Thursday, May 29, 2008
STAR decides on new campaign!
STAR’s national campaign for 2008-09 is ‘Let Them Work’, a campaign to push for the right to work for people seeking asylum.
This decision follows a month long consultation process in which STAR spoke to student members, potential partner organisations, and campaigning experts on three campaign topics; the right to work, the destitution of children and young people seeking asylum, and the provision of voucher support to people whose asylum claims have been refused.
The issue
Hundreds of thousands of people, both those seeking asylum and people whose claims for asylum have been refused, are all denied the ability to work. This imposes impoverishment on new arrivals and denies them the chance to meet people, make friends and establish and rebuild their lives within the UK.
STAR_Campaign_proposal_Right_to_work.pdf
It was immediately apparent from the discussions with student members that the right to work for people seeking asylum was the campaign they felt strongest about. Students also said that they felt the campaign was clear, with an accessible message.
Tamara from Warwick STAR commented on the campaign; “its easy to explain during campaign events, especially to students, and we generally feel it would be the most winnable”. The enthusiasm of the student members therefore played a large part in swaying the final decision.
Feedback from STAR’s external campaigning contacts was also very positive. The TUC and Refugee Council are already working on this campaign and were excited about the potential for collaborating with STAR on this issue in the future.
What’s next?
The STAR national support office is now working on getting the campaign ready for the start of the next academic year, so keep your eyes on our campaign pages for any news and updates on what’s happening next! Ideas and suggestions from members about how they can campaign most effectively are greatly encouraged.
Many thanks to everyone who took part in this consultation; we would not have been able to make this decision without your thoughtful input and creative ideas!
Posted by Celia Turley on 29/05/2008 at 02:58 PM
in STAR News
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