Hey everybody,

I hope you’re back in the term time swing and ready for some Amnesty action. We’re having our first meeting back tomorrow at 5pm in QMU Committee Room 1. There is plenty planned for this term and lots to show off so if you’ve always meant to come along but not made the leap, this is the week to come!

Over the winter break we’ve been busy redoing our Facebook presence so make sure you like our new page at: facebook.com/guamnesty

We’re proud to announce that tickets for this year’s Secret Policeman’s Ball are on sale on our flash new website and will soon be coming to a QMU box office near you. There are two types to chose from – £5 for just the main event or £7 for the main event and our after party hosted by GU Philanthrobeats!

This Week:

The next few weeks are going to have a heavy SPB presence (it’s the biggest student fundraiser in the UK after all) but we’ll try to make sure we have as good a range as usual:

– I’m going to do a presentation on who we are at GU Amnesty and what we do – Siuan is going to start planning the decorations for the SPB – Louise is going to start planning the publicity for the SPB – Elena is going to do a letter writing action

Coming Up:

– Secret Policeman’s Ball & After Party – 9th February – a night of Scotland’s best stand up comedy followed by the best DJ talent on campus – Lecture by Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International, UK – 31st January – free tickets available here http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5151251532/eorg
– Secret Policeman’s Ball – 9th February

See you tomorrow,

Martin

Hello all,

How are we? Good? Fantastic.

It’s our last weekly meeting of this term tomorrow. I, for one, am devastated. It has been a great term, we’ve made videos, we’ve made banners, we’ve baked and sold cakes, we’ve made tote bags, we’ve heard from some inspirational guests, we’ve watched films, we’ve even had a motion lodged in the Scottish Parliament! It’s been busy, it’s been productive and it’s been terrific. If you’re not coming along to the screening/ social tonight and I don’t see you before you go home – Merry Christmas. I’ll tell you happy New Year when we start back, as always at 5 pm first Tuesday of term in Committee Room 1 of the QMU.

This Week

This week’s meeting is a very chilled out affair. Tomorrow at 5pm we’re showing last year’s Secret Policeman’s Ball in the Williams Room of the John Mac and eating some popcorn and eating some bake sale treats. It was a really funny night and we’ve managed to edit the whole 4 hour extravaganza down to an hour and a bit of sheer gold. After it’s finished we’ll head down to Common Rooms where I’ve managed to blag some free food for us all.

Comedy, pub, food, free… all the boxes are ticked.

Coming Up

We’re hoping to a do a few week events during the exam period. Caroling was a big success last year and we have Human Rights Day during the exams so there are plenty of possibilities on the horizon. If we do plan anything we’ll be sure to let you know. Until then the big thing on the horizon is, as always:

– 9th February – Secret Policeman’s Ball

See you tomorrow,

Martin

Hi everybody!

The Student Conference was fantastic; I would very highly recommend that you go next year if you can. This year’s was particularly fun though because it saw us presented with our Secret Policeman’s Ball’s second consecutive award for Best Fundraising Event! The trophy is enjoying a brief stay in my flat, but you guys will all get a shot of it at our usual meeting tomorrow at 5pm in Committee Room 1 of the QMU – before we give it to last years President and casualty of the 2012 SPB Catherine.

This Week’s Meeting

It’s the usual tapas style Amnesty meeting this week, we have:

– A presentation on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan to mark International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women – Committee Room 2 will be decked out with our new graffiti style Conflict Free Glasgow out so that we can get our Conflict minerals campaign video filmed – The merchandise department (Jana) will be making a few Christmas cards and finishing off some tote bags – Nathan will be taking a table writing Christmas cards to prisoners of conscience

Coming Up

Next Week will be our last weekly meeting before the break and we will be having a screening of last year’s award winning Secret Policeman’s Ball in the Williams Room of the John McIntyre Building at 5pm. Come along for some laughs, popcorn and shortly thereafter a trip to the pub and some free food – http://www.facebook.com/events/246908938771566/

– 27th November SPB Screening and Christmas Party – 26th November Reclaim the Night March – 9th February Secret Policeman’s Ball

See you guys tomorrow,

Martin

Hey gang,

Last night’s pub quiz was a rampant success. The turnout was impressive, the banner was fluid and the funds were raised. Over £160 went straight into the Raise off account just from last night – more than 24 university groups raised all last year! But even as we plan Nathan and I’s imminent break into the game show hosting industry, we have another full week ahead of us, starting as we always do at 5pm on Tuesday in Committee Room 1 of the QMU.

This Week’s Meeting:

We have, as always a good range of Amnesty fun lined up for you fine people this week:

– Yesterday was Rememberence Sunday, as I am sure you are all aware, to mark the occasion Nathan is going to give a presentation on Human Rights in the context of war. – Jana is hoping to have a table making Christmas Cards for us to add to our increasing merch range and also because Christmas is awesome. – Siuan and Ruth are going to be putting the final touches to the backdrop that we are going to use for the conflict minerals campaign video, which we will be (finally) filming next week – Cat is going to be finishing the main footage for her own video project on activism, we’re going to have a second room booked for this (we’re slowly just taking over the QMU) but it won’t start until after Nathan’s presentation

Coming Up:

We’ve unfortunately had to postpone the Dialectic Society event until next term. We just couldn’t get a suitable room booked in time, but we are all really keen to get this event off of the ground next term. Still, there is always plenty to look forward to on the horizon including:

– 16-18th November UK Student Conference – 21st November Dialectic Panel Dicsussion – 27th November SPB Screening and Christmas Party – 26th November Reclaim the Night March – 9th February Secret Policeman’s Ball

Thanks for coming last night guys and see you tomorrow,

Martin

Hey everyone,

Pub Quiz

Me and Nathan are just putting the final touches on tomorrow’s quiz. It is really shaping up to be a great night, I know we’ve not done a lot to promote it but it just means you guys have to bring even more of your friends along. It’s at 7:30pm tomorrow in Jim’s Bar of the QMU. Entry is £3.

http://www.facebook.com/events/399130753492257/

Student Conference

The Student Conference is next weekend and we need someone to go down to accept an award on behalf of the group. I want you to be that person. Yes, you. Specifically YOU.

These away trips with Amnesty are fantastic. Everyone who has been to one has they same thing to say about them – they are an amazing expereince where you meet other Amnesty activists from all over the UK and make some really amazing friends. I cannot recommend that you go enough. Everyone on the committee has either work, parents visiting, deadlines or dissertation deadlines looming this weekend. It’s just fallen at the wrong time for any of us to go down.

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11635

The group is now willing to pay someone’s registration fee for the conference, meaning all you need to pay for is transport down to London and back. Accommodation, food, everything else is all going to be paid for you. If no one else wants to go I am going to go down (and have a great time while I’m down there but), it will mean a very big strain on my time before a major dissertation deadline.

See you guys tomorrow at the Pub Quiz,

Martin