VOTE 4 TIP!

Stockholm University's International Party (TIP) on Student Housing in the City

2012-01-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

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TIP, the second most mandated party in Stockholm University's Studentkår Council, has taken on the issue of student housing city since its inception. But, despite the party's efforts, being in the minority coalition has prevented any real progress from being made. The student housing problem in Stockholm continues to regress--for both native and international students--and progress simply is not being made.

Finding housing in Stockholm is difficult even for the employed native. It is even more difficult for the native student, and it is slowly becoming near-impossible for the international student. The percentage of accepted exchange and ERASMUS students that are being offered housing is shrinking, to the point where many are having to rent rooms in youth hostels until they find a decent accommodation.

Stiftelsen Stockholms Studentbostäder (SSSB) has a system that works for many but excludes many others. SSSB runs a fairly standard queue system by which any Stockholm student whom is a member of their school's respective student union can accumulate credit days and eventually bid on a student room. But SSSB's system has not always been this way: as early as last year, one could queue without being a member of a student union and without being enrolled in classes.

The result? Many queuers began accumulating days even before their international classmates ever considered studying in Sweden. It is totally conceivable that a student who begins queueing while in gymnasiet and took some time off before university can have three, four or five times as many days as the international student who begins queueing upon earning acceptance to their Stockholm institution, i.e. usually 6-8 months before the term begins.

To bring attention to this situation, we, The International Party at Stockholm University, are taking a stand. In August 2010 we pitched tents at our university and slept in them for nearly two weeks. We did this to provide temporary shelter for the countless international students who were without housing and to draw attention to their plight. Things haven't changed much, so we're doing it again for its symbolic meaning.

16 January 2012

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The Partiombud speaks #1

2011-11-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

It's time to give our first report of what we're really up to. We've done a lot since this term's semi-annual meeting and here's a recap of all that's going on. Enjoy!

TIPpers,

This is the first installment of our new, monthly newsletter aptly titled ‘the Partiombud speaks’. As you will recall, a monthly report by the Partiombud was requested by this term’s semi-annual meeting in order to improve the internal information flow, so this is my humble attempt at writing one. Because this is the first issue, I’ll talk a little bit about some things that happened prior to October as well. Here we go!

The second student council (Fullmäktige) of this academic year took place September 29^th. Preparations went well, some of us met up with the Economists a couple of days before to coordinate, consult and discuss issues in general, and the full TIP crew had our pre-game meeting that same day in order to discuss the agenda and coordinate our voting. TIP presented two motions, derived from our platform. It was rumored that these were the first two motions proposed by fullmäktige over the past three years, so TIP is already making a difference. However, after some fairly lively debating, our motion to make SUS pursue climate neutrality as a goal for SU was voted down. The motion to extend the weekly newsletter to all SU students and not just the internationals was also rejected on the grounds that the student union is already working to implement this. Few particulars were offered from the presidents, and Elissa and Katharina, our guys on the board, will surely continue to push for it.

October 3^rd saw the first introduction/recruitment meeting of the year. All of one new person showed up, so there might be room for some improvements in our external communication.

On October 17^th, this term’s semi-annual meeting took place. A new board was elected, consisting of Romulo Pellegrini, Anya Karlsson and Pilvi Saricosqui, presentations of whom will be up on the website shortly. I, Andreas Nordang Uhre, was elected to replace Sebastian as Partiombud. Changes were made to our by-laws, and Elissa Berrill was finally confirmed to replace Raphaelle as our guy on the SUS board. Katharina Huhn takes Elissa’s place as substitute. Huge thanks the outgoing board, partiombud and SUS board members – you’ve done a tremendous job and we’re all grateful!

October 20^th marked another great day in TIPstory, when the SUS board finally confirmed our status as a kårförening. At the moment of writing it’s not entirely clear what this will mean to us apart from making funds available for our many activities during the year and (probably) making it easier for us to book rooms, participate in things etc.

On November 2^nd, the first board meeting with the new board took place, minutes from which is underway and will be up on the website before you know it. This was followed by a motion meeting in preparation for the final student council of 2011, which takes place November 30^th. This means that the last chance to forward motions is November 15^th, so keep the good ideas flowing. A couple of things are in the works, but any and all suggestions are welcome. Let’s keep the pressure up and the debate on campus alive!

Until next time, folks!

Andreas

Meeting Season - How you meet your TIP !

2011-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Automn semester (höstterminen) means that meeting are coming back !

First Student Union Council (Fullmäktige) of the semester the 29th of september when we will proudly defend our motions : equality among students, transparency and environmental issues. The reason of our creation has roots in this council, now we are working hard to make our aim true !

Then, we have two meetings on different dates in the following weeks, which is more flexible for everyone to make a choice J

1. 3^rd, October, Monday, 17.00.

The International Party will have a meeting especially for the new people. We want to meet you, hear what you want, know what you need, and listen to your ideas and suggestions. In here, you can be an active member, or just ordinary member, it is still encouraging if you just want to come in some of our meetings time to time. Remember, everything from you is important for TIP.

Also, we will invite our TIP Representatives; after a briefly introduction of TIP, you will have a chance to know the TIPPER’s interesting works and experiences. Or even subscribe to a working group ! J

2. 4th, October, Tuesday. Students Club Expo. 10.00am – 16.00pm.

If you miss above meetings (or even if you were there), you still have a chance to know TIP. In the Students Club Expo, you can come to our table, we are willing to tell you what we are doing and why we need you. You can find more information on here: http://www.sus.su.se/en/activites/club-expo

Hope to see you soon ! For student's sake !

Useful Information of Accommodation for Students!

2011-09-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Warm welcome!!!!

As one of our platform of The International Party, we believe that decent, affordable and accessible student accommodation is a fundamental necessity and a right to every student. If you are looking for an accommodation or having one want to rent out, there are some useful sources of organisations and links below:

Akademisk Kvart: http://www.akademiskkvart.se/

English Version:http://www.akademiskkvart.se/index.php?lang=swe

and

SSCO--- Stockholm Federation of Student Unions: http://www.ssco.se/index.php

English Version:http://www.ssco.se/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2153&Itemid=55

Also on:

http://www.bostad.stockholm.se/sv/?WT.mc_id=ssco

http://www.kistastudentbostader.se/

http://www.studenthemmettempus.se/ and

http://www.vasakronan.se/

You also can find the same information in our facebook page :

The International Party (TIP)

Good Luck!!

The Past, the Present, and the Future

2011-07-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this.

During the first representative assembly (valfullmäktige) meeting for the newly elected assembly, on the 9th of June, 2011, it was decided that The International Party (TIP) will sit in opposition up until the next Student Union Election of 2012.

The Stockholm University Student Union will for the year of 2011-2012 be lead by President May Al-Boujassam (HumSam) and Vice-President Erik Arroy (S-Studenter). Their two understudies will be titled 2nd Vice-President and will exist of two people selected by the newly elected President and Vice-President. The two selected, are just like Al-Boujassam and Arroy, supporters and current or previous members of the same Swedish political party. That gsame goes for the secretary that was the fifth and final position filled out based on the influence of the newly elected President and Vice-President.

TIP will sit in a 17 seat strong opposition and Al-Boujassam and Arroy will lead a majority coalition of 22 seats along with the parties; Moderata Studenter, Kårpartiet Juridicum, and Gröna Studenter.

