Credit: Go Green Week coalition
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The group worked with over 10 different organisations to bring both screenings, workshops, and strikes to campus.
Extinction Rebellion Glasgow University has collaborated with student and local societies and charities to host a Go Green week from 10 – 14 February.
Go Green Week will cover talks, debates and film screenings culminating on Thursday with direct action in partnership with GUADC (Glasgow University Arms Divestment Coalition) and coordinating with the global climate strike on Friday. The week aims to raise awareness and support for the environmental organisation, with this year’s events focusing on the theme of climate colonialism and include those marginalised in the conversation surrounding the climate crisis.
Glasgow University XR’s events are an alternative timetable to GUEST’s (Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team) event timetable.
XRGU said: “We are really excited about Go Green Week 2020. XRGU is collaborating with over 10 different organisations and societies to announce a programme that includes everything from screenings to workshops to direct action. The week will be educational- spreading awareness about the ecological crisis and the fight for climate justice, with a particular focus on the way our colonial past caused the crisis and continues to drive it. We’re also hoping that the week will show the University that they need to start taking our demands seriously”.
The week has already started with a workshop in collaboration with People and the Planet, a national organisation who support student-led campaigns and actions which target human rights or environmental issues, called “Building and Sustaining Student-led Campaigns Workshop.” The event was an interactive look at how to build, sustain and execute effective student campaigns and took place in the St. Andrews Building.
On Tuesday 11 February at 5pm, XRGU is collaborating with the Real World Economics Society in the St. Andrews building for “Ecological Economics Workshop with Rebecca Saville,” which will be an open discussion on the fast-emerging field of ecological economics. An economic branch which values the relationship between human economies and ecosystems with a focus on sustainability, natural value and justice.
Also on Tuesday at 7pm in the Boyd Orr Building, the Documentary Society is teaming up with XR for a film screening “XRGU x DocSoc: Thank You For the Rain (2017)”.The film follows Kisilu a Kenyan farmer as he lives through the trials and tribulations of the environmental impact on his community. The film ties into the weeks theme of climate colonialism, those in the global south like Kisilu are deeply affected by the rapid change of climate caused by the colonial powers and yet are underrepresented and under-considered in the global debate.
Wednesday kicks off with another Ecological Economics event “XRGU x Real-World Economics Society Ecological Economics Reading Group with Rebecca Saville” in the St. Andrews Building, this time at 5.30pm.
Extinction Rebellion is also teaming up with thinktank Common Weal on Wednesday evening for “Climate Colonialism Talk.” Jonathan Shafi the speaker has been a long campaigner for social and political issues, involved in anti-war and anti-cuts protests. The speech will be continuing the weeks theme of climate colonialism, which aims to deconstruct the legacy of European authority and control, and ensure that all countries have equal voices. This event will be held in the Boyd Orr Building at 7pm.
Thursday 13 February is the culmination of the week’s events with “TIMES UP! Direct Action,” which is a joint stand with Glasgow University Arms Divestment Coalition to protest the University investing millions of pounds into the arms trade at 11.00 in the Reading Room.
The week ends coordinating with the national climate strike “Valentines Climate Strike – Love your planet”. Staff and students alike will be meeting on Friday morning at the university’s Main Gate at 10am to walk to the city centre to meet the Glasgow strike.
Further details and times for all events can be found on the Extinction Rebellion Glasgow University Facebook page.
