NUI Galway Students’ Union will be hosting a free student activism talk on Wednesday the 29th of February at 7pm in AM 250 in the Arts Millennium Building.

All are welcome to attend.

Details of our speakers –

Huwaida Arraf – is a Palestinian-American lawyer and human rights advocate. She received her Bachelors degrees from the University of Michigan, and her Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law, where she focused her studies on international human rights and humanitarian law. In 2001 Huwaida co-founded the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Huwaida is co-editor of the book “Peace Under Fire: Israel, Palestine, and the International Solidarity Movement.”

Huwaida was one of the initiators and organizers of a delegation of American lawyers to Gaza in February 2009, and co-authored the report on their findings, “Onslaught: Israel’s Attack on Gaza and the Rule of Law.” Huwaida is currently the Chairperson of the Free Gaza Movement. Since August 2008, she has led 5 successful sea voyages to the Gaza Strip to confront and challenge Israel’s illegal blockade. Huwaida was one of the primary organizers of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and was traveling with it when it was lethally attacked by Israeli forces on 31 May 2010.

Earlier this month Huwaida helped conceive of and launch the Witness Bahrain initiative, an effort to provide human rights observers on the ground in Bahrain, where an uprising for democracy is being violently repressed. She was arrested by Bahraini authorities and deported for her work.

Mark Conroy – Having lost his job due to Budget cuts a number of years ago, Mark Conroy is a now a non-practicing English teacher. Presently he works full-time as a self-employed web designer, devoting a significant amount of his time to developing his political campaigns website, Contact.ie. His aim with this site is to build up a website of resources for campaign groups and campaigners so that they can better use their online time to campaign effectively. All resources on the site are available to use for free.

Sarah Clancy – is a campaigning and activism nerd. Over the last ten years she has collaborated or worked with human rights and social chance campaigns in Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Borneo. She holds an MA in Advocacy and Activism from Nuig and qualifications in Community Development and European Human Rights Law.

She has worked for organisations such as Amnesty International and for SpunOut.ie as the organiser of such projects as their highly succesful Academy of Activism. She is fascinated by tactics and strategies and has spent the last few years researching or observing the methods used by communities in resistance everywhere and sharing those tactics with groups all over Ireland. She is currently collaborating with the grass roots online democracy project Contact.ie and finishing her second book which will be out in April this year.

Kurt Nikolaisen – is the co ordinator of Love Music Hate Racism Ireland ,
a musically orientated anti racism campaign that highlights racism by using
the positive power of the music scene.In 2011 LMHR received an award from The Integration Centre in the category of ”Best Arts/Cultural Organisation” , and as well as initiating a successful campaign to have an invitation to the British National Party to Trinity College withdrawn they were listed as one of the top 10 things to see at Electric Picnic.
Coming from an immigrant background , Kurt became involved in activism after returning from Australia in 2008 to an Ireland where racism was clearly on the rise.

Dan O’Neill (@activedan) – is a human rights activist from Dublin. He is currently working full time for Amnesty International as their national Youth and Student Officer and co-founded Teaandtoast.ie (Blog of the Year 2011 – SMEDIA awards). In the past, Dan was the Campaigns and Communications Vice President of UCDSU and Deputy President/Campaigns
Officer of The Union of Students in Ireland. Over the years he has been involved in many campaigns organised by groups such as Shell to Sea, Choice Ireland, the Anti ? War Movement, Students Action on Climate Change, FEE, the IPSC etc. Dan has been involved in both lobbying, advocacy and awareness campaigns along with more traditional direct actions such as blockades, sit down protests and occupations of government departments. He has also worked for various politicians inside Leinster House so has a first hand experience of what goes on behind the scenes of party politics. Dan holds an MA in public affairs and political communication.

For further information contact Claire McCallion the SU Council Chairperson on su.council@nuigalway.ie