So why is not The International Party in a majority coalition? We did get the second most votes, and as party that solely focuses on the students and is not influenced by a political agenda that is formed and stated on a higher more governmental level we look like a party that could attract a lot of interest from all sides of the spectrum. Well, the answer to this is not simple to explain or to understand but to narrow it down briefly I can tell you this; to gain personal winnings several people crossed their own political outlook and opinions while going totally against previous promises. This was done to reach personal positions instead of working to strengthen their party and organization. Who didn’t say that politics was a dirty game?!

Anyway, as partiombud of TIP at the time of negotiations and during the election I feel it is my obligation to give our members, our voters, and everyone else interested an explanation on what happened and of the current situation we are now faced with.

However I will not pin point down exact actions of certain individuals, which in my opinion have acted completely false and egotistic between the time of election and the first representative assembly meeting, here on the internet. Because as you all know, people change, and sometimes for the better, and it would hurt me, just as much as it would hurt them, if a blog entry written by myself turned out to be devastating for someone that in their later life could turn out to be a good human being that could and would do great things for our society.
If you are eager to hear more information on how the negotiation proceedings went along, and so forth, you can contact me personally or join up for the next TIP meeting.

I will finish this blog by pointing out some interesting things:
- S-Studenter (Socialdemokraterna) are now sitting in a majority coalition with support from Moderata Studenter (Moderaterna). This coalition was actually supported by two people of VSF (Vänsterpartiet).
- 2010-2011 years majority coalition will almost be intact excluding Ekonomerna.
- Last year (2010-2011) HumSam was the only party in the majority coalition that did not get a position within the Student Union. This year HumSam, even though they only got 227 votes, were given the President spot. The current president of SUS received a total of 21 personal votes. Elissa Berrill, current Student Union board supplant, of TIP, received 36
- This year’s Student Union board has been minimized, by the majority coalition, to seven seats. This to minimize the influence of Ekonomerna and TIP, the two parties that received the most votes.
- The new speaker of the house (talman) was voted in by the majority coalition and is a member of the same political party as the newly elected President and Vice-President.
- Former Vice-President of SUS will next year sit in the board of Sveriges Förenade Studentkårer (SFS). He was voted in by, among others, the newly elected President and Vice-President of SUS.
- Several of the partiombuds are close friends with each other, and in my opinion, this highly influenced the outcome of the negotiations.

Before I leave you all I would like to state some great news.
As a result of the work we have done an international student will during 2011-2012 sit as one out of seven people, in the Student Union Board. This is the first time this has ever happened. TIP will also have one supplant to the board.
TIP will have one person placed in Election Board Committee as well.

I will from the first of August start to work at the communication department of Stockholm University and due to this I can no longer act as partiombud of The International Party (TIP). It is not due to lack of time or interest, but rather due to a conflict of interest that I feel the only path to take here is to step down from my position.

I have had such an amazing time with everyone involved and I feel that I have gained so much insight from all of you. Together we have founded an organization that seek for the better of all people, regardless of where you are from, what languages you speak, what religion you follow, or what cultural background you have. If we look at what state the world is in right now I think that we are and have been acting very prominently and preventive towards the future and what is ahead of us.

I cannot wish to be part of any other student organization here in Stockholm and I am very proud and happy with what we have accomplished over the past five months.

Now it is time for the party to work towards our aims and goals, even though we are in opposition. It will not be easy, but nothing is. I am sure we can make it happen. We can make great things happen. Just this organizations plain existence is living proof of that.

With more preparation, more manpower, and more energy I am sure that TIP will come back stronger than ever when the spring sun finds its way to the Frescati Campus next time.

For now, so long, thank you all and good luck.

Sebastian Lindholm
(Lindholm will act as partiombud of The International Party (TIP) until the TIP board has selected a replacement for him.)

Thanks for all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

We made it!!!!! The International Party and all the supporters of TIP! 

1st July, 2011, in the fiscal year's first Board meeting of Stockholm University Student Union, we had an international student in the Board. This is the first time for the TIP, and also the first time in the Stockholm University; 

The International Party expresses its sincere grateful feeling to everyone who voted and supported TIP.  We could not have made that without you.

Get ready and keep being involved in TIP activities, with your support TIP will continuously keep to defend its goals and revendications platform for ALL the students in Stockholm University.

Everyone interested is welcome, don't miss out!

2011-05-28T03:01:00.001-07:00

The Semi-Annual meeting is the perfect place to get to know more about TIP, and if you feel like it - get involved.

During the meeting we will elect a new Board of Directors (as stated in § 4 in our by-laws: http://vote4tip.blogspot.com/p/constitution.html). We will also look into who will represent TIP in the board of Stockholm University Student Union.

It is very important to find people for these positions so please tell all your friends who you think would be interested. It is not required that you are already a member of TIP.

We welcome all current members as well as everyone curious about The International Party.

Hope to see you all at Restaurant Professorn, Lappis on Monday - 18:00!

Negotiations are underway

2011-05-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow TIP members and everyone else following our blog and our student party from across the world.

As partiombud of TIP I feel it is my responsibility to let you all know what is going on at the moment.

The Student Union Election results were finalized over a week ago and since Monday the 16th of May the different parties that received seats in the Student Union Council, have been in negotiations for the upcoming year and the upcoming student council meeting that will occur on June 9th. On this student council meeting the 41 seats that define the student union council will be filled with persons that were selected to sit there based on the election results. TIP received 7 seats and will therefore contribute with seven people.

During this student council meeting the Student Union Board will also be formed and this board will exist of at least 7 people. Depending of the size of the board TIP will be represented in it based on the D´hont method, so it will all depend on how many people sit in the board. The President and the Vice-President are also included in the Student Union Board.

However, to select a President and Vice-President, and a Student Union Board, a coalition of at least 21 seats needs to be formed. This 21 or +21 seat coalition is called a majority coalition and will also be the coalition that sits down and works out a strategic plan as well as a budget plan.

As of now negotiations are underway and the different partiombuds’ of each party meet and discuss possible outcomes and possible coalition formations, with different demands and insights, of course.

Do you have any questions about what is going on at the moment? Feel free to send me an email or we can discuss your inquiries further on the upcoming TIP-meeting on May the 30th.

Sebastian Lindholm
Partiombud

We thank you with all of our hearts. Please welcome your new team!

2011-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

We love you - all of you.

As you can imagine, after 2 1/2 months of hard work, building a new party for Stockholm University, we're without much words after the incredible election results. :) Last night at 7 something PM at Nobelhuset, with the company of all members of every party, the election results were presented in style. We didn't have any expectations, but as you can see, your voices came through. We're going to need the weekend to soak everything in, and we'll come back with a summary of our experiences and hopes for TIP in the 2011-2012 student council.

We thank those that took the time to vote for us. We thank all of those that truly thought about their decision when voting. We thank everyone who supported us with their words, warmth and advice. We thank everyone that participated.

We didn't have much of a budget, we did it without giving away any incentives, we did it without years of experience or a base: we did it with your voices, your ideas, and a whole lot of energy!

We are extremely delighted to introduce the new SUS Team 2011-2012 that will represent all of you in next year's student council. There is a good lot of 41 student council members that are excited to work hard as a team for the interests of you all and for the greater good of the university.

View the entire 2011 Student Union Election results HERE.

WE CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU!

TIP on Social and Communications

2011-05-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

TIP representatives Kyle Verboomen, Sebastian Lindholm & Kseniia Beznos on the topic of Social and Communications and what TIP plans to do to help. Go here to read more about our platform goals.

