INSULA.number #1

MCKIM CUTS STUDENTS OUT. FAIRER TRADE.

LAUNCHING INSULA. REVIEWING STUDENT POLITICS.

Insula is a new state-wide publication of the Tasmania University Union (TUU), produced by the Student Representative Council. The opinions within are not necessarily those of Insula or the publisher. The copyright in this magazine remains with the publishers. Editor: Liam Carswell liamc0@utas.edu.au

Sub-editor:

Georgia Allen

Cover:

Hayley Friedman (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

Contributors (in no particular order):

Georgia Allen, Laura Sykes, Isaac Foster, Hayley Friedman, Campbell Nicol, Savina Lim

Thanks to:

Vino Rajandran, Bryce Roney, Dave Quinn

www.facebook.com/insulatuu Insula is printed by UniPrint and is released fortnightly.

Contibute:

Insula welcomes contributions from across the university. Please email your work or ideas to student.observer@tuu.utas.edu.auThe deadline for the second edition is Wednesday, 20 March.

If there is one common thread that runs

WKURXJK� WKLV�´UVW� HGLWLRQ�RI� Insula it is

activism. After years of student apathy

and dislocation, it’s exciting to see the

renaissance of activism on campus at

UTAS.

In our cover piece, Georgia Allen explores Nick Mc-Kim’s decision to cut the number of students and academics on the University’s governing council. Laura Sykes writes passionately about her belief in WKH�EHQH´WV�RI� IDLU� WUDGH��ZKLOVW�6DYLQD�/LP�KDV�D�more irreverant take on activism in his artwork be-low Isaac Foster’s piece on student politics.

During the most heated student elections at UTAS in years there was a broad commitment amongst candidates to foster a more dynamic student media culture at UTAS. Revamping the Student Observer (the publication that preceded Insula) was a central part of this commitment.

By itself, Insula is not a remedy for apa-thy, but I hope it will play a central role in aiding the contest of ideas that should mark a student’s time at university. Insula, in name, recognises the island state we call home. But in spite of our isolation, we should never be made to feel like we’re isolated. We should never accept changes to our education carte blanche. Even if we falsely accept the proposition that we’re simply consumers of our education, then fuck it, we should at least be getting our money’s worth.

It’s a sad day when students seem more content to argue about the price of a $15 concert ticket than the education that most are paying thou-sands of dollars for. In that way, Insula doesn’t so much represent a call to arms as a plea to care. Don’t be afraid to be an activist. I hope you enjoy Insula.

From the Editor.

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I expected more, Minister. by Georgia Allen

Quite different from the usual accusation of Greens extremism or stubborn self-righteousness leading to an unwillingness to compromise, McKim instead let UTAS students, academics and the Australian Greens down last year when he completely abandoned the Greens core values and policy platforms for no apparent reason with his University Council

Amendment Bill.

The University Council Amendment Bill was a bill that should never have been introduced to the Tasmanian Parliament. It saw the number of members on the University’s governing council unnecessarily reduced from 18 to a maximum of 14, despite the Universities Australia Voluntary Code of Best Practice stating a governing body could have a maximum of 22 members. Halv-ing both student and academic staff represen-tation, with no provision for an elected student union representative, McKim’s original bill was an attempt to effectively silence the voices of students and staff on campus at a time when phenomenally negative changes were being implemented to the University’s management structure, curriculum and faculty administra-tions.

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Politics is often viewed as the art of

compromise. As a polity, we value

politicians who get the job done while

remaining true to their convictions.

:KLOH� UDQN� DQG� ´OH�PHPEHUV� RI�PDMRU�political parties are often angered by the

contradictory policies of their elected

representatives, they understand that

this is a product of being in government,

a consequence of political bargaining

and point scoring.

The Australian Greens, however, pride themselves on being the moral alternative, and politicians of conviction and causes. Their policies are based on their four pillars: ecological sustainability; democracy; peace and non-violence; and social justice. As stated by Tasmanian Greens Leader and Minister for Education and Skills Nick McKim, ‘the Greens are not a poll-driven party. We will always act based on our values and what we believe is right’.

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Aim 58 of the Australian Greens Social Justice Pillar is ‘Legislation for elected staff and student representa-tives on University governing bodies and increased democratic participation by academics, staff, stu-dents and community representatives in the decision making processes within universities’. Furthermore, Principles 15 and 17 state that ‘values of service to the public, scholarship and academic freedom should take priority over sectional and commercial interests of universities’, and that ‘education unions are the ap-propriate representatives of educators in all educa-tional matters’.

