Internationall Day Problem in Loughborough University

[dyaoko]

1-2 month ago i recived an e-mail from Soran birosca that asked for donations "like photo , carpet ,cloth " of kurdistan to show in the international day cermony in his colelge , i sent my photos of kurdistan to hiim and asked other peopel to help him .

read about international day in the univesity's site .
here http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/whatson/event891.html

some days ago we were informed by soran, that the univesity that already admited kurdish student to atten in this day, has changed their idea ...and said because kurd dont have a country they cant attend in this day.

well thats not a good reason , because in their site they stated :

The aim of International Day is to recognise the rich and varied culture present within Loughborough University students community.

pakistani , bangali indian jappenness ...students are to show their culture but kurds with that pure culture cant just because "Turk and Arab Students may not like it"

[dyaoko]

here is the contact information for the international day celebration admnis
Venue: Students Union Building
Contact Name: Atmanand Jha
Contact Email: mailto:chair@isa-lboro.org.uk
Contact Number: 01509 635062
Web Site: http://www.isa-lboro.org.uk


aslo there is a feed back form in their site here: http://www.isa-lboro.org.uk/feedback.html

they also have a forum that we can go and discuss there :
http://www.isa-lboro.org.uk/forum

[Emmunah]

I can assure you that the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor and the ISA chair are not going to change their minds. I had someone exchange email with them and here is what they say:
********************************************************
Loughborough Students Union is built upon private land which is owned by the students. To have obligations under the Human Rights Act, or indeed the Race Relations act, LSU would have to be a public body or a private body performing a public function (what constitutes a public function is not defined in the legislation, but the Government indicated in the passage of the HR bill that it considered organisations such as the BBC, GP surgeries and the privatised utilities, such as British Gas, to be private organisations carrying out public functions (when broadcasting, providing health services and fuel, respectively, but not when dealing with private matters). LSU does not fall under these terms. As far as the law is concerned, the International Day is a private event held on private property within a private members club.

The Executive's decision is therefore accountable solely to our governing body, Union Council. Our rights to do this were confirmed by the Foreign Office, their view came with expertise of International Law.

As a gesture of good will, however, I will offer you insight in to our decision.

1) Our regulations state "countries" and not "cultures". The sole reason for this is physical space. We have 49 countries holding stalls this year, and these stretch our resources to the limit. By adding "cultures" to the list, we would not be able to cope. We therefore sought a guillotine to who could hold a stall.
2) In disputes over what is a country, we seek advice from the Foreign Offce. In this instance, they informed us that Kurdistan was not a country, and was therefore ineligible.
3) LSU has no opinion on the status of Kurdistan as a country. Upon further advice from the Foreign Office, the LSU Executive felt that, given our country-only rule, if we were to offer Kurdistan a stall we would be defining it as a country, something which we are not empowered to do.
4) It was suggested that these students contact those holding stalls representing countries in the middle east, to ask if they could join them. They declined to follow this up. This was a clear effort on our part to offer them a chance to be involved.
5) Furthermore, LSU funds many clubs and societies. Providing they meet the funding criteria they would be able to run an LSU Kurdish society as there are no regulations against this (and quite rightly so). This is entirely separate from the ISA and the International Day. Any group would represent the culture and not a country.

I sincerely hope that this eases your concerns. Presuming you are in close contact with these students, I would recommend to them that they bring this to our governing body, the LSU Council, this is afterall a democracy.

This will be my last correspondance with you.

with best wishes

Jono Roberts
Vice President:
Education & Welfare
Loughborough Student's Union
Ashby Rd
LE11 3TT
Tel: 01509 635000
************************************************************

Apparently, they would not even let Taiwan have a booth because they do not recognize Taiwan as a country.

I do NOT believe them when they say they do not have to abide by UK law with regard to discrimination. I think they do recieve some public funding. I also think that if the university is owned by the students, then it stands to reason that each student should have the right to participate. They may NOT violate UK law in any way, no matter their status as a private university. For example, they could not serve alcohol, have a pornography show or forbid entrance to a race of people. So, we should take this issue to the local newspapers, the Kurdish Students Associations and the Foreign offices of both the Kurdish government and the British government.