TIP on Internationalization

2011-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

TIP representatives Hanyun Ren, Sadiq Malik & Sebastian Lindholm on the topic of Internationalization and what TIP plans to do to help. Go here to read more about our platform goals.

TIP on Accomodation

2011-05-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

TIP representatives Andreas Fathi Kidane & Anatolii Doludenko on the topic of Accommodation and what TIP plans to do to help. Go here to read more about our platform goals.

Still don't know why you should vote in the Stockholm Student Union Elections?

2011-05-10T04:38:00.000-07:00

IT'S TIME TO VOTE - May 9-13

2011-05-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Click here to vote for The International Party!

It takes 1 minute of your time.

TIP Skills

2011-05-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's official, ladies and gentlemen

we have it all

Vote for The International Party

2011-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Dear reader,

Election week is upon us and we are only hours away from the start of the most exiting five days yet in the lifetime of this great gathering and unification we are a part of called The International Party.

I encourage everyone with the right to vote in the Student Union Election of Stockholm University to cast their vote in this year’s election, and I encourage you to vote for The International Party.

When we started this party some months ago it was something that had been built up for a while and when the first spark of fire lit up I realized that we were creating something significant, something lasting, and something that we, the people involved, are doing for ourselves, but mostly for the sake and the benefit of others.

Dear reader, I can assure you that everyone involved in this party will work their asses off to improve this university, and your student union, our student union. We will make the union visible again, on and off campus. We will make sure that the union takes a standpoint in issues relating to your life and your university.
We will engage with you and not without you and keep our council transparent working with bridging divides between all students and not just some.

Dear reader, if you have the right to vote in the upcoming student election at Stockholm University, please make use of your democratic privilege and cast your vote for The International Party.

We will do everything we can to make sure you get value for your vote.

Sebastian Lindholm
Partiombud and Representative

You can vote in the Stockholm University Student Union Election between the 9th and 13th of May. Find out more on: www.sus.su.se/en/karval2011

TIP ♥ Earth Week

2011-05-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

The International Party is proud of positive initiatives on campus that aim towards empowering students and contributing to the greater constructive dialogue of improving our University. Earth Week has taken a student event to the next level. A week long event celebrating the earth and our University's initiatives to move forward in its sustainability, this week has been based purely on the voluntary efforts of students like you and me, gladly contributing their time so that we can enjoy something unique, fun, and informative. What was originally initiated by TIP representatives Nina Bounou & Kyle Verboomen is now being continued on by TIP representative, Elissa Berrill. We embrace this event and wish it all of the best during one of the most happening weeks that Stockholm University has ever seen. This will be the 2nd Annual Earth Week, and we know it will be here to last.
Read their recent blog post or check out their impressive webpage.

Go environment, and Yes to student engagement.

Kyle Verboomen, TIP Representative

TIP braves wind and rain, while other parties hide at home

2011-05-05T01:18:00.000-07:00

Do you know what is going on right now? The campaigning week prior to
the elections has started on Sunday!

Did you notice posters from different parties being putted everywhere
around on campus or maybe even near your student housing areas? How
many of them have you seen being in English? Or maybe you have even
spotted some in your own language? If so, I bet it were the posters of
The International Party! And you know what it means: we represent all
the students, both Swedish and Internationals.

Nevertheless, campaigning week is not only about hanging up the
posters. It is all about being visible to students, communicating with
them about the ideas that parties are standing for.

Therefore, tuesday, the 3rd of May, was the first day when TIP has
set a tent on the road from Tunnellbana and some of our
representatives and board members have been there for you – students
of SU. We should admit that the weather is not really suitable for
staying outside for a long time, but it didn’t stop us. And we were
there the last days; we are there today we will be there tomorrow, and
during the whole election week (9th - 13th of May) as well.

We have prepared for you a lot of interesting information and fun,
creative ways to explain our platform goals. So just stop by, while
walking to or from the university: say “hi”, ask us questions,
participate in our activities, and express your thoughts, concerns and
ideas. We would really like to meet you and talk to you!

Theme on thursday, the 5th of May: University Services & Finance
Activities: Music and Balloons
A cheap and student-run cafeteria
The "All cards in one" plan
Informations about all libraries on campus
Place and time: starts 12 o'clock in front of the station
"Universitetet"

Kseniia Beznos & Jan Schubert

New video! We're prepared for a TIP-tastic campaign week.

2011-05-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

We have a wonderful surprise for all of you! A brand new video featuring everything that is TIP. Please share this on to your friends, and make sure to encourage them all to come out and vote during election week May 9th - 13th.

We'll be seeing all of you around the University during the next few weeks.

Best,

Kyle & Louise

Can we cure apathy?

2011-04-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Elections are coming up fast. Only nine days until May 9th - the first day of election week. However, the voting turnout last year was less then 10%.

Why is this? Do people just not care? Are 90% of the students at SU lazy? Or is the lack of interest in student politics a sign of apathy?

I recently watched a TED-talk* by Dave Meslin called ”The antidote to apathy”. This guy claims that apathy doesn’t exist. He claims that people do care. But that we live in a world that actively discourages engagement by constantly putting obstacles and barriers in our way. I think Dave’s right.

Good news is: we can change this.

It’s easy. As long as we believe that the people around us are selfish, stupid and lazy then we’re in trouble. But if we can realize that apathy is not some kind of internal syndrome but rather a complex web of barriers that reinforce disengagement, then we can identify those obstacles and work together to dismantle them. And that makes anything and everything possible.

An example: One of the many barriers that TIP has identified is intentional exclusion, information is just not accessible to everyone. It might be that something is not available in a language you understand or that it is simply hidden away somewhere on a chaotic webpage. (Seems familiar?)
How can you get involved when you just can’t grasp the information or the possibility to do so?

We know what we think about this obstacle. That is why TIP is here to create a campus with equal opportunities to access information, events and services for both Swedish and international students.

We also know what other barriers we see. But what is more important - we know what we want to do about them.

What do you think? Is the lack of interest in student politics a sign of apathy? Or is it in fact a sign of something completely different?

/Louise Dane

*TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. TED passionately believes in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. (www.ted.com)

Platform details are up! Check them out

2011-04-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Every TIP representative put their minds into action and delved into their experience as an aware and engaged student at Stockholm University and, in many cases, applied their experience from their home universities abroad, to come up with detailed plans for each of our platform goals.

We believe strongly in having a mission and a plan for each platform goal. No party should make promises or demands without either an incentive or a plan, and we believe that we have just set the standard at Stockholm University.

Check out our Mission & Platform page to learn more about our creative ideas.

Campaign week is coming up, so see you all soon :)

Kyle Verboomen, TIP Representative

Form the future with us

2011-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Time flies and as a student of Stockholm University and a member of The International Party (TIP) I have two very exciting weeks ahead of me. On Monday, May the 2nd, campaign week starts and this week is where the different student parties make their presence on campus. Posters are put up, hotdogs are put on the bbq, slogans are written, future promises are stated, pamphlets are given out, and ultimately, the student population start to decide on what party to vote for in the upcoming election.