It is not therefore surprising that a media release touting the success of the University Council Bill is LPSRVVLEOH� WR� ´QG� RQ� WKH� 7DVPDQLDQ� *UHHQV� ZHE-site, nor is a comment from McKim beyond his second reading speech discoverable on the in-ternet. The Greens are, as they rightly should be, ashamed by this hypocrisy, which has stripped bare their pretensions to any sort of moral superiority. If this political win is not one to be celebrated, one must then question McKim’s motivations for the Bill LQ�WKH�´UVW�SODFH��:DV�KH�WRR�OD]\�WR�LQYHVWLJDWH�WKH�implications of the Bill when it was presented to him by the University, or was he bending to the will of University administrators to make his job easier?

It is of course not just the Greens who have let us down. The Shadow Education Minister Michael Fer-guson’s only criticism of the Bill was that he would’ve retreated from democracy even further and allowed the University Council to appoint the two academic staff members as well as the one student. While our ALP government, historically great supporters of student unionism, failed to act when both the TUU and Young Labor members made representations to them to amend the Bill. Keeping to their own portfo-lios, our ALP ministers only became interested when it was too late to intervene.

Due to the lack of political will from our elected representatives of all ideological persuasions, we are left with half the student and staff representation we once had, a University Council which is not in line with the Universities Australia Code of Best Practice, and a morally confounded Education Minister who has received paradoxically little to no media scrutiny on the matter.

“THE GREENS ARE, AS THEY RIGHTLY SHOULD BE, ASHAMED BY THIS HYPOCRISY, WHICH HAS STRIPPED BARE THEIR PRETEN-SIONS TO ANY SORT OF MORAL SUPERIORITY.”

“KEEPING TO THEIR OWN PORT-FOLIOS, OUR ALP MINISTERS ONLY BECAME INTERESTED WHEN IT WAS TOO LATE TO INTERVENE.”

Fairer Trade. by Laura Sykes

When you walk into your local cafe

or grocer, you will no doubt be over-

whelmed by the number of different

coffees available to you. You will need

to choose your coffee from a variety

of roasts, origins and blends, as well as

decide which trade relations you would

like to support. Here you are, juggling

two bags of coffee, you are committed

to becoming a socially conscious coffee

buyer, but still you only have a univer-

sity student budget and thirty minutes

to do your grocery shopping.

2QH�EDJ��IURP�(WKLRSLD��GLVSOD\V�YDULRXV�FHUWL´FD-tion labels. The other, from Brazil, states that the grower uses sustainable environmental practices and protects the rainforests. Coffee bags in hand, you realise this is going to be more complicated WKDQ� \RX� ´UVW� DQWLFLSDWHG� ¨� ERWK� EDJV� DUH� GRLQJ�their best to hook you.

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“COFFEE BAGS IN HAND, YOU REALISE THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU FIRST ANTICIPATED – BOTH BAGS ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO HOOK YOU.”

Which bag to choose? Sustainable? Rainforest Alliance? Fairtrade? And what is UTZ? Over-whelmed, you place both bags back onto the shelf and grab a kilo of Nestle Gold Roast. After all, it’s familiar.

Univeristy and coffee go hand in hand. Whether it’s waking up for that 8am law lecture, studying until the wee hours of the morning, or meeting friends for a relaxing break, our university years are fuelled by caffeine. But do you ever stop to think about the stories and lives of the people behind the coffee in your cup?

The world has recognised that fair trade con-ditions between the developing and developed world are a fundamental prerequisite for de-velopment. Current trade rules create a global economy that perpetuates inequalities, and consolidates the cycle of dependence and eco-nomic stagnation that characterises many parts

of the world.

)DLUWUDGH� FHUWL´FDWLRQ� DGGUHVVHV� WKH� LQMXVWLFHV�of conventional trade, which traditionally dis-criminates against the poorest, weakest pro-GXFHUV�DQG�EHQH´WV�PRUH�WKDQ�´YH�PLOOLRQ�SHR-ple across 58 developing countries.

By choosing Fairtrade products, consumers can use their purchasing power to demand a fairer deal for farmers in the developing world.

The UTAS Fairtrade Collective is passionate about raising awareness about Fairtrade and ethical purchasing on campus, and have been working hard over the past year to engage staff and students in the movement for UTAS to be-come a Fairtrade accredited university.

The UTAS Fairtrade Collective have also been successful in being selected to host a national Fairtrade conference from 19-21st July 2013 – the Fairly Educated Conference. The conference will bring together university students from Australia and New Zealand, with the aim of increasing their knowledge of Fair Trade, equipping them with excellent leadership and campaigning skills, as well as providing an invaluable opportunity to network with like minded students, staff, businesses and organisations. This is a great opportunity for UTAS to demonstrate leadership in the area of ethical purchasing and sustainable procurement, and the Collective are hoping that it will also reinvigorate the movement for UTAS to become the ȏth Fairtrade accredited university in Australia!

