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INTERVIEW
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Issue 27: Wednesday, November 24, 1993
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Student behind Nestle boycott pologises... Report by Peter Hart THEUNDERGRADUATEresponsible for the campus boycott of Kit Kats - and scores of other Nestle products - has apologised to tudents for his "Jack of foresight, and selfishness." Week 7's UGM passed a ban on the Multinational's goods in all of the Student Union's commercial outlets. But in a startling turnaround on the issue, DEV first year MacKenna, who prothe motion calling for the contacted Concrete soon after the meeting to say 'I' m sorry.' And in an apologetic letter intended for every one ofUEA' s 7,300 students, he said he has "broken many of my most fundamental principles and ideological beUefs." It continues: "I am illiberal and undemocratic." That letter is reprinted in full, opposite. The motion was proposed in response to the national campaign coordinated by the Baby Milk Action Group, who claim that Nestle supply Third World hospitals with free powdered milk, which encourages mothers not to breastfeed ... leading to 4,000 infant deaths per day. But Garth said although his propo al had these honourable
foundations, hedidnotintend to limit choice and freedom , only to remove temptation. Thepa singofthemotionwhich was voted for by less f UE , th ~ an our percent o A s student population - instigated a "reintroduce the Kit Kat" petition, a well as an unprecedented number of other letters to Concrete, and many complaints to the
Dear Students, I am responsible for th This boycott d'd e Nestle boycott t · ~ have h · ~ons, but my lack off . onourable foundafor the issue expected ores~ght and selfishness I find hard to manag you to do something even I t e. ' oo , am findin · . t~ avoid Nestle pro~u~tt:nbcureas~ng~y difficult s~nce I should h . ave the g t th~s .~s hypocrisy avo~d them. reatest ~ncen'tive to
I increasingly fear that I . and find myself sneaki . w~ll fail to do so , my mouth. ng bHs of Kit Kats into I f I find this task diff . expect others who ~cult then how can I to have the same coare . unsure about the issue nv~ct~on I f e a r tha t t h · · th ~s was one of th e boycott : to e reasons behind limit choice a dremove temptation and not t Student Union. n personal f d o realise that I have done ree om which I now Said UEA' s Student Union Communications OfI have broken many of · ~rinciples and id 1 . my most fundamental ficer, Jacqui Mackay: ~lliberal and u d eo og~cal beliefs _ I am "There has been a Jot of n emocratic I am the e lected r . of DEV at Forum epresentati ve of the School debate about the Nestle · ·t · tr ' yet bmany of th e people in my bo yco tt smce 1 was m oown school who s hould duced- people have been World Development . e most aware of the Third complainingthattheyfeel ha ve done . ~s sues still reject what I it i an attack on their From a straw p oll of freedom of choice- and margi na li s e d most 0 fmy school I reckon I have Un ~ver · · t he · s ~ ty, and I . stud e n t s ~n this th at I·t shou Id be up to If you have ~Pol og~ s e fo r tha t . them as to whether they anyt h ~n g y . t~is i ssue t h e n c o ntac ou w~s~ to te ll me o n p~ geon h ole ups t a irs . t m~ v~ a the DEV soc do or do not buy Nestle product ." Yours, ~n Un ~on House . And she added that Gart h Mac ke nna . DEV
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the Unionatwill a motion the propose Annual General Meeting on November 29 to lift the ban on affected products. "Students will have the opportunity to vote on this- and if the majority of a quorate UGM support it, then new policy will have been formed," she said.
"From a straw poll of my school I reckon I have marginalised most of the students in this University, and I apologise for that."
UEA's Independent Student Newspaper
By Jo Stubbington STUDENT Unions will never be the same again ... following Government proposals announced in the Queen's speech last Thursday.
Sweeping changes in SU funding means they may no longer be able to financially support nonsporting student clubs and societies, and other services including student media. Although the exact alterations are not yet clear, UEA's Communications Officer, Jacqui Mackay immediately con demned any move to alter the structureofSU'sas 'deva tating and ridiculous. ' She continued: '"The propo al are worryingly vague, leaving the deci ion as to what can and can't be funded to the discretion of the Secretary of State for education in whom I have absolutely no faith in whatsoever." The implication for all Higher Education institutions is that many of the activities which havealways been part of campus life may cease to exist. At UEA, Drama Soc production , community scheme , RAG,NexusandLivewirewould all di appear. But Concrete, unlike any other student newspaper in the country, would remain unaffected since it is funded entirely by advertising and doesn ' t receive any money from UEA' Student Union.
6000 copies every fortnight
In addition, students' automatic membership of campus unions will be prevented. The proposals were originally initiated by John Patten, Secretary of State for Education and Science, at last years Conservative Party Conference when he proposed to end the last of what he called union 'clo ed shops: ' the campus Union and the National Union of Students. A more detailed description of preliminary proposals was only given once students had disbanded for the ummer vacation and were therefore less able to offer opposition. Student Unions all over the country have expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Governments approach to the issue. A spoke man for London University commented "I find their approach extremely doctrinaire. The Government are using the issue as a bargaining chip, it i a very dogmatic attack."
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