This brings us to Election Week. On May the 9th you, as a member of the Stockholm University Student Union, can cast your vote in this year’s Stockholm University Student Union Election and you can do so up until May the 13th. You can vote either online on the SUS website, by using your Campus Card (Campuskortet) and the information on it, or you can do it the classical way, in a so called poll both on campus. Regardless of whether you act old school or do vote online I encourage you to vote, I also encourage you to vote for TIP, and these are some of the reasons why:

- We will bring back traditional student pubs as we see this as a fundamental installment of the union and something that has occurred for decades and has become a tradition at Stockholm University.

- We will make sure that the Stockholm University Student Union is a present force on campus and actively interact with the students of our university and becomes a transparent organization that actively takes part in political discussions once again.

-We will make sure that a bilingual newsletter is sent out to all Stockholm University Student Union members. This newsletter will act as a great platform and tool for communication as well as draw more students together towards unified events and activities thus ultimately promoting a better atmosphere with a student population that is engaged in their university also outside of the classroom.

I hope that you will vote for TIP the upcoming election, I know that I will.

Sebastian Lindholm - TIP Representative and student at Stockholm University

TIP's Been at It for a While

2011-04-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

TIP members are amongst the most active at Stockholm University, leading and taking part in initiatives like Earth Week, Cinema Politica, UF, Symbios, Central International Student Council, and the English Tutoring Programme, are amonsgt the many things that our representatives are a part of. TIP has been concerned with the student housing situation in Stockholm for a while. In fact, TIP’s been concerned since…well…before it was even TIP. Here are some media clippings from last summer about some international students who decided to draw attention to the problem, and about the problem in general. Among the students were Heléne Hedberg and Kyle Verboomen, two of TIP’s founding members.

What was accomplished? Twenty accommodation-less international students were provided temporary housing at the campsite. The camp organizers assisted in finding permanent housing for all twenty. This also led to our outpouring of thousands of phone calls from concerned Stockholm residents offering their homes temporarily or long-term to the students of Stockholm. The leading student unions in Stockholm gathered together to form a hotline and database for all of these generous offers of accommodation, it was a real team effort. There was also another, lasting accomplishment: the local and national media took to the event, giving Stockholm’s student housing situation the attention it needs. An initiative like this has not been seen for some time at Stockholm University.

Hats off to you, campers.

Here is a sample of the news coverage this important campaign received:

The Local

Aftonbladet

And there’s even a video!

- Andreas Kidane, TIP Representative

A piece of advice from TIP on Gaudeamus

2011-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Check it out: Gaudeamus published an open letter which The International Party sended to the electoral board last week! Again, it refers to the trouble we have because of the elimination of 5 candidates from our official list of candidates. Read it online now and from tomorrow on in the new edition!

http://www.gaudeamus.se/artiklar/debatt/a-piece-of-advice-from-tip

Asking the Students

2011-04-15T01:47:00.002-07:00

TIP is a practical party and we are interested in the opinions of students of Stockholm University. We care about their problems and difficulties. So we actually went out this week to talk to them in order to ask what they know about the current state of affairs on campus, what they think is lacking and what they experienced that needs to be improved. It was very exciting to get the chance to talk to all these different students. All of them were not just willing to talk and share their ideas, but also there was a will to contribute to the development of a better student society at SU! When you are still thinking that students at Stockholm University do not want to participate in student politics, read their statements below! Most of them just didn't know that student politics exist here or what the Student Council is actually doing.
		Name: Gabriella Rondahl
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: Law
		“The best way would be to integrate all the international students with Swedish students. So, perhaps, send out a news letter that is posted in both English and Swedish, so that all the international students and Swedish students are brought together.”

		Name: Abouzar Jalalian
		Origin: Iran
		Field of Studies: Marketing
		“I was a student of an International program and, I would say, 90 percent of the information that we received, and these were necessary for managing our studies, were in Swedish.”

		Name: Mawindu Dhillon
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: English Literature
		“I have been to English literature classes and there are a lot of foreign students there, but it’s not like the university is doing anything to connect them [with the Swedish students]. So you don’t have these events, like you have in other universities, that (…) really make them come together.”

		Name: Fredrika Olausson
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: French
		About the existence of student politics at SU and the upcoming elections: “The fact is I didn’t know that there were any student politics. It’s not very visual. If we haven’t seen it, then it means that they are not out talking to students. Well, it’s not anything that you get to know about when you inscribe yourself at the university.”

		Name: Julia Hackman
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: French
		About the Student Council: “We need a common place for all the students to sort of gather. There are so many different, separate organizations that exist in their own little sphere and there is no communication outside of that. Or it’s very difficult to have communication outside of that because you don’t know where to go. So you should have some place for all the student organizations to meet. And then you could be more open.”

		Name: Metuge Ekane
		Origin: Cameroun
		Field of Studies: Political Science
		About the student life on campus: “There is no fun. You don’t feel like you actually studying at the university. You just come here and just go home. You don’t know your classmates.”

		Name: Kerstin Olasog
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: Political Science
		“It’s just like you study and go home. It’s not like, kind of “student life” that you hear about before you start to go to the university.”

		Name: Eugene Lim
		Origin: Singapore
		Field of Studies: Political Science
		About problems upon arrival: “There is no English paper. News papers. It’s all in Swedish!”

		Name: Linda Hedenberg
		Origin: Sweden
		Field of Studies: Criminology
		About what needs to be changed: “Maybe it could be more organized; in the university matters.”

		Name: Ruchika Sidhwani
		Origin: India
		Field of Studies: Law
		About upcoming elections: “I saw some brochures about that near Tunnelbana. It is all in Swedish, so I guess I just passed it by.”
These students were interviewed by TIP members: Raphaëlle Jamet, Kseniia Beznos, Christine Schwarz and Sadiq Malik

REGISTRATION POSSIBILITY

2011-04-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hej there,

if you are interested in becoming a TIP member, you will finally have the chance to register.

Tomorrow, Friday (April 15th) in room D 315 in Södra Huset. Be there between 2 and 4 pm and talk to our representatives and other active members about TIP's mission and how you can get involved.

If you shouldn't have time tomorrow, do not worry: there will be other registration possibilites during the next weeks: April 19th and 28th. We will keep you posted!

See you soon,
Tine Schwarz

Finding Student Housing in Stockholm: A Real Pain in the SSSB

2011-04-14T01:30:00.000-07:00

Right, so we all know that finding housing in Stockholm is a pain in the ass even for the employed native. I’m not employed and I’m not a native, so of course I’m struggling to find a place to live after my current lease expires in June. It’s not just me. Many of us international students are in similar positions.

SSSB.se is there to help us, right? Not really.

Take this hypothetical. A Swedish student – let’s call him Anders – graduates from secondary school, gynmasiet, and immediately signs up on a student-housing queue in Stockholm. A foreign student – let’s call her Mary – applies to SU in the winter for admission the following fall, and while she applied to the university, she signs up on the same housing queue as Anders. Well, Anders doesn’t go straight from gymnasiet to university, like many Swedish students: he travels for a bit, or maybe he works a job or two, taking probably an entire school year. By the time Anders applies and is accepted to SU, he’s got well over a year in credit days on his queue (i.e. from his June graduation until his admission for the August of the following year, approximately 15 months). Well, by the time Mary is accepted to SU and arrives in Stockholm, she’ll have only 8 or 9 months of credit days, for the time elapsed between her winter application and autumn admission would be, say, December to August. Both Mary and Anders are equally qualified students and are both afforded the right to live and study in Sweden – Anders by being a Swedish citizen, Mary by earning admission to SU and by being granted a student visa by Migrationsverket – but only one is likely to find student housing.

