Disobey action at UCLAN today

Disobey at UCLAN staged an action as part of the continuing campaign calling for the university to adopt an ethical policy, along the lines of the cooperative bank.

A cutting of the ribbon by Suzanne McKilmany at the front of the Foster building, presented a statue to commemorate UCLANS' continuing relationship to the arms company BAE Systems

A protester broke through the security to custard pie Mc Kilmany. To the applause of the students who were watching the performance.

Below is the leaflet Disobey was handing to people on the day.

BAE BABY- BURNING SYSTEMS OUT OF EDUCATION !

• UCLAN has tens of thousands of pounds invested in BAE Systems.

• UCLAN is heavily involved in research projects for BAE and other arms companies.

BAE Systems makes things to kill people - not for defence purposes or for jobs, but for profits for shareholders. BAE Systems’ advanced, expensive weapons are affordable only by the rich - to kill the poor, and the children of the poor, all from a safe distance. The casualties of conflict are now overwhelmingly civilian, increasing from around 50% of war-related deaths in the first half of the twentieth century to 90% by the mid-1990s.

The arms trade is a deadly, corrupt business. It supports conflict and human rights abusing regimes while squandering valuable resources. It does this with the full support of governments around the world. The arms trade underpins the whole corrupt capitalist system which is destroying the planet - for temporary dollars.

We have a 'civilization' which has factory after factory making things to kill people, and we have an 'education' system which not only accepts but condones the use of violence and mass-murder as a means to solve problems.

...In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners. Albert Camus

We call for:

• Disinvestment from all companies involved in the arms trade.

• An Ethical Policy which covers not only the arms tradebut also human rights, environmental issues, concerns regarding genetic modification, animal welfare and testing on animals.

http://www.studywarnomore.org.uk/ http://disobey-afp.blogspot.com/

http://www.caat.org.uk/ http://www.myspace.com/prestonanarchists

Open letter to Vice Chancellor

Open letter to Dr. Malcolm McVicar, Vice Chancellor of UCLan, from ‘Disobey’

27/02/09

Dear Dr. McVicar,

Our investigations into UCLan’s dealings with BAE Systems lead us to a most startling discovery: UCLan has no Ethical Policy (!) Given that the University does actually run courses encouraging ‘corporate social responsibility’, we believe UCLan should practice what it preaches and formulate and put into practice a good and principled Ethical Policy.

It appears that UCLan has only a Sustainable Development Procurement Policy. Explicit guidance regarding investments is absent, meaning that, for instance, whilst purchase of ‘illegally’-cut timber is forbidden, investing in a company involved in such operations is not. Further, no procedures are in place to prevent such a company funding research projects at our University.

We seek, via this letter, to urge your fine self and all concerned students and other workers at UCLan to seek to put in place an Ethical Policy which covers not only environmental matters, but also concerns regarding genetic modification, animal welfare and testing on animals, human rights, and dealings with the arms trade. Many of the best /most progressive Universities around the world now have such a wide-ranging Ethical Policy – UCLan should be with them. Adoption of such a Policy would be one more step towards a decent and sustainable future.

This letter arrives as a consequence of our journey from Israeli State Terrorism via BAE to our demonstration on the UCLan rooftop on CAAT’s Day of Action. We would see a principled UCLan Ethical Policy as a memorial to the four hundred (++) children murdered in January this year by the Israeli State in Gaza.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Kropotkin

PeterK@greenanarchist.co.uk

on behalf of
Disobey Anarchist Collective
http://disobey-afp.blogspot.com/

UCLAN refuse to speak to Disobey

In the latest pluto (20 March 2009) In a open letter to the Vice Chancellor Dr McVicar Disobey has asked why doesnt UCLAN have a ethical policy? The letter is published in full in Pluto and available to read online at Pluto website. The response we got was "that the university has chosen not to speak to this particular organisation".

http://www.pluto-online.com/2009/03/04/three-arrested-after-rooftop-protest/

What is uclans ethical policy? do they have one?

Are you concerned about environment impact, climate change, about arms companies, abuse of human rights, illegal wars, animal testing...is our universities? if so why does our universities continue to support companies that have records of corruption, negative environmental impacts, weapons manufacturers.

Write or phone UCLAN and ask: Does uclan have an ethical or corporate social responsibility policy? if not why not? if so where can it be found?

You can phone or write to:

University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2HE,
Tel+44(0)1772 201 201

Or you can find out more using a freedom of information request to research UCLANs relationships with companies and other business.

Who knows what UCLAN maybe involved in, companies that do animal testing or companies that exploit people, or destroy the environment. You can use a Freedom of Information request to find out which companies are sponsoring your university. Just email the address below with your request:

Email AMBostock@uclan.ac.uk, see the UCLAN website

Disobey! Roof top protest CAAT Day of Action

Published Date: 11 February 2009
By David Coates [modified article]
Three people have been arrested following a rooftop protest against Lancashire [offense ] firm BAE Systems at Preston's University.
Three protestors carrying a megaphone took to the roof of the Foster Building on the University of Central Lancashire's campus, close to the busy Adelphi roundabout in the city centre, at just after noon on Wednesday.

A further two people were distributing leaflets to students on the ground.

They were from Disobey group and Campaign Against the Arms Trade.

A UCLan spokesman said he believed they were protesting against research carried out by the university on behalf of BAE.

The leaflet also stated UCLan had money invested in the company through shares via a third-party fund manager.

Police arrived at the Foster building shortly after 1pm to remove the protestors from the roof.

Three people were arrested,not charged and released, at a guess Uclan didn't want the public spotlight knowing its business.
[more to follow...]