I am going to write the UK foreign office, but someone else could write the KRG Representation in the United Kingdom
Winchester House
8th Floor
259-269 Old Marylebone Road
London NW1 5RA
Phone: 020-7828-8616
Fax: 020-7828-8526
Email: mailto:uk@rp.krg.org

Or call them...I will call but I don't think they will talk straight to me.

As a last resort we can run an online petition, we can boycott and protest. Those are hard to organize and it would be better if we could talk the "diplomats" into changing the universities minds? I feel there is no way they are going to change their minds at the University, but they could be pressured from the foreign office and from our ambassador too.

It is also true, that an Iraqi booth could be used, but then no other Iraqis are there, so maybe just the Kurds could have a small Iraqi flag and a big Kurdistan flag, show, and such. What about that idea?

[kassem]

w

[Emmunah]

No I think they have a whole collection of different Arab, syrians, turks everyone on that ISA council and while they are probably trying not to create an incident, they also probably have big donors as a private school yes? Maybe those donors sons or daughters objected? Or, maybe they had a debate and the easy way out was the excuse they gave. Those pukey bureaucrats will do ANYTHING as long as they do not have to stir up the pot. They just did not expect this stirred pot to splatter all over them. Before, in those previous years they got away with it, and we have to make sure this pot is NOT THE ONE THEY EVER WANT TO STIR AGAIN!!

[dyaoko]

This will be my last correspondance with you.

this is an impolite sentence in a formal way, isnt it ? they should learn to be more polite...
and they must aslo learn how to spell the word"correspondence" .
can a reall English do such a spell mistake in his own language? dont you think he himself is a turk or may be one his relatives is?

this guy must also learn how to lie ...
in their FORAML SITE they say

The aim of International Day is to recognise the rich and varied culture present within Loughborough University students community.

i dont see the word COUNTRY there.

about the petiotion i dont agree we dont have such a BIG KURD society to have a good petttiotion..but anyway you can make an online pettition here http://www.petitiononline.com/

but we can call some medias to cover that,first start from local medias, i have a good dutch friend,in helwest site , "valdimir" he can cover it in dutch . it is an intersting thing for medias to cover...

we can aslo ask Kurdistan bloggers to dedicate a post to to talk about it.
if we can punish this unviesity other institutes will learn not to offend to the kurds..

about the idea of , attending with iraqi flag...itsnt a bad idea for this case
but if there was 6 kurds in that university , from turkey - iraq - iran syria armenia azarbayjan
what should they do ? each one go and share it with Turks Iraqi Iranian and Armeninan Sryian Students under their flag and mix their prducts and images with theirs ? that wont be a show of kurdish cultrue...

[Emmunah]

About them being rude, well..they were rude in that "nice" way but I must tell you that they received "nice" letters like that too. Not trashy letters, but sophisticated ways of saying "go screw yourself" , so I'm not surprised they would try to be a bit rude back.

I sent it to the ISA for Kurdish students and I think he would be best to start petition online. If he doesn't, then I will. Also, I noticed the mispelling too, but I think the Brits spell some words different so I don't know. We will have a petition up and going in a few days, meanwhile I have to get in touch with that foreign office. I still suspect VERY stronly, that they have money coming in from some big time person that wants this to be the policy. When I talked to the ISA here, they had never heard of anything like this at all happening here. There are a lot of organizations that can help, we just have to write them. Also, we don't want any of this to be taken as revenge on the Kurdish students there. Protecting them is important too. I think these are just the snobs of the upper classes in the UK acting like snobs...we need to go above their heads. Of course, this is my opinion, and I'm not in any way telling anyone what to do, cause everyone has to make their own mind. Let's hear whether the foreign office REALLY gave them this advice first. What if they didn't and the University is lying? Then we have them on that too. If we go full steam ahead we might trip things up long after we have their agreement.

