS strategy and Vision document management state that they are
'poised to become the University of the 21st century: it is concerned with the regions that matter and the issues that matter (such as human rights, poverty reduction and globalisation).' (“SOAS 2016: A Vision and Strategy for the Centennial”, p5 )
That the directorate is disturbed by the possible role that ISS played in this raid demonstrates to us that the school are committed to upholding their further Centennial Goals of
“maintain[ing] the highest ethical standards in all of its dealings and foster the values of openness, honesty, tolerance, fairness and responsibility in all areas.” (SOAS 2016: A Vision and Strategy for the Centennial, p9)
We will work hard to ensure that this sentiment is translated into concrete action which ensures that cleaning is brought in-house and management never again facilitate an immigration raid on campus.
Alberto points out that 'Even the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has recognised the extent to which London's economy depends on the labour of immigrant and undocumented workers and has proposed an amnesty.' When the Tory mayor of London is more reasonable than Universities which are supposed to be bastions of internationalism and human rights, then something is seriously amiss in the academy.
As my colleague pointed out yesterday, the raids at SOAS are the tip of the iceberg - many undocumented workers all over the city are being quietly spirited out of the country.
Within the academy, there are other, newer problems to contend with. As Alberto notes, 'if the government has its way, universities will become extensions of the border control, with lecturers and administrators effectively required by law to monitor their students on behalf of the Home Office.' The government proposal is that lecturers constantly monitor their international students, and send attendance sheets to the government: academics are to become ultra-suspicious border guards.