Keep up with all the Fairly Educated Conference developments on social media by liking our page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fairlyeducatedcon) and following us on Twitter (@fairlyeducated) – we would love to hear from you!

Reviewing Student Politics. by Isaac Foster

“NEVERTHELESS THE WORD ‘APOLITICAL’ STANDS OUT TO ME NOW AS STRANGE IN A WAY THAT IT DIDN’T WHEN I WAS SAYING IT EIGHT MONTHS AGO.”

“YOU HAVE POLITICAL REACTIONS EVERYDAY, EVERYTIME YOUR LIP CURLS EITHER UPWARDS OR DOWN-WARDS WHILE WATCHING THE NEWS.”

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I was only distantly aware of student poli-

tics before I came to university, but in my

´UVW�\HDU�,�GHFLGHG�WR�GR�ZKDW�,�FRXOG�WR�get involved. My background wasn’t po-

litical, but I had spent some years organ-

ising events for a group I founded at my

local gallery and felt experienced in try-

ing to get people involved in something

that I believed was worth their attention.

Although it is another type of involve-

ment I wanted to inspire, I think in stu-

dent politics we feel a similar drive, and

VR�LW�ZDV�D�JRRG�´W��

,� UDQ� ODVW�\HDU�´UVWO\� LQ� WKH�VWDWHZLGH�HOHFWLRQV��DQG�secondly for Treasurer with the Stand Up ticket, with an interest in improving the arts, academic opportu-nities, and student welfare, but with what I initially called an ‘apolitical’ stance.

I don’t think it is necessary to have an interest in par-ty politics to run for your university union, (although there is probably no better start if that is the direction you want your life to take). Questions such as ‘do you believe students should fund their union to provide them services, and, if so, which ones?’ put roughly the same thoughts into the majority of our heads. We instinctively react to such questions that are the bread and water of student politics, but many don’t feel that makes them political. Nevertheless the word ‘apolitical’ stands out to me now as strange in a way that it didn’t when I was saying it eight months ago.

E.A. Blair, in his 1946 essay “Why I Write”, made the point that ‘the opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude’. If you have read this before, you will recognise it, and if you have not, I defy you to try and forget it.

You have political reactions everyday, everytime your lip curls either upwards or downwards while watching the news. Blair again: ‘the more one is con-scious of one’s political bias, the more chance one KDV�RI�DFWLQJ�SROLWLFDOO\�ZLWKRXW�VDFUL´FLQJ�RQH­V�DHV-thetic and intellectual integrity’. Put that reaction into words, and you have an action waiting to act. Act and you will have made the choice to be political.

But why choose? If you are like most of the people I knew before I met my SRC running-mates, then you probably feel that you don’t KDYH�PXFK�LQµXHQFH�RQ�WKH�ZRUOG��$JDLQVW�WKLV�LPSXOVH�� WKH� ´UVW� WKLQJ� \RX� ZLOO� QRWLFH� LI� \RX�watch the news today is that we are in a pe-riod of political instability at levels unseen for over two decades. We feel the tremors of these pressures in the challenges facing todays TUU: the rising costs of student housing, the increas-ing number of students being forced to work to live, the changes affecting the number and variety of courses that you have access to, and the lack of transparency from the university re-garding these changes.

If you do not believe that choices and ideas make a difference, consider the difference between free university education in 1974 and HECS in 1989. Both policies of the same party, the difference is the words Keynes and Hayek and which author happened to be on the text list when the relevant politi-cal advisors were at university. Are you inter-ested in what your SRC is reading today? The 2012 TUU elections took place among the most interesting times (so the Chinese curse goes) that both the university and the country have seen in a long time. Individuals like my-self will be shouting louder than ever this year to get your attention. If the net result of that noise is that students like yourselves realise the difference you can make, I hope you make the choice to be political.

“BOTH POLICIES OF THE SAME PARTY, THE DIFFERENCE IS THE WORDS KEYNES AND HAYEK AND WHICH AUTHOR HAPPENED TO BE ON THE TEXT LIST WHEN THE RELEVANT POLITICAL ADVISORS WERE AT UNIVERSITY. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN WHAT YOUR SRC IS READING TODAY?”

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Vietnam. by Hayley Friedman

Concert. by Campbell Nicol

Vietnam. by Hayley Friedman

Concert. by Campbell Nicol

Launceston