Dear fellow students,

As a Palestinian student from Gaza on the Palestinian International Response Scholarship, I have experienced firsthand the catastrophic consequences of Goldsmiths' administrative failures. Their mistakes have caused significant disruption and stress to my journey to the UK. I believe that my understanding and personal account of these issues make me capable of effectively communicating the impact of poor management and advocating for a better and safer system as a basic duty of a functioning university.

To address these issues, I propose a three-point plan:

Abolish:

Firstly, we need to decolonize existing structures and build political education and campaign-building, countering axes of oppression across the university and campus. This means taking a critical approach to the ways in which the university reinforces systems of oppression and actively working to dismantle them.

Secondly, we need to abolish the university’s understanding of international students beyond a market-based perspective. We must give platform and space to the needs and lives of refugee students and students from conflict zones and specific political situations. We must recognize that these students face unique challenges and provide support that is tailored to their needs.

Thirdly, we must reduce barriers to access wellbeing services, including the university's bureaucratic barriers. We must make sure that all students can access the support they need to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Amplify:

To amplify the voices of students from diverse backgrounds, we need to increase support for the Liberation Networks with more structure, visibility, and campaigning support. We must create greater access to feed into the Liberation committee at the SU, so that all students have a voice in decision-making.

We must also ensure that the University sees through its duty of pastoral care across all its structures. This means advocating for more resources and support for mental health, as well as creating safe and inclusive spaces on campus.

Revelotionalise:

Finally, we need to revelotionalise the way we approach politics on campus. We must create political spaces outside of current liberation networks which often only include a small pool of students who have enough time and resources to run for officer positions. We must create accessible, dedicated support for international students with sensitivity and awareness of the additional difficulties students from areas of political conflict face. And we must establish permanent and structurally embedded safe spaces on campus, so that all students feel welcome and included.

I am committed to working towards these goals, and I believe that together, we can make our university a more inclusive, empowering, and supportive place for all students. So, let's come together and make our voices heard. Vote for me in the upcoming student union elections, and let's create a brighter future for all of us. Thank you.