Students set up education camp at UWE

Mondays are my long day, with seven hours of teaching from 11am to 6pm I drag myself in at an ungodly hour to ensure I am well prepared for my teaching. Normally come 6pm the University is relatively quiet.   Not today as a group of students had set up camp inside the main communal area Core 24 and establish a free education camp. There were talks and discussions planned for the night mixed up with practical workshops and practical activities like making banners.  The mood was positive and as a student activist from the late 70s and early 80s it warmed my heart to see students refinding the confidence to engage in direct action.  Whilst the focus is clearly the fees increase this is seen in the context of the overall cuts package in education and beyond. 

I left them just after half past seven and I hope they keep going through the night.  There was about 50 students involved and from my experience these actions need to be grown and although they often start with relatively small numbers other students will, once they see others taking action, join and get involved. 

This action is planned as the first in a number with the following planned for later in the week.

• Tuesday 23 November, 2:30pm: rally with UCU to make some noise for and put pressure on the meeting of UWE’s board of governors.
• Wednesday 24 November, 11am: national walkout. Meeting with students and lecturers from other colleges and universities in Bristol for a march in the centre.
• Thursday 25 November, 5:30pm: vote of strong motions against fees and cuts at the AGM of the student union

Hat tip to UWE students + lecturers against the restructure and cuts! Facebook Group

Podcast of the Public debate - Addiction: should we penalise or treat?

On April 8th I took part in a public debate at The Watershed in Bristol about how we respond to drugs.  The debate was recorded and is now available on the web as the August Philosophy Monthly Podcast.

You can listen to the Podcast here

Addiction: should we penalise or treat? A public debate

If you are near Bristol and fancy hearing me speak in person I will be taking part in this event next week

What: Addiction: should we penalise or treat? A public debate

When: Thursday 8 April 2010, 18:30-20:00
Where: Watershed, 1 Canon's Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5TX
Addiction: should we penalise or treat? is the topical subject of a free public debate organised by University of the West of England philosopher, Dr Havi Carel. The event will take place on Thursday 8 April 2010 from 18:30 to 20:00 at the Watershed in Bristol.

The public debate is one of the events funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the three year research project - The Concepts of Health, Illness and Disease. Project leader, Dr Carel explains, “This research project brings together researchers from diverse disciplines to develop an understanding of health, illness and disease. This is crucial to society as how we define illness can have ethical, social and economic consequences. Addiction is an emotive topic that clearly highlights these issues. One example is smoking - should the NHS pay for the treatment of nicotine addiction or are smokers just weak-willed? By drawing on the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of speakers, the audience will hear multiple approaches to the issue before being invited to join in the debate.”

The speakers are:

• Dr Nick Airey, an NHS psychiatrist specialising in addiction
• Dr Piers Benn, Medical ethics
• John Moore, Criminology, UWE
• Dr Giles Pearson, Philosophy, University of Bristol
• Dr Jonathan Webber, Philosophy, Cardiff University
• Chair: Dr Julian Baggini, Editor of The Philosopher's Magazine

This event is free of charge to the public and a large audience is expected. This event is free of charge but booking is essential, to book a place e-mail Dr Havi Carel - Havi.Carel@uwe.ac.uk

Dr Carel concludes, “The event has attracted interest from clinicians, drug and addiction practitioners, and service users. It promises to be a lively debate and is a chance for the public to contribute to our research. We are planning to record the debate as a podcast on the project website, as well as on the AHRC website and The Philosopher's Magazine website.”

Christina Pantazis Talk on Nation States and Social Harm - Wednesday 2nd December 2009 at UWE All Welcome

Department of Sociology & Criminology - Open Research Seminar
Wednesday 2nd December 2009

University of the West of England, Bristol

Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY

1.30pm in Room 3D07

Christina Pantazis
(School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol)

Nation States and Social Harm: Resisting the Hegemony of 'TINA'

Christina is one of the founders of the Social Harm school who seek to move our focus away from state defined concepts of 'crime' onto what Steven Box had described as those behaviours which objectively and avoidably cause us the most harm, injury, and suffering’.

Her paper will provide an introduction to social harm theory and challenge the assertion made by Margaret Thatcher that 'there is no alternative' to global capitalism. By adopting a social harm perspective it compares the nature and levels of social harm across different state formations. The UK and US are compared with corporatist and social democratic nations; by doing this we are able to identify more humane forms of capitalist formations operating within the constraints of contemporary globalisation.

All Welcome

Graduation

The last couple of days I have been attending the graduation ceremony for last year's students at UWE. It was the first time I had attended one, having chosen to get my degrees by post. Felt kind of weird parading around in fancy dress but was great to see last years crew and share their big day with them and their parents. I have been promised that I will be sent photos by a few and will post them up when (and if) they arrive.

I was really surprised that even in these difficult times the majority had gone on to 'graduate' jobs or higher degrees. Even more surprising how many were in fields directly related to criminology. Hopefully some of the critical ways of thinking will have stuck and they will question lots.

Update A couple of pictures have been sent through. Hoping for more







and some more