Leeds Uni P&P Win Award for Ditch Dirty Development!
Ditch Dirty Development swept the board of Leeds University Union awards this year. First came the Best Referendum Campaign at the Dusties Democracy awards, then Leeds Uni P&P beat stiff competition to win Best Campaign at the Rileys, LUU's version of the Oscars!
Leeds P&P celebrate winning Best Campaign in their SU
Image © Leeds P&P
Leeds P&P’s Ditch Dirty Development stall
Image © Leeds P&P
Leeds, Sheffield and York P&P groups protest outside RBS regional headquarters
Image © Leeds P&P
The boreal forests of Canada witness to the impacts of RBS funding for tar sands
Image © Leeds P&P
Jess from Leeds Uni P&P reports:
“Having been brought up to speed with a great workshop by P&P intern Pete we drew up a quick strategy of how to raise the profile of the DDD campaign and best achieve its aims. We kicked off by raising awareness of the issue with students by writing a motion for the campus wide referendum. We began by holding visual stalls in the union and at events and going round bars and restaurants on campus talking to people to get support in the lead up to our first demo. During voting we marched through campus as construction workers with a big oil pipeline, and a couple of polar bears, wielding banners and drums to the Uni branch of Natwest. Here we attempted to get funding for our oil pipeline. The hard work paid off and the motion passed!
The next phase was the regional action based in Leeds. P&Pers from York, Leeds and Sheffield converged on the city centre’s main RBS and Natwest branches before marching to a demo outside the regional headquarters. Giant checks endorsing RBS’s move from devastating oil extraction projects to renewable resources were signed by students before being presented to the regional head office along with a letter outlining the demands of the campaign.
The highpoint of the national DDD campaign this year was the trial of RBS for climate crimes based around their Edinburgh AGM. Leeds had great fun taking part by dressing up as a boreal forest to stand witness to the devastating problems faced in Canadian tar sands due to RBS funded oil extraction. Despite the downpour this was a great day for all the groups involved, and a fantastic way of illustrating the impact the ‘Oil Bank of Scotland’s’ funded projects have around the world.
Next year is going to be a massive year for the Ditch Dirty Development campaign. As the 2009 boycott deadline looms mass support is needed to make this threat effective. Here at Leeds Uni we are ready and waiting for another fun filled, action packed year of campaigning for change!”
Take Action: email RBS Chair Sir Tom McKillop to let him know funding for fossil fuels must end.