Open Birkbeck: An Invitation

Please see below the statement from Birkbeck. Please support and show your solidarity. You can also follow them on Twitter.

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Open Birkbeck: An Invitation

‘. . . in this spot hereafter, the charms of literature shall be displayed, and the powers of science shall be unfolded to the most humble inquirers; for to the ‘feast of reason’ . . . the invitation shall be as unbounded as the region of the intellect.’ Lord Birkbeck, 1824

Open Birkbeck is an event in which students, staff and faculty from Birkbeck College re-claim the Council Room for an intended period of 24 hours to create an open space for discussion and deliberation on how we can participate in a society committed to Higher Education for all.

It is a peaceful event that welcomes discussion, debate, and exchange from all who are concerned with the fate of higher education, particularly in light of the cuts recently proposed by the coalition government. In the spirit of George Birkbeck and others who founded the London Mechanics Institution in 1823 (later to become Birkbeck College), we begin from the position that education should not be reserved for an elite and that as a society we have a duty to provide access to education for any who seek it. In rejection of its marketisation, the duty to provide education is seen to be of value not only as a means for economic development, but as a fundamental way in which we open space to share and exchange ideas and inspiration; as well as to challenge assumptions, values and ideologies. It is a space that should be accessible to all.

Among other activities we intend to complete a statement during the event addressed to both the college and to our Members of Parliament concerning the recent proposed cuts which we consider antithetical to a commitment to education for all. As the name ‘Open Birkbeck’ suggest, this is a process which is inclusive and welcomes anyone who wishes to participate.

We welcome anyone who is interested in the future of Higher Education to participate!

At 12:00 noon, December 9th, we intend to adjourn ‘Open Birkbeck’ until the next event.

WHAT
An event re-claiming the Birkbeck Council Room to create an open space to deliberate on how we can participate in a society committed to Higher Education for all – a commitment threatened by the cuts recently proposed by the coalition government.

WHEN
12:00 noon, 8th December 2010 to 12:00 noon, 9th December 2010, at which time we will adjourn until the next event

WHERE
Council Room, Birkbeck College (Main Building), Malet Street

WHO
Anyone who is concerned about the future of Birkbeck College and the future of Higher Education!

Further thoughts on Julian Assange

Further thoughts…..I have found this discussion about Assange within the blogosphere really shocking with this belief (based on what…erm assumptions?) that these women are somewhat lying, along with commentators devaluing rape, or just denigrating and dismissing these women (CIA honeytrap is my favourite at the moment along with me being accused as being an “unbalanced radical feminist”). It gives as well, generally, licence for some blogs to denounce feminism as the class enemy, including comments like “no platform for feminists” and “feminists are men-haters”… Yada..Yada…

I have seen this stuff before and it’s sickening. Misogyny unbound, in these situations the misogynists do crawl out of the woodwork.  You also find out what some so-called leftie men (not all btw many leftie blokes have made good insightful comments/posts both here and in the blogosphere) think of rape and sexual violence; hero of the people vs two women… Women lie QED especially when it’s one of your own. It also shows a noxious contempt for feminism and women’s liberation (but that’s a separate post…) which is flowing out of this debate and leaving one nasty stench. The smearing and denigrating of these women reminds me of allegations against Daniel Ortega and Jacob Zuma and how those women were condemned too.

Also there’s this picking away like vultures at testimonies of these two women from translated (badly) media stories , hear-say, naming the women, making assumptions about whether it’s rape or not, devaluing, denigrating and dismissing the allegations. by creating ill-thought and ill-judge articles. It makes the situation worse. And it also exposes lefties needing to defend the latest hero on the block without stopping to pause, to step back and to take stock of the allegations. Also making assumptions about the politics of these women, what they have written ….etc. etc. My own belief is so what? Doesn’t mean these women are lying. Pretty much throwing these women to the wolves with all this speculation. How about waiting to see the evidence before anyone pre-judges the situation? How about waiting and seeing the evidence tested in court?

Yes, the global establishment hate Assange because of Wikileaks, and yes I support him on that and Wikileaks. Yes the USA want him shut-up and the turbo-charged demand for extradition. Yes, all true. All worrying. All shocking. All terrible. All wrong.

BUT that doesn’t mean he hasn’t committed an offence. Surely these women deserve due process as well as Assange? We have to untangle Wikileaks and the attacks made by the global bourgeoise and the allegations made against Assange. The two have to be separated.