Does this make any sense?

Sure, SSSB has just announced that only those registered with a student union can queue on its list, limiting Anders and putting him on the same playing field as Mary. But the policy is not retroactive, meaning that Anders’s friend – let’s call him Johan, who began queuing right after high school, took three years off, and is now beginning studies at SU – will have over one thousand SSSB credit days while Mary – and, for that matter, Anders – are still at the bottom of the list. All three began their studies at the same time, all three proved student union membership at the same time, but only one is likely to find student housing.

Does this make any sense?

Andreas Kidane, Representative

Heat

2011-04-13T03:57:00.000-07:00

The International Party (TIP) has within only a couple of weeks made a major impact on the political- situation and -discussion at Stockholm University.

When writing this it is less than a month left to the Stockholm University Student Union Elections and things are heating up. Political debate is on the agenda and tomorrow there is an entire conference day dedicated to student governance and later on during the evening there will be a debate session on the use of nuclear energy.

University magazine Gaudeamus will in their next number feature several articles dealing with the upcoming election. Some are more trivial and their purposes are to inform the students of our university, what is going on prior to the election, and how to vote. Other articles are opinion based pieces criticizing the methods of the election board and the chief electoral officer. Earlier this month there was also an article criticizing an advertising campaign that the student union made in cooperation with Kellogg’s among other things.

All in all this is an interesting time to be a student at Stockholm University and I hope that more and more students becomes aware of what is going on, how important this election will be, and ultimately, cast their right to vote on May 9th.
I am proud to be a part of The International Party (TIP) and everything we have done thus far and I am sure that with time come experience and we can only grow stronger from here on now.

Are you interested to become a member of TIP? Do not hesitate, leave a comment on our blog or on Facebook and we will register you. It does not cost you anything but you gain everything.

Sebastian Lindholm

Important English pages remain outdated

2011-04-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

Just weeks before election time, and The International Party's mission remains the same: improve the level of accessibility and equality at Stockholm University. One of our biggest points that we wish to fix is the continued provision of outdated information, or the lack of information, offered to international students.

TIP wishes to highlight these points by examining the information offered by electoral and executive board, as their english pages remain outdated. The electoral board's pages remain outdated and lacks information for students to learn more about the elections - despite several requests for updating. The union's executive board's page remains outdated for nearly 2 years despite requests for updating, offering international students outdated versions of the constitution and mission statements with little relation to to the 2010-2011 academic year.

The point of displaying the images below involves nothing more than to demonstrate a small example of the level of inequality that exists in student politics between international students and swedish students. TIP suggests that the information on these pages be updated as soon as possible.We understand the difficulty of managing information distribution in both languages, but the focus should remain on moving forward and not moving backwards. International students are equally as involved in student affairs at Stockholm University and share an equal vision towards making Stockholm University a more enjoyable and inspiring place to study, therefore they should be offered the same opportunity to acquire information - especially an updated version of the constitution, of all things.

Kyle Verboomen

2011 Election page in English: outdated and lacking info (1 news post)

2011 Election page in Swedish: Updated, but could still use more info (4 news posts)

2010-2011 Student Union mission page: outdated since 2009, lacking updated 2010-2011 documents,
and meeting protocols

2010-2011 Student Union mission page in Swedish: Updated documents, a little better informed,

but still lacking meeting protocols

Satisfied with what you've got?

2011-04-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

What does a "student union" mean to you? For some, by definition, it may mean an organisational body that is composed of students that look out for the interests of the students that they represent - which typically is the students of one particular campus, institution, an entire university, or even more, that have willingly or sometimes, were forced into joining. And for some, a student union may mean a variety of other things: a group of students that assist in with organizing student life, student sports, campaigns, or acts as the watchdog for the university's administration. At Stockholm University, a student union can mean all sorts of things nowadays. In the fall of 2010, our student union was no longer one that you had to join, but joined to stay active in student affairs, have your SL pass cheaper, or to have a spot in line for SSSB. The student union must now find ways to make up for the loss of members, make sure that they keep joining, and really make itself stand out as a body that is in touch with the students it wishes to represent. But judging by TIP candidate Andreas Nordang Uhre's recent debate column in Gaudeamus, it seems as if some actions of the student union weren't well thought out in council meetings, now they're walking backwards on egg shells as the year end approaches very quickly. But who looks out for these actions, and even accepts them? Surely the student council would be more aware of these things.

Take a look at the article here titled "SUS - Selling us short?"

Refering to the article: Some may see a problem with this, and some may not, but for TIP, we believe in well thought out actions coming out of council meetings, and timely actions that relate with the current state of affairs at the university. If students at Stockholm University only view the student union as a discounts and goodies from big companies with questional labour practices, is that the kind of image that we should be satisfied with? TIP doesn't think so, and we'll make sure that our opinions are heard in council when we're elected in May.

Kyle Verboomen

Who cares about student politics?

2011-04-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

So, it's difficult to really understand this whole concept of student elections, or rather, who the heck the student council is and why it is important in the first place? What do they do? What have they done for us? Who do they represent? Do they even do their job when elected? If you're asking these questions, then you're on the right track. TIP believes that the 90% of the students that did not to vote last year did so out of a lack of information and, really, a lack of reason to do so. We're out to inform all students of why it's important to have a say in what their money and elected council are doing. Because it is the students that run the council, not the other way around.

Sure, it's so easy to vote when a party shoves an Ice Cream, a Hot Dog, or even a piece of candy in front of you, or perhaps tells you a bunch of really cool things about how they can promise you the moon and the stars - maybe that's enough of a reason to vote if you really couldn't care less about student politics, but that method just turns people off from the whole fun of it all. And that may be what most voters will experience this May. As students, we have the right to practice our democracy on campus, and learn about the many channels that we can influence our studies and our time at University. Your vote is really the most powerful tool you have before the year's end to have a say in how the next year will be for yourself, your friends, and those you're leaving behind.

Learn about each party, and prepare to vote consciously during the May elections.

CUTV interviews (Video) Concordia University students asking them about voting during elections.

Below we have posted the links to all of the websites, blogs and facebook pages of all parties. Take the time to read about each of them.

Kyle Verboomen

Learn how you can become an influential student.

2011-04-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

Stockholm University Student Union is hosting a Conference on Student Governance on Thursday the 14th of April.

It is a great opportunity to meet Swedish and international students and learn about how you can influence your courses and your education here at Stockholm University, how you can work with gender equality or equal oppurtunities, or why not learn about your rights as a student here in Sweden.

This is really useful for all students, in particular those who are part (or trying to become part...!) of a student council, and those that are getting into student politics - everyone should attend!

Preliminary schedule for the day:

09:30- 10:00 Registration and coffee at the Glass Room

10:00-12:00 Seminar on how to work in a student council.

12:00-13:15 Lunch, SUS provides sandwiches

13:15-15:15 Seminar on your rights as a student.

15:15-15:45 Fika!

15:45-16:30 Lecture (In Swedish)

16:30 – Barbecue on campus!

If you wish to join the conference, please fill out the form found below and e-mail it to utbildningar@sus.su.se with “Conference, your name” as the subject line. To learn more about the seminars please reference http://www.sus.su.se/en/seminars (seminar 1 and 2). More information will be sent out with the letter of acceptance.

To ensure that as many seminars as possible will be held please send in your form before the 7^thof April. Late applications will be taken until the 12^th of April as long as there are places left.

