Collegues may be interested in the motion passed at a General Meeting of the Keele branch of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) held on 31 October 2001. The motion (see below) was passed with no members voting against.

We would welcome comments from union activists about building upon this motion and mobilising opposition to the ‘war’ within the labour movement

Steve French

This meeting condemns the terrorist attacks carried out on 11 September in the United States. However, this meeting also condemns the bombing of Afghanistan by US and British military forces and deplores moves to extend the military campaign to other countries.

The bombing of Afghanistan:

a) contravenes Article 51 of the UN in terms of legitimate and proportionate self defence,

b) undermines the process of International Law and the role of an International Criminal Court in bringing terrorists to justice,

c) is exacerbating the existing humanitarian crisis within the country, threatening the lives of millions of Afghan residents and refugees,

d) threatens to do irreversible harm to relations within and between Muslim and Western states,

e) is contributing to a rise in religious and racial hostility,

f) does nothing to address fundamental economic inequality arising from new forms of imperialism.

As a result this meeting instructs Keele AUT to:

1. demand that the AUT nationally takes a lead in the trade union movement in opposing the bombing of Afghanistan and in promoting free and open debate on the issues

2. urge AUT nationally to support those academics and HE institutions still functioning in the region to (a) provide real and immediate assistance (b) to promise help afterwards to rebuild academic life

3. publicise the concerns raised by members through the local media and North Staffordshire Trades Council

4. keep members informed of local and national activities opposing the war

5. donate £250 to the Medecins Sans Frontieres organisation active in providing humanitarian aid in the Afghan and Pakistan border region, and donate £50 to the American Red Cross.