Friday, February 08, 2008

Drug and Alcohol Awareness deemed offensive and political by UUJ


The youth wing of Sinn Féin at University of Ulster Jordanstown have been denied access to the Universities main mall, after requesting to set up an information stall to promote drug and alcohol awareness as part of their new N.A.R.C (Not Another Ravaged Community) campaign .

Jordanstown Ógra Shinn Féin members where told at a meeting with the Universities Student Union body that their requests had been denied by the UUJ Campus Provost Bill Clarke, on the grounds of the controversial ‘political protocol.’

Strongly criticising the Universities of Ulster’s decision, Jordanstown student and Ógra member Lee Casey, said,

“The University have again shown contempt and blatant disregard to inclusitivity and respect for diversity. The political protocol prevents students from working towards a shared future and should be scrapped.”

“Denial of political expression flies in the face of the universities own mission statement which claims to, ‘Nurture the values of inclusive citizenship and respect diversity.’ Preventing young people in playing a positive role in tackling the huge problem of drug and alcohol abuse is disempowering and downright stupid!”

“The fact that this was an apolitical issue, an issue that affects all students, makes the censorship of drug and alcohol awareness even more despicable. Ógra Shinn Féin aim to challenge this specific issue and to confront and reverse the ‘political protocol’ once and for all.”

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