Back in February, I was growing weary of leading the feminist groups at the law school. I was exhausted by club duties and wanted to expand my sphere of influence outside the law school. So, it seemed logical to run for a position for the entire university's student body.
Here, I thought, I could make a difference on issues that were important to students. Silly me, thinking I would be consulted! Our president, Blake Frederick, filed a human rights complaint to the United Nations today against the governments of Canada and British Columbia for failing to remove financial barriers in the form of tuition to entrance into post secondary institutions.
Pretty much alone, in association with Tristan Markle, he demanded that the UN investigate the matter and hold the government accountable to Article 13 (c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. This Article commits the government to provide accessible higher education, but which further stipulates that this is “on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means”.
I, nor the rest of the AMS Council, was not consulted in any way. No UBC students were consulted. In fact, the only person who may have been consulted was VP External Tim Chu.
Oh, the backlash! This resolution was a ridiculous waste of student funds and makes us look by spoiled brats by equating human rights abuses like slavery, traffiking, and hunger with tuition increases! Tomorrow, I am attending an emergency Council meeting where Frederick will be served with a notice of impeachment, as well as separate motions requesting his resignation, and a motion to retract the complaint to the UN.
Wish me luck. My constituants are livid, I am humiliated and angry.
We were making the news. check out more here.
Oh, and looky here, we made it to the fail blog.
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