------------------------------------------

Application form for SUS Conference on Student Governance Spring 2011

Name:________________________

E-mail address:_______________________________

Telephone number: _______________________________

I am a member of _____________ (if applicable; student council, student association, and/or student party.)

I study at _____________ (department, institute, and/or program).

Please answer the following questions

I can attend for Seminar 1 kl.09:30-12:00 ____

Seminar 2 kl.13:15-15:15 ____

Final lecture (in Swedish) and barbeque from kl.15:15 ____

I want a lunch sandwich ____

If you have any allergies or food preferences please list them here ______________________________

Leipzig example: You get what you give

2011-04-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

“A basic tenet of a healthy democracy is open dialogue and transparency.”

This quote from Peter Fenn, a Democratic political strategist from the

, shows what a good democracy, and thereby also a student union should consist of: openness and transparency.

But I know, from my three year experience as a student representative at home, that university structures and student representatives sometimes show a lack of these important basics. They tend to create exclusive networks and thereby not only exclude the majority of the students from access to information, but also copy the rigid structures of student-excluding university circles they want to break up.

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Leipzig Uni. demonstrations against restrictions of student participation in decision making, Nov. 09

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To avoid these situations, the student union at my home university in Leipzig set strict rules for student representatives and how the work has to be done. For example:

Announced meetings open for everyone and documented for everyone
Student money has to be used in a transparent and responsible manner
Representatives have to be present in every meeting of university institutions and publish meeting protocols/minutes as soon as possible

Many critics argued that these changes make the work much harder and more time consuming. The critics were right at the beginning, but after having this system running for 20 years now, it became a great success and in the long-run work became easier, because students are much more interested in university politics now than ever before. Participation in elections doubled and people support their representatives with input about problems and spreading the word about information they received.

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Leipzig Uni. demonstrations against restrictions of student participation in decision making, Nov. 09

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This finally led to a better atmosphere on campus and a feeling of belonging together, where students squat the chancellors office when he tries to cut back representatives rights and several thousands demonstrating when the student union calls for them.

I am engaged in TIP to let it become reality in Stockholm University what the three musketeers once promised: “One for All, and All for One”!

Jan Schubert

UBC keeps their students updated

2011-04-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

I attended the University of British Columbia (UBC) for my undergraduate degree. UBC provides excellent services keeping students updated about campus events and career opportunities. Their student union aslo provides services such as tutoring and mentorship.

UBC have recently started producing weekly update videos on youtube; what an awesome way to learn about what's happening on campus every week! These videos are a new exciting medium that engages students, keeping them updated and providing them with opportunities to be involved on campus. It's just 45 seconds, but super interactive and engaging. Don't you find?

Connecting with students through different mediums online and on campus is something that TIP plans to do here at Stockholm University. We want to improve connectivity between the union and students and using video updates is a new cool way to do it!

What do you think of having a weekly video update in Swedish with english subtitles? That would be a WIN!

Elissa Berrill

Response to 04/01 Gaudeamus article

2011-04-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

www.gaudeamus.se

The International Party was mentioned in Gaudeamus today as a result of an unfortunate misunderstanding involving the submission of party registration documents of TIP and several others. This article explains the scenerio where certain actions strayed from SUS bylaws, and provides internal statements from the electoral committee supporting, as well as criticizing, their decisions. The article demonstrates the high standards of our electoral committee, reinforces the notion of healthy political activity at SU to its student audience, and highlights the interest of student media in our 2011 elections. TIP stands firm behind the statements of party representative and ombudsman, Sebastian Lindholm, and also supports the opinions of the SUS electoral committee.

Good job to Gaudeamus for covering important student topics in a timely manner and for keeping the student body informed.

- Kyle Verboomen, TIP Representative

Click to read Geadeamus article titled "Godkända partier och kritik inom valnämnden"
Translate with google translate. Copy/paste the text.

*Gaudeamus is the Stockholm University Student Union newspaper

Rick Mercer says "Vote!"

2011-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Rick Mercer is one of Canada's most famous political satirists. More often then other televised personalities, Rick Mercer sheds a no-bullshit perspective into Canadian politics. Canada is now about to go into an election for the 3rd time in 7 years, and here he sends a message to the youth. Yeah it's directed to the Canadian electorate, but it's still relevant to everyone, regardless of the degree of politics. - Kyle

Nomination list - in!

2011-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, baby!

the fun begins

Welcome TIP Board of Directors and 2011 Candidates!

2011-03-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

What a day! We had an extremely interesting nomination meeting, and many showed up to take part, vote, or just show their support. Without further ado, we would like for you all to give a kind welcome to TIPs first ever Board of Directors and Representative Candidates for the 2011 Student Union Election. They're all deserving board members and candidates and you will all know about each of them very soon!

And now the march forward continues.

Board of Directors

Raphaelle Jamet

Tine Schwarz

Louise Dane

Jan Schubert

Lina Beling

Representative Candidates

1. Sebastian Lindholm

2. Andreas Kidane

3. Elissa Berrill

4. Katharina Huhn

5. Kseniia Beznos

6. Helene Hedberg

7. Nina Landtblom-Bounou

8. Rabindra Dangol

9. Andreas Nordang Uhre

10. Ryan Goldstein

11. Sadiq Maliq
12. Ellen Cecilia Edberg

13. Anatolii Doludenko

14. Hanyun Ren

15. Sambu Chantraine Temo

16. Kyle Verboomen

TIP Candidates and Board coming soon!

2011-03-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

We'll see you there!

The Great Indian Tamasha (circus)

2011-03-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

It has been more than 3 years since i came to Stockholm and have been working at KTH. It was a bit surprising to see such an ordered way of managing student affairs and student union taking constructive ways to improve student experience, as this is not what i use to experience back in India. Student unions in Indians are connected very closely to political parties and their affiliations oblige them to obey directives from party high-commands, directly or indirectly. In view of the coming student elections, i would like to share some experiences which i had in India around the same issue.

As i mentioned above, almost all major political party put their weight behind a particular student political party in elections. Hence the scenery around student elections change to very much what we see in national elections. Prospective student leaders roam around the campus asking to vote for them. They are allowed few minutes of time in each faculty where they come to classrooms and put up their agenda. Posters spring up on walls of university and university gates usually are hoarded by their volunteers trying to woo students by all possible means. The main motivation of student leaders behind running for the student office are power, money and future.

Party members convincing voters during the Student Union Election period at Kerala's MGU colleges.

POWER:
Student office can exert major pressure in the decisions taken by university administration and this gives student leaders tremendous power to put up their political agendas in university policies. So if national opposition parties decide to protest against a government policy, you can see the universities “controlled” by their student leaders organising these marches on their behalf and at the same time student party affiliated to government tries to do the opposite and this puppet game mostly affect the studies too. Almost all Indian universities provide hostel facilities to students and hence hostels become a major power hub for student leaders where they accumulate their representatives who control the resident students and manipulate their opinions (sometimes by brute physical force too!). Some student hostels became infamous for harbouring criminal elements too as these criminals were used by politicians for their own needs and safely placed under the “protection” of their pet student leader. The taste of power which a student leader feels, when (s)he can exert his opinion on thousands of people, makes him/her addicted to this game and hence almost all of them end up becoming local or national politicians. Also, their interaction with criminal elements (who help them secure votes by illegal means like kidnapping, threats and likewise activities ) stays much longer than their student office tenure which introduces criminals into political systems.

