Nobody can escape the problems that afflict the world. They’re on the front of every newspaper, in the headlines of every broadcast and painfully obvious to anybody that has ventured further than their front door. The inequalities, injustices and atrocities that occur across the globe are relayed to you every minute of every day and some students are taking action to address these.
The solution to many of these problems can, and often does, come from young, intelligent people. But the difficulty for the average student is, how to get into a position where they can use their abilities to improve the world around them? Many feel that if they’re not a medical, science or engineering student then their arts based education is of no use to a world that is obsessed with Global Warming and Development Aid. But this simply isn’t true.
Many student bodies spend a large amount of time petitioning on subjects of global or political importance and fundraising for various causes so have no science based courses. Those that do focus on engineering or medicine have a deep rooted understanding that their professions are only a small part of a much larger picture so address this with events or courses that encompass all manner of disciplines related to their specialisation.
As clichéd as it might sound, working with any humanitarian organisation will look brilliant on a CV and show that you have interests that spread further than the lecture hall. Most people that do this don’t do it for their CV because that would be missing the point, but nobody ever discounts the fact that it does improve their prospects of employment.
This is a national, student-run, charity that focuses on improving development through the use of engineering. It is widely recognised throughout the industry and has the support of The Royal Academy of Engineers. As a national organisation it provides bursaries for development based research or projects and also recruits students to placements with overseas organisations.
But it’s main emphasis is at branch level where students can get regularly involved with weekend courses in various disciplines or a year long technical construction project, as Dan Smith, Co-President of EWB Cardiff puts it, “The idea is to inspire people to go onto to bigger things.”
“Last year we hosted an International Development Conference, ran courses in collaboration with the RedR on various aspects of humanitarian relief, had a trip to the Centre for Alternative Technology and organised weekend events based around different topics affecting development,” he explained “There are so many opportunities to get your foot in the door with EWB and learn about aspects surrounding your degree.
“We don’t only cater for engineers. The RedR courses had medics, business and law students who were equally as interested in humanitarian relief. Our weekend courses have attracted journalism students and EWB-UK offers funding for aspiring journalists to report on projects that we have been involved with. They’re holding a photography competition at the moment and our area branch co-ordinator is a history graduate. So we’re not all socially inept engineers.”
EWB gives students the opportunity to see what it would be like to work in the development sector or humanitarian relief and what needs addressing. The experts at the courses can explain the best routes in and, crucially, give first hand accounts of what it’s like, so that you can work out whether you’d really like to spend time helping to run a refugee camp in the middle of nowhere, or if you’d be better suited to contributing through research or development work.
“Sustainability is a crucial part of all the work that we encompass.” Dan adds, “Any projects in developing countries are strictly on an advisory role in collaboration, or quite often learning from, a local organisation and anything undertaken closer to home has a focus on renewable energy sources and alternative technologies. Basically we try to highlight how engineers can make the world better.”
EWB will have a stand at the societies fair. Email Cardiff@ewb-uk.org or check out the Facebook page ‘Engineers Without Borders – Cardiff’
Cardiff People and Planet Society is part of a national network of students campaigning on the environment, world poverty and human rights.
“We work on several national and local campaigns with other groups.” Amy Hall, a Cardiff University student, and Cardiff People and Planet’s media representative explains, “We like to think People and Planet (P&P) is one of the most friendly societies at Cardiff. We’re free to join, open to anyone and you can get as involved as you like.”
“You don’t have to know loads about the issues we campaign on to get involved. You can focus on your area of interest or just go for everything.”
P&P are continuing to run a successful Go Green campaign which demands universities reduce their massive environmental impact. P&P head office release The Green League each year, where UK universities are ranked on environmental performance. “This year Cardiff came 84th so there is a lot of work to be done!” Amy adds.
Ditch Dirty Development aims to switch funding for oil and gas to renewable sources of energy. The main targets of this campaign are RBS/Natwest and the Department for International Development, two major money sources for fossil fuel extraction and exploration projects.
As part of the Treat AIDS Now campaign we organise RAID, a big music and arts event in the SU, which has won best event at the Society Awards for two years.
P&P also campaign on trade justice issues, including in the fashion industry. “Last year we did a Fairtrade Fashion show at Global Village,” Amy recalls; “We also get involved with issues around Cardiff and attend national demos and events.”
Many different actions are used on a campaign depending upon what is applicable from writing to MPs, to protests, to visual stunts. “Last year we hung out Topshop’s dirty washing in Queen’s Street to put pressure on the Arcadia group to sign the Ethical Trading Initiative.”
It’s not all serious; P&P holds regular socials, whether it is trips to comedy clubs or indulgent dessert evenings, as well as some exciting collaborations with other societies.
