Comments on: UBC student union complains to UN about tuition fees

By: UBC Insiders | Notes on the War Crimes of the BC Government

UBC Insiders | Notes on the War Crimes of the BC Government — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:44:15 +0000

[...] Justin McElroy at Macleans on Campus, with a subsequent follow-up with very good analysis and some more details about how the situation unfolded. [...]

By: guy

guy — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:53:39 +0000

if you want the education – you pay for it. If you don’t think you’ll be able to earn the money back or if you don’t believe its worth the cost – well what do you think the taxpayers are thinking that pay for it?

do you students realize how many poor people making minimum wage have to pay in taxes???

By: UBC Insiders | The AMS and the UN: Notes on a debacle

UBC Insiders | The AMS and the UN: Notes on a debacle — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:46:32 +0000

[...] Justin McElroy at Macleans on Campus, with a subsequent follow-up with very good analysis and some more details about how the situation unfolded. [...]

By: ainge

ainge — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:28:02 +0000

“protest” and “controversy”

yeah – they threw some parties. apparently, if you wear a che guevara shirt, this becomes CONTROVERSYOMG but if it’s just a regular frat party, it’s no biggie.

By: Ryan Campbell

Ryan Campbell — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:09:57 +0000

I think this is an insult to the millions of people in the world that are starving to death as we speak. I’d rather the UN solve that problem before trying to reduce tuition fees for middle class Canadians.

By: The AMS and the UN: Notes on a debacle : UBC Insiders

The AMS and the UN: Notes on a debacle : UBC Insiders — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:54:57 +0000

[...] Justin McElroy at Macleans on Campus, with a subsequent follow-up with very good analysis and some more details about how the situation unfolded. [...]

By: On the AMS, Tuition Fees, and the United Nations « Social Capital

On the AMS, Tuition Fees, and the United Nations « Social Capital — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:35 +0000

[...] Maclean’s on Campus Post [...]

By: Chanelle

Chanelle — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:45:52 +0000

I also felt that Mr. Frederick might have had underlying, publicity-minded motives. It’s undeniable that AMS have been lobbying (quite unsuccessfully) to raise awareness re: the budget cuts to education funding. After all, if it was indeed a publicity stunt it worked, didn’t it? The news was practically incendiary – spread all over UBC and the internet in a matter of -hours- (as you know!).

I am definitely not questioning the wrongness, procedural or principle-wise, of the way (soon to be former?) President Frederick went around it, though. Not consulting the student body at large, or even the AMS council, was a giant mistake and rather hypocritical, seeing as he was elected into his position by those very same people.

As for the reaction, I doubt the U.N. will respond. In fact, I will be flabbergasted if they find the time to do so. Either way, please do keep us all updated!

By: chris

chris — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:15:24 +0000

It’s safe to say that this is not at all an attempt to actually force the UN to do anything but is rather a kind of clever way to get the issue onto the media radar. If it works then it’s probably time and money well spent – if it either fails to get picked up or is totally ridiculed by national media outlets then it’s obviously a failure. To be honest, I can’t even guess which way the mainstream media will see it.

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:49:18 +0000

I really don’t know what all the commotion is all about. Frankly, I think that this is a pretty stellar move on UBC’s part.

I mean, Canada did sign the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with its clause about equally accessible Higher Education, and its not as if Canadians haven’t put forward motions like this to the UN before. Within the past year alone, a complaint was filed against Vancouver over their treatment of the homeless, and the Olympic Watchdog group “Impact on Communities Coalition” has filed several complaints on different issues, like civil liberties. Now, whether or not these complaints will get any reaction from the UN is hard to say, but the publicity and momentum that one can generate from a complaint to the UN is often more than any reaction from the UN could ever do anyway.

Cheers UBC AMS, way to push the envelope.