Union of Students in Ireland back Coke Boycott

by Paul Thu Mar 31, 2005 20:08

Great news, but neither was the TCDSU coke ban nor the USI coke ban nor the INTO decision reported in the Indo or the TImes.

by Old Hack - NA Fri Apr 01, 2005 13:05

I think this an April Fool there is nothing on USI motions to deal with Coke.

by Sherlock Holmes Fri Apr 01, 2005 13:47

If you are an old hack then you would know it could have been introduced as an emergency motion, or an ammendment to another motion. It would be up to the steering committee to decide whether it would be acceptable as an emergency motion.

by cian Fri Apr 01, 2005 14:42

The motion was submitted on time by UCD Student Union and accepted by steering when motions closed. It is titled ethical consumerism and mandates the officer board of USI to support any college attempting to boycott Coke and Nestle and to provide every member college with information about the boycotts

by UCDSU Fri Apr 01, 2005 15:21

There was controversy last night at the annual Union of Students' Ireland Congress when students walked out of a briefing by the congress sponsers, the Bank Of Ireland. Students from Trinity College and University College Dublin Student Unions were involved in the impromptu walkout as a speech was being given to delegates from the platform by a representative of the bank.

Fergal Scully, President of UCD Students' Union and one of those that walked out said:

"I called the walkout in order to show support for the 2000 people facing job losses at what is one of the most profitable banks in the country."

In another boost for the boycott Killer Coke campaign the annual congress of the Union of Students in Ireland which is taking place in Ennis, Co. Clare has backed the boycott of both Coke and Nestle. This comes just days after the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) voted to break all links with Coke and just 10 days after the European Young Socialists backed the boycott.

Fergal Scully described how

"Im absouletly delighted USI voted to back the call for a boycott on Coca Cola products in solidarity with the union in Colombia and hope colleges through out the country"

As a result an emergency motion supporting the boycott has been submitted to the National Union of Students in the UK.

by Anonymous Mon Apr 04, 2005 13:06

editor note:this post was originally posted by Shane Henelly on ucdsu.net and copied here by actors unknown

UCDSU were the laughing stock of USI National Congress 2005! I don't like saying this as I was a member of the delegation ,but it's a fact (ask any other delegation). This piece will not name anyone but will give three reasons to support this claim.

UCDSU were the laughing stock of USI National Congress 2005! I don't like saying this as I was a member of the delegation ,but it's a fact (ask any other delegation). This piece will not name anyone but will give three reasons to support this claim.

1). A member of our delegation (who had, in all fairness, opted to leave Congress anyway), was sent home for persistent rudeness and abuse within their own delegation and towards other delegations. Contentious issues were being discussed at times, however, each delegate at the Congress had a right to be treated with dignity and respect.

2). About half of our delegation took over the stage floor for a few minutes waving a bed sheet with the words " Another USI is possible through Socialism". This was immediatly before the Presidents final address and was in my mind a waste of time. How socialism or any ism, for that matter, can improve USI i'l never know but the fact is it was rude and uncalled for.

3). Finally during the Presidents address an A4 piece of paper was raised which said " One Tory, One Bullet" on it. This is the single most disgraceful thing I have seen at both Congress I have attended. Ben Archibald the USI president was a member of the conservative party before taking office. Does this mean you can issue him with a libelous death threat, just because you don't agree with his politics??? This piece of paper was utter lunacy at it's best and sets a dangerous precedent. I would like to call upon anyone, whosoever, involved in this death threat to resign from any position they may hold in the union and apologise to their Union and Ben Archibald for their actions.

by amused - ucd Mon Apr 04, 2005 15:27

the really hilarious thing about this is that shane hennelly (the ucdsu welfare officer) has the balls on him to call for resignations of anyone when he couldn't even be arsed get up out his bed half the time, and as far as i'm aware when he did bother to get up and arrive to the congress floor he wouldnt even follow the democratic mandate for the ucdsu delegation to vote on certain motions in an already (democratically) decided on manner.

the whole usi congress was an abosolute farce and it became like that not only because of peoples spur of the moment outbursts, childish jokes or political statements but because people like shane hennley see fit to criticise others for the actions but when its his own friends he is strangely silent on the issue. i wonder if shane knows what the word hypocrisy means?

the usi congress is a joke and a waste of student unions money because people like shane hennelly make it that way.

the only positive things to come out of this was the coke boycott motion. then again shane probably wouldn't agree with this would he, as he and his little group of "friends" tried to vote the other way and repeatedly had to be told to do otherwise.

by Shocked Mon Apr 04, 2005 15:32

I was a UCD delegate to USI congress before. Someone broke the mandate and was sent home immediately. Shane should resign, he obviously has nothing but contempt for UCD students if he broke mandate. The fact that he didn't get up out of bed early just make's it more neccessary for him to resign.

by TCD delegate Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:49

I have to commend Fergal Scully for being a great delegation leader. Despite all the differences of opinion between the members of his very political delegation, he still managed to keep control and apologised profusely himself for the actions of the delegate who had to be sent home.

Also - USI backed Labour Youth's campaign against the Criminal Justice Bill, YAY!

by Sheep's Clothing Tue Apr 05, 2005 15:15

UCDSU President has been a wolf in sheeps clothing all year. Him sending left Deputy President home is disgusting for a so-called 'left' President. Throughout the year Scully has been bad for the left. He has buried the left. He did not continue many camapigns and issues that the previous year's left officers were running such as Res Rights. Instead he stood back and sat in his office. Scully is no stranger to a witch-hunt either. He was a part of the right attack on Ciaran Weafer and Dan Finn when right-wing racist Justin Barrett was attacked by AFA activists in UCD. He is now attacking Weafer for telling right-wing careerist assholes in USI where they should go. Maybe he should sort out his mates James Carroll and shane Hennelley.

by eeekkkk Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:34

"NUS Annual conference took place 5-7th April. Amongst the bureaucratic nonsense, a group of anti-coke activists argued for a motion binding NUS to engaging fully with SINALTRAINAL, India Resource Centre and Colombia Solidarity; to distribute their information; to fully inform students about the issues; and mandated NUS to take the Environmental councils advice on whether to renew the Coca-cola contract in 2006."

by kingkane Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:29 know152 at yahoo dot com

I'm very sadden to see the lack of support for those brave few who are supporting the coke boycott in UL.Borthers, if it happens outside the Pale does it not matter.

For shame on you all.

by eeekkkk Thu Apr 14, 2005 14:31

it would help very much if they used indymedia to let others know what is going on 'outside the pale' - people 'inside the pale' are not psychic

by Whitewash Wed Apr 27, 2005 16:22

As a former USI officer I want to say how dissapointed I am on how things are now. Are the students of Ireland united on any thing now! the left are so afraid of being seen on the right that they will do anything not to deal with actual student issues, and on the other hand the right have gone so far up their own ases that they're afraid to have an opinion on anything unless its themselves. USI must, and by that I mean National Council and Congress most find a common ground again, where those who pay the membership fees get the best from the organisation, and that students hold up their part of the deal as a part of society and stir things up every now and again.
It seems to me that Officer Board (not all of you) are so detirmined on changing and reforming the organisation that youve forgotton to actually do your job.

If you cant be idealistic in your 20's and want the best in life for your peers, there's no point, take the chance to do something rebellous now while you have the chance.