MONEY:
Money is one of the major factor in this case. Student union controls the budget for various campus activities and corruption is a way of life. Budgets of major universities runs in millions and significant portion of this money is directly controlled by student union. Since the money runs in millions, so its not surprising when student leaders invest few hundred thousands during elections and one wonders how can this guy/gal afford this kind of money when (s)he doesn’t come from rich family background. They know that they can “earn” more than what they are going to invest.

Present student politicians end up future politicians as the party high commands evaluate their performance during their tenure at universities, especially their obedience to their “orders”. This makes them mere puppets and they end up doing the same when they end up a politician. This vicious circle promotes only those kind of people “who can be controlled” and have low self-esteem for their individuality. Hence its not surprising to see dynastic tendencies in political parties in India.

FUTURE:
One of the most disturbing face of this above mentioned system came to light prominently during the anti-reservation protests in 2006 when a non-political student organization “youth for equality” spearheaded massive nationwide student protests and local students offices were kept mum by major political parties, who made that issue at first hand (to gain major portion of the vote-bank). It was particularly shamefully to find that in one of the major student protests against government, students offices had little to do for the fear of their own future, even if they understood the rational argument involved.

The most disturbing aspect of the whole issue of this article is that the so called educated people in universities are electing these kind of people and this makes me doubt if we can claim that education improves the rational powers to decide for individual or society. Those students who have complains against the system, choose not to get involved in controversies since student leaders can actually exert their “powers” to disturb their studies and their performance in their degrees. This hidden blackmail, in a society where education is valued as one of the few liberating ideas from poverty and uplifting societal status, fuels the system to continue in its ugly form.

But not everything is lost. We do encounter some leaders who go the “other” way even at the cost of resistance and pay the price for the same. I hope that the present popular opinion in India saying, “when you try to change the system, system eventually changes you”, will change to something more constructive. India is now emerging from its sleepy and dark past of ugly politics to more open and establishment-resistive systems and student politics cannot remain isolated from this phenomenon. Their constructive role in student life is still pending in a big way. We have learnt lessons from the past and present students are becoming more aware of the issues through media and are beginning to question student leaders who enjoyed going un-questioned in past.

Sandeep Nagar, PhD student, KTH
Guest Blogger

TIP Nomination Meeting: Don't miss your chance!

2011-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

TIP's nomination meeting is set to be held on Monday March 28th at 17:00 in room B4. Here we will elect our board of directors as well as our list of candidates. All students that are SUS members are welcome to be elected for one of the following positions:

1) Board of Directors
- The board of directors will be managing the party throughout the student union election period, chair meetings, and conduct secretarial duties.
- The elected board of directors will be a temporary position until the student union election is finished and a new set of board members will be elected at our semi-annual meeting set to occur in June 2011.

2) TIP representative
- A TIP representative will be a listed candidate for the 2011 Student Union Elections in May, and if elected, will represent The International Party in the Student Council.

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To all candidates, come prepared with statements of your intentions to run for one of the two categories to help motivate members to nominate you on our candidate list or as a director on our board.

Don't miss your chance!

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For more information about the Nomination Meeting, please view our documents section for the agenda and voting slip with voting instructions. Please review our basic requirements for members in our by-law section.

What would you change about your student experience?

2011-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

The University of York, preparing for their 2011 student union elections.

Every student has a different idea of what to expect from their university experience. But how will you look back when you're about to graduate? Would you wish you could change something, and if you could, what would it be? Students at the University of York in York, UK have shared their stories on camera. Perhaps you can relate to some of these stories, and perhaps you don't. But it's a question worth thinking about.

Enjoy your weekend!

Kyle/

What are your thoughts on our platform?

2011-03-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Today we hosted our information meeting at Stockholm University's Nobelhouse. It was a big success as the table was completely full of students that brought something unique to the table. As points were being presented, students contributed by sharing their own experiences as a Swedish student or as an international; bringing so many ideas together into one forum.

After our 1 hour general information meeting, the core group of active members and some newly interested students remained for a very long stand-off between us, diplomacy, and the creation of Stockholm University's best platform and student by-laws in years! We're not politicians, we're students that really care about student issues for different reasons. And for many of us, this was the first time to sit down and actively construct a party platform to be contested in a student election.

We sat for 3 additional hours, many of us not knowing each other all too well, fiddling with diplomatic processes to ensure that minutes are correctly tabulated, ensuring that our agenda was followed as scheduled, and each person participated and voted. There were moments where patience was tested and styles clashed, but we kept on going for the goal, point by point. Finally, at 16:25 pm today, our platform was set in stone.

Now, we want to know your thoughts. What are your thoughts on TIPs platform? We can always learn from everyone elses constructive and practical opinions.

Please let us know :)

Kyle/

About the right to take an action

2011-03-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

“There is a wonderful old Italian joke about the poor man who goes to church every day and prays before the statue of a great saint, begging: ‘Dear Saint, please, please, please, let me win the lottery.’ Finally the exasperated statue comes to life and looks down into the begging man and says: ‘My son, please, please, please buy a ticket!’” (c). You may know this anecdote from the “Eat, Pray, Love” movie or book by Elizabeth Gilbert (or maybe any other source), but for sure in this blog entry I’m not promoting neither of them. What I am promoting is the proactive position in your life overall and student life particularly, and I think you got the idea already. There is no reason to just walking around and complaining to your friends, for instance, that you don’t like something about the university life, when you actually have the chance and the right to change the things for the better; you can take an action.

You are the part of the Stockholm University student community, no matter if you are spending several years here doing your undergraduate, master or PhD or you are an exchange student only for the one term. As well it does not matter if you are a Swedish or an international student – you have the opportunity to influence and to improve your study conditions.

My home country is Ukraine, and I should say, such thing as the student governance is almost unknown and not existent there. For me, student elections and opportunity to affect every day life of the students and even, to the certain extend, the decisions of the University authorities are so new! In the university where I received my undergrad degree, Student Union was just helping head of the departments in organizing planned by them celebrations (for example professional holidays) and promoting night clubs around the city, where you can get student discount for the entrance. Meanwhile, all the important decisions regarding student life were taken by the high university officials and those decisions were never for the student benefits. Nevertheless, some people were bringing cases to the courts or getting into the troubles (this one from my personal experience) just trying to deliver to the officials collective student concerns, that the study conditions are not very pleasant and supportive.

Here in Sweden everything seems to be much easier. It is your right to influence. It is your right to vote. And it is a pity that a lot of students just ignoring those rights.

TIP is here now to change this situation. We are trying to involve each and every student into the participation in the university life. Join us tomorrow (Thursday, 24^th of March at 12 pm in Nobelhuset) for the information meeting to learn more about us, to become a part of our party. Or at least support us with your vote and we will do our best to make your study at the Stockholm University even more enjoyable than ever!

Yours sincerely,

Kseniia Beznos.

CUTV Coverage of the Concordia Student Union election - Montreal, Canada

2011-03-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Concordia University Hall Building - Sir George Williams Campus

This is my home university, and I take a lot of pride in how active the Concordia Student Union and students are there. Alot of stuff goes on in that box of a building.Their student union elections are happening March 29th to the 31st, and their campaign period is seriously a sight in itself. I've posted a video from Concordia's CUTV which offers some perspective into the opinions of students at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Kyle-

CUTV interviewing Concordia grad student Joey infront of Concordia's People's Potato

The International Party is in touch with you, Stockholm University!

