By Amran Abdiqadir Mohamed, BA Global Development and Social Anthropology
In 2022, the previous SOAS Students’ Union team underwent a governance review wherein they examined their current democratic processes. As a result of this review, six new liberation caucuses have been introduced and launched this academic year.
The caucuses are as follows:
- Black Students’ Caucus
- Disabled Students’ Caucus
- Women’s Caucus
- LGBTQ+ Students’ Caucus
- Working Class Students’ Caucus
- Trans* and Gender Identity Students’ Caucus
The liberation caucuses are aimed for people who self identify with the group and share similar experiences. One of the reasons the caucuses were introduced was for students to recognise and build on their shared concerns. There have already been many overlapping concerns across the caucuses, which is no surprise, as students are operating within the same context, be that SOAS or the current political climate in the UK. The caucuses are designed to act as a vehicle to ‘mobilise and build power among students’ so that they can work in joint struggle, says Yara Derbas, SU Co-President for Equality and Liberation.
“The caucuses are designed to act as a vehicle to ‘mobilise and build power among students’ so that they can work in joint struggle.”
Each caucus has a delegate that’s appointed by the caucus members. Delegate positions within the caucuses are flexible depending on your capacity and are interchangeable throughout the year. Each caucus delegate has a seat on the Students’ Union Executive Committee where they feed back the needs of their members to the committee. The caucuses are viewed as a way of bridging the gap between students and the institution.
The caucuses are autonomous and self-governing, therefore it’s up to the members of the group to decide what they want to do, what their priorities are, and what direction they will take. Some of the groups are planning socials, discussion events, and budding campaigns. In addition, one of their main priorities is creating a safe space for people who self-identify with the caucus group.
Although they are student-led, the liberation caucuses are separate from societies. They are an SU initiative decided by the governance review and are supposed to be representative of the SOAS community.
They meet at a minimum of twice a term, and they will soon have an Instagram page up and running so everyone can easily access information about what they’re up to. If there are issues that you want to raise or you’re just looking for your people on campus, join one of the caucuses! Students’ voices at SOAS are valued by the SU, and the caucuses are a space for you to remember that you are never alone in your struggle. Information about them can be found on the SU website and Instagram. Alternatively, feel free to direct any questions to Yara Derbas in the SU office!
Photo Caption: Logos of the six liberation caucuses (Credit: SOAS SU website).