As for the Iraqi idea, it's not the best idea, but it would do for this year. As far as I know, no one is checking the passports of the people manning the booth, so ALL kurds, no matter where from could go there and not go to the other countries. I think this is a good way to get around the rules this year only, and we will not let up on them all year until next year they have no excuses.

[Vladimir]

I will do that Medya to get some more attention to it by the Dutch kurds.
Anyway here
There are Kurdish Exhibitions from 15 April – 17 September at a museum. I will post it in an other topic.

[dyaoko]

we don't want any of this to be taken as revenge on the Kurdish students there. Protecting them is important too

you are absolutely right , they can make problems for kurd students there and may be all over the UK.

as Valdmir wants to help , then I am for a pettition too ! you can make on online in the most famous site for pettition http://www.petitiononline.com/

[Vladimir]

Do you think a petition would work?
You would maybe get 50 people signing it I think.
That's the problem! You need thousands of people, but not every Kurd is on the internet.

[dyaoko]

You would maybe get 50 people signing it I think.
That's the problem! You need thousands of people

well i think for this small problem 50 sign would work .

[sorgul]

i think a petition would be a good idea, and there are many kurds online.....u just have to know where to look.........
ex :: all the bloggers...the members of wilat.....kurdish rooms in paltalk......

[Dilnareen]

It's pretty long though

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is an email sent to you by an administrator of "Kurdish Youth
Centre". If this message is spam, contains abusive or other comments you find
offensive please contact the webmaster of the board at the following address:

mailto:forum@wilat.com

Include this full email (particularly the headers).

Message sent to you follows:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the last minutes, the Kurdistan stall been concealed in the pressure of
Turkish and Arab students. So Student Union in Loughborough University did
not allow Kurdistan have a stall as other nation in the world. Below is my
trial to at least stop people from attending Intentional Day occasion. I
have sent it to all students in our university; hope I will get some
responds from them.

Regards




Boycott International Day, Boycott International Racist Day

As Kurdish Students in Loughborough University, our campaign will start
today to stop students and local people in Loughborough from attending the
most racist day in Loughborough University, a day referred to by the
student union and ISA as International Day.

For three years, we asked to represent Kurdistan as a nation in that event.
And every year student union and ISA rejected our demand for a stall at
their "International Day" using different reasons and excuses.

Of course we are shocked by Student Union act against us, as they are
supposed to support students in the university and protect them from
discrimination. But we've come to realise that they support racism and
encourage it among students. Which is why we asked Vice-Chancellor to
support us against Loughborough racist student union.

For the past 3 years we have been trying to get our culture represented as a
nation, however political circumstances have always stood in the way of that
happening. This year we got accepted as a nation and we had already made
some arrangements for activities (including dancers and a fashion show) to
come to Loughborough. A few days later the university cancelled our stall
again. We did not intend to use this opportunity as a political message of
any sort to anybody, it was just an opportunity to show our culture
(including dress, dance, music and food) to others. But now we realized
there are more political issues interference in international racist day
which is behind our demand rejection.

We are proud Kurdish people from Kurdistan, our nation located in the heart
of the world geographically. Kurdistan is the biggest nation in the world
without a country and we are the oldest nations in the Middle East. Our
country been occupied for more than 2700 years by Turks, Arabs and
Iranians. We have been through brutal genocide and mass killing in each
part of Kurdistan. Many continue till today.20 million Kurds in Turkey are
still not allowed to speak their language,even on the street, and singing
in Kurdish is even a crime In Iraq, I do not need to mention many things as
the media now at least showing the brutality of Iraq government against
Kurds, thank to the western interests these days in that region. However,
we still discover more mass graves every day in Kurdistan after the biggest
genocide campaign in Middle East in 1988, where the Iraqi government killed
more than 200,000 Kurdish people and burnt 4500 villages to the ground, and
not to mention the infamous halabja attack where 5000 people were killed
within an hour. In Iran and Syria the Kurdish people conditions in not
better than the rest parts of Kurdistan. The stories of crime against
Kurdish people will never end.