2011-03-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Participation & Activity

2011-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have addressed TIP with their concerns already. One of the big issues that has been highlighted is the lack of campus events and activities after classes and lectures which link Swedish and International students creating a connected community on campus.

The pubs, parties and film nights on campus mostly attract foreign students. This happens for two reasons; first, international students arrive with few social contacts in Stockholm. They are more open to finding a new ‘family’ at the university, made up of all the other International students. Second, Swedish students sometimes feel excluded as parties and events are often advertised for ‘International’ students on the posters at the walls of Södra Huset, or on Facebook. The international students also received a weekly newsletter full of activities, but the Swedish students do not.

TIP recognizes that without students’ participation there will never be activities on campus which to create connectivity between all students. But we also saw that without activity it is hard to get participation from students in the first place. Of course, this could be a vicious circle. This could mean the end of all improvement efforts considering the social network at SU. But with this in mind it could also lead to another conclusion: TIP wants to create a campus community which allows for equal information and participation of all students, Swedish and International.

If you too are interested in helping to make this first step, participate and support TIP’s attempt to build up an inclusive community where everyone is welcome. The reason why you should get involved is simple: without your help the student groups at SU will stay divided. If we just continue complaining about this situation, nothing will change, even if a change could be easily induced. Don’t wait for someone else to begin the movement. It is your university, too. This does not constitute a duty, but rather an opportunity for everyone to volunteer and gain experience.

Share your ideas and commitment to influence the social network at SU!

Christine Schwarz

We are on our way

2011-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

The weekend is coming to an end and the bright spring sun is slowly setting itself over Stockholm.

With the warmer spring weather upon us we have an optimistic and exciting time ahead of us. The International Party (TIP) has been approved for the student election in May and just as the strength of the sun will work slowly to put green grass on the ground the members of TIP will work eagerly towards achieving a great election result.

We have so many great ideas, so many great people keen on moving this party forward, and last but not least, the great motivation of us all to make a difference and improve Stockholm University and the Stockholm University Student Union and with this the life of all people engaged in studies here at our university.

We will have a meeting on Thursday to further discuss our platform of ideas but also to discuss a strategy for our campaign towards the election in May.

Anyone interest in being a part of TIP, hearing more about us, or just interested to attend the meeting for any reason is very welcome to come.

Best of luck to everyone involved in TIP but also to the rest of the people striving towards- and working with the election.

Cheers

Sebastian Lindholm

TIP is IN! Cheers!

2011-03-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

At 5pm it was official: TIP is officially a party in the 2011 Student Union Elections! Its been an extremely exciting week and a half installing all of these platforms and working together with a great group of students that all have different perspectives of the state of affairs at Stockholm University. Our constitution and model platform have been published the Constitution page, but everything is up for you to critique and reconstruct on March 24th.

Last night we celebrated our mere hours of existence, and we did it in fashion at Professorn. St-Patricks Day offered us plenty to smile about, and drink about. So let's look forward to the next few steps, and prepare to take part in the fun, because this is all for you!

Kyle

TIP members Raphaelle and Louise with her lucky charm ;)

Getting Down to the Issues

2011-03-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

So here we are, then. After all the huffing and puffing, the whining about the state of affairs and the hijacking of our student democracy, it's time for TIP to show its quality.

The platform committee meets for the first time on Wednesday to start preparing a draft program, but that is just the beginning. The creation celebration on Friday should be teeming with ideas and suggestions for what The International Party should focus on in these elections, so it's really important that we all right now start thinking about what TIP is and in what direction it goes from here.

So let's do this! Figure out what matters to you and your friends and show up at Professorn on Friday for some drinks and discussions! The International Party is not and will not be four people with all the answers, this is something we have to do together!

Andreas

A Voice for Everyone

2011-03-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

As simple as that is the core value of The International Party. Having been involved in student politics at four universities in three countries, I have seen how easily students' elected representatives lose touch with what's going on among their peers. Insulating themselves in a bubble, personal advancement and prestige becomes more important than addressing the issues that matter to those who elected them in the first place. This has a nasty habit of transforming a once thriving democracy into a secretive club for the privileged and connected.

In some respects, this is particularly visible here in Stockholm. The student union headquarters looms on a hilltop, and the wayward traveler seeking to vent his concerns is greeted by bolted doors. Notable achievements on the part of the student democracy this academic year includes liquidating pubs and party activities, promoting multinational companies and their products on campus, as well as being reprimanded by the rector for not keeping and publishing records of meetings and decision. Requests for information are met with silence, and the question grows in my mind; who are these people working for?

The International Party wants to change this. Enough of the secrecy, enough of the shady backroom deals. We deserve a student democracy that tends to the best interests of all its members, makes its deals in the open and gives the electorate a chance to hold it accountable. Not just on election day, but on all the other days as well. This is what the upcoming elections will be all about!

Andreas

Follow our newsletter!

2011-03-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out our weekly newsletter! Click here to read TIP News # 1.

Peace!

Kyle/

Application delivered

2011-03-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Here is footage of Kyle Verboomen handing in our application to the PO Box of the Election Committee of the Stockholm University Student Union. The future existance of TIP is now in the hands the election board and more news about TIP will come in the near future.
Great job so far everyone!

Sebastion/

We have set sails

2011-03-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hej allihopa!

The ship has left the harbor and now we have taken sail towards, what I personally hope and aim for, a very bright future with a lot of engaging work and ultimately progressing towards a more equal and cosmopolitan campus.

The sky will not always be clear from clouds and we will meet, and have to tackle, a lot of obstacles on our way to land. Hopefully for all involved parts this will be an interesting, exiting, and motivating journey towards a unified goal.

I see this as the chance to make a difference, and that difference will be towards a more unified campus where we can bridge the gap between the Swedish students, such as myself, and international students that have come here to study and live.

This party will seek to address matters and problems that throughout previous years and political reigns have been overlooked and put in the shadow.

We thrive towards an open campus where everyone will be aware of what is going on, what is discussed, and what is addressed.

For those of you out there willing to join us on our ship to success and towards the future I can assure you that there is still plenty of room on our boat.

Tack, thanks, and enjoy the rest of your day!

Sebastian Lindholm

Signature gathering: Completed! Next step: Creation Celebration!

2011-03-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sebastian and Kyle spent most of the day outside of Prego at Frescati campus meeting students and gathering all kinds of signatures that were required to set up the creation of our new party. Our creation's fate lies in the 2011 Election Committee, and these signatures were required to demonstrate that there is a general interest to form the party. We needed a minimum of 25 students that are currently members of the student union - we earned over 40! Thank you all for your support and interest TIPs creation.

Our next step is TIPs Creation Celebration on March 18th at 19:00 at Professorn Restaurang in Lappis. Join the facebook event! Invite your friends!

This is the beginning of a real movement for campus equality at Stockholm University. Be sure to tell all of your friends and invite them to the facebook group!

Kyle/

TIP set to launch March 18th

2011-03-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

We're extremely excited to announce the creation of this groundbreaking new student party, just in time for the 2011 Stockholm University student elections. Learn more about our mission statement, platform, and members in just a little while!

Keep informed through this blog! Our facebook page and newsletter is coming out soon.

If you're interested in getting involved, email us at: vote4tip@gmail.com

Kyle/