There was an unpublished post in my drafts folder for quite a while. I decided not to post it because I knew some people could take it personally. And perhaps I’d be accused of not understanding the meaning of solidarity.

My friend bought a copy of Giant Days last month. He said I should read it because it is about a student union, and I might find it interesting or funny. I kept saying yeah yeah but today I finally read it. Quite a few of the frames resonated with me.

https://twitter.com/ninabrighton/status/843192516740612098

It’s voting week and the candidates are canvasing votes. There’s a buzz in the Student Union office where I work. It’s mostly positive but occasionally the same old frustrations that put me off standing rear their heads. I didn’t quite know how to address these issues. Or where/who to address them to. These frustrations are not exclusive to student unions. I’ve been in activist communities for quite a while and these are some of the thoughts I’ve had surrounding addressing these issues.

Defensiveness
Yeah, I totally get it. When someone criticises you it’s hard to not take personally. But they shouldn’t be criticising you as a person – they are criticising the way you’ve fulfilled your role. Accept that it’s pretty difficult to please everyone all the time. Accept that some people are angry at you. Accept that some people are indifferent to you. Accept that you’ve ballsed up, if you have. Do not turn it around onto the person. I have often heard you need to work with us rather than against us. Do not be a person who says that. Find out why they don’t want to work with you in the first place. The fact that they felt they couldn’t work with you is a reflection on you and/or your organisation. Learn from it. If possible, facilitate it.

Engagement
Kinda following on from the above. Don’t disrespect the people you’re working with by only turning up when you need their support (or votes). Make a plan to find the disengaged people. Give them a platform – even if that involves you stepping off the platform and listening for a while. Remind people that they are part of what you do and they shape what you do. It’s hard to make people care when they think that you don’t, that’s why you should care. If you cannot engage people then at least try. If you walk in with a nobody cares attitude you annoy the ones who do care and damage whatever goodwill the rest have.

Privilege
If you’re got it, check it. If you not sure if you have it, still check it (there’s no harm in checking). The I’m just like you approach only works when it’s true. The rest of the time it’s unbearable.

Tfw it's election time & you've done nothing for liberation groups all year but you really want to get elected so you write a manifesto like pic.twitter.com/3suLCk7gIP

— NUS Memes (@NUS_memes) March 16, 2017

Cliques
Urgh. Firstly, it’s off-putting to people who want to get more involved but are unsure for whatever reason. We expected to leave that BS back at secondary school. Actually, there’s nothing much to say after that because the first point is worrying enough. Which brings me on to…

Transparency
Report back. Show us what you are working on. I appreciate that bureaucracy stalks us all but don’t use it as a mask to do nothing. Information is great – give us some. The good kind and the bad kind. All the information you have. I’m not asking for the moon on a stick, or confidential notes, or anything that will endanger others; I just want to know if you’re trustworthy. Let us know about your vested interests, let us know how we can complain about or oust you.

Support
This should be an obvious one. Think about what support really means. Are you supporting, without ambition or judgement? Are you empowering, without expecting anything in return?

Do you think about our relationship/comradeship? Is it:
→power-balanced? →consensual? →safe?
→defined? →regulated? →transitional? →well-informed?

Is it time to check in and discuss these issues?