Every year the national P&P network organise ‘Shared Planet’ and ‘The Summer Gathering’, where groups from all over the UK get together for a range of inspiring workshops, speakers, films and parties. Over the summer, there is even the opportunity to enjoy the perks of free festivals by volunteering for P&P at Leeds, Reading, Secret Garden Party and Green Man.
Meetings are every Tuesday at 7.30pm.
Email peopleandplanet@cardiff.ac.uk for more information on the Cardiff group or join the Facebook groups ‘Cardiff people and planet society!’ or visit www.peopleandplanet.org
The Kenyan Orphan Project (KOP) is a young, expanding charity. Founded in 2002 by a small number of medical students from Nottingham University, it has grown from a small project to a registered charity. Volunteers, primarily healthcare students, from a number of universities across the UK, can partake in an annual visit to western Kenya.
“The Cardiff branch of KOP has been running since 2006,” explains Lowri Evans, a Cardiff Medical student and representative of KOP-Cardiff. “Our activities include a very successful trip to Kenya in 2007 and we’re looking to run the next one this coming summer. Fundraising is ongoing throughout the year to support the numerous projects that KOP assists in the western Kenyan town of Kisumu. These include a hospital, health clinic, two schools, a feeding centre and a rehabilitation centre for street children, many who are orphaned due to HIV.”
“We help to fund a partner organisation called HOVIC. They run a rehabilitation centre for the children living on the streets of Kisumu. They have trained counselors to talk to the children about their problems, addictions and future. There is also a nurse on site to treat any ill children by giving a limited amount of medication.”
In Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is rife; in Kisumu, it is estimated that 28% people are HIV positive. Therefore many children are orphaned at a very young age, forced onto the streets to fend for themselves leaving them vulnerable to be targeted by the police and other adults.
“It is these children that KOP aim to help, support and rehabilitate.” Lowri says. There is also an opportunity for charity members to go on a fortnight’s visit to Kisumu to see what all their hard fundraising efforts have accomplished. “Past students have found this extremely rewarding. It is brilliant to have the opportunity to work in schools, have a placement in a Kenyan hospital and help with the construction of new projects – meeting all the children and inspirational Kenyan workers who work in conjunction with KOP.”
Keep a lookout for all the fundraising events hosted by KOP Cardiff. Their meetings will be advertised in the university throughout the year.
“We are constantly looking for any companies, organisations or students who would like to join and support us with fundraising,” Lowri explains.
If you’re interested, join the facebook group (KOP- Cardiff) or e-mail lowri100@hotmail.com. All money raised goes directly to KOP and its affiliated charities.
STAR is an organisation that works to help students and young people learn about and raise awareness of refugee and asylum issues in innovative ways. It works to support refugees in a pratical way in their local communities through volunteering and campaigning for their rights everywhere. Refugees and asylum seekers are a persecuted and vulnerable group of people that need support. As a new generation it is vital that students have a positive attitude towards refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people and work to improve their human rights.
In Cardiff, STAR has worked with refugees and asylum seekers in the local community through a ‘drop-in centre’. This is a weekly event where people come along for a cup of tea, some biscuits, perhaps a game of table tennis but most of all just an opportunity to chat to someone. This benefits the refugees and the asylum seekers who have a chance and if nothing else, to see a friendly face. It is also a great opportunity for volunteers, be they student or otherwise to meet the real people behind the huge social controversy. It is a fantastic experience that really brings home the injustice of the whole situation, since it is obvious that these are just normal people who are in desperate need of our help. STAR has also worked to raise awareness of both the student and wider population of the issues that refugees and asylum seekers face in various ways.
“We held a mock sleepout outside the students union for the ‘still human, still here’ campaign against the government policy of the forced destitution of asylum seekers,” Owen Davis, President of STAR Cardiff, describes, “We have also collected various petitions to lobby the government either to change its policy or simply to stop the deportation of a particular person that we knew.”
“STAR is therefore an organisation run by people who want to help those that are victimised the most in society today.” Owen adds, “It is a brilliant cause and has so far been hugely successful in tackling an issue that is so difficult for our country to find a solution to.”
Email cardiff.star@hotmail.co.uk or find them on Facebook.
If you are interested in the Criminal Justice system, how it can go wrong, and care about the wrongful conviction of the innocent, then you can do something about it by joining a case team at the Cardiff Nexus Innocence Project.
Cardiff Nexus Innocence Project is an inter-school sect of the Innocence Network UK whose core aim is educating to overturn and prevent the wrongful conviction of innocent people. The group is one of many throughout Britain who actively work with prisoners, in conjunction with solicitors, on cases involving miscarriages of justice.
The Innocence Project is looking for dedicated students from any degree scheme that will work on real cases. Alternatively you can work on the PR side and use your creativity to help raise money and awareness of the organisation and the issue of wrongful convictions.
Innocence Project takes place on Mondays 5-7pm in Bute building. For more information contact masonp@cardiff.ac.uk or visit www.innocencenetwork.org.uk.