Ironically, International Day is to encourage cultural understanding between
the different communities in the East Midlands. What kind of understanding
they talk about if they abandon 35 Millions people to show their culture
and represent the things they are proud of.
We are wounded people from wounded nation. These kinds of racism and
discrimination act from Student union at Loughborough University rub salt
in our wound.

The U.K is a democracy whereby we have freedom of expression and speech.
Unfortunately, we are shocked here in the past three years after we
realised that the name of Kurdistan abandon even here, we are accounted as
third class citizen even here, we cannot ask of our right as a human been
and represent our nation as every body does.
As we are living in a democracy, that respects human rights and
multicultural society without any discrimination, we are sure that by your
help that we can get our right and dignity back.

Please do not participate and visit international Day as it proved to be
extremely discriminatory. By your participation, you give your blessing for
the racist act by Loughborough student union, you give your blessing for
Kurdistan nation occupier for the genocide they carried out and they still
continue.

In a few days the following actions will take place:

- Informing the student unions in other universities, especially in midlands
about the racist act of Loughborough Student Union against Kurdish student.

- Informing the political parties in the UK in support of our case.

- Reporting this racist act by Loughborough student union to local, national
newspapers.

- Distributing leaflets and posters all around the Loughborough university
campus and in Loughborough town to ask students and local people to not
attend International Racist day.

- Posters will show the reality of "International day", full explanation
will be given through the posters how this event is fake and racist, as the
powerless and poor nations are not allowed to represent their culture
because of political bases.

- Informing Loughborough local communities about the reality of
International day, as well as email will be distributed thorough the major
websites.

By your help, we can do much more actions to stop racism in our university.
By your not attendance to International Racist Day, you are defending
equality, liberty, freedom and human right.
Your stand with us will make our stand stronger to get our right, freedom
and country back.
Support us, you defending free expression and human right in this country.

Boycott International day, Boycott Racist day.

Long lives Kurdistan

Soran Birosca
On behalf of Kurdish Student in Loughborough University

[Shalaw]

It's really sad but I did get an e-mail not long ago saying to contact the Administration of the school, and to boycott the event... I guess some one thought I was attending that school, but fact of the matter is I'm in the US not even in the UK... but long story short I did send a letter anyhows.... but not sure if it did any good

[Emmunah]

I have written to everyone under the sun....as well as called many people. There is a large campaign going here and we have the momentum on our side. Please do not stop writing. If we can do one thing, one small thing, this would be a job for us. This is not trying to change the world, nor solving the problems of the world, or the governments of Iraq, Syria, Turkey or Iran....this is a student issue and the peope in the UK representing the Kurdish government SHOULD and MUST be able to handle this. If not, IT'S THEIR FAULT!!! Not the University, and not the students, because they are going on advice from "the foreign office" and if we can't change that...give it up! Those people getting paid a salary to represent Kurdish interests in the UK must earn their pay...and we must be the ones that insist on it.

Are we going to have a government that represents the people? Or are we going to have a government that takes and does not lead? It is up to all of us. Either we hold them to account....or we let them lead us like sheep to slaughter...the choice is ours...but mostly the choice lies with the Kurdish community in the UK because you can go there and other cannot. You can call for free...you can protest in front of their office. This is a democracy right? NO one is going to put you in jail for it...it's Great Britian and all you are asking for is to have recognition at a university that Kurdistan is a "nation" in the same way that Palestine is a "nation". Same status...it's called the "palestinian authority" and the Kurdish region is called the "Kurdistan Regional Government" NO DIFFERENCE and if they say it is...then it is the responsibility of the Kurdistan foreign ambassador in the UK to correct them. If he can't do that...what is his job? We must make him act on behalf of KURDS not only business or whatever the old way was. Don't write that university...they are just issuing form letters now. Write the Kurdistan Regional Government in the UK and Barroness Symons in the UK because they have the power to act and change the univerisities mind...the school jerk: Jono Roberts...is clearly NOT going to change.