Young Campaigner 2007
In Memory of Guy Hughes
Winner
Harry Giles
University of St. Andrews Ethical Investment Campaign
Harry led a highly successful student campaign on ethical investment at the University of St Andrews, which led to the formulation of a prospective policy in June 2006. Harry believes that public bodies should take a stand against unethical behaviour, such as abuses of workers rights and environmental degradation, in order to highlight wider social issues. Utilising the success of the socially responsible investment movement in America, his wider ambition is to create a network of UK universities who will adopt equally robust policies with the involvement of their students.
www.moneywithmorals.com
Finalists
Katy Athersuch
Student Stop AIDS Campaign
Katy has played a leading role in the Student Stop AIDS Campaign. Katy's campaign is focused on mobilising the voices of young people in the UK to put political pressure on the government to deliver on their commitment, made at the G8 Summit in 2005, for universal access to treatments for all by 2010. As part of her campaign Katy organised a two week "Unite to Fight AIDS Speaker Tour", with four young people personally affected by HIV. The tour visited seventeen Universities in ten days and mobilised hundreds of students to take campaign actions.
www.stopaidssocieties.org.uk
Elle Gray
Portsmouth University People & Planet (P&P)
Elle, currently a Union Sabbatical Officer, established the Portsmouth University P&P group in 2004 working on a series of campaigns from Fair Trade to action against student top-up fees. Having successfully lobbied for Fairtrade University Status in December 2005, Portsmouth P&P spearheaded the ?Go Green? campaign on campus. They want the University to ?not only educate us, but take active steps to protect the world we live in?.
www.peopleandplanet.org
Owen Morgan and Paul Smyth
Warwick University People & Planet (P&P)
Over the last three years, Owen and Paul have run successful "Go Green" weeks, to raise interest in environmental sustainability among students and encourage the University to take measures to reduce its environmental impact. "Go Green" weeks have included: a series of talks and workshops; collection of 7,500 signatures in support; "go green" club nights and direct action protests. This has resulted in a series of successes from the public support of the Vice Chancellor to the lifting of the ban on halls of residence recycling and the appointment of Warwick's first Environment Officer in 2006. Their future vision is to develop "Go Green" Week into a community wide national event.
www.peopleandplanet.org
