Metrix Shambles - Media, Ministry and Top Brass Question furure of OU privatisation partnership

Protest demo at Open University Cardiff Office

Big brother hassles Anti-metrix - St Athan protesters
http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/ Anti-Metrix protest march to demonstrate opposition against the St Athan privatised military academy. PCS where there to support the staff whose jobs are threatened and show opposition to the protest - Cynefin y Werin members - CND Cymru and CAAT supporters, Cymdeithas y Cymod and Church, Chapel and other faith representatives. Along with Green Party protestors and speakers Jill Evans Plaid MEP, Davy McAuley of the Raytheon 9 and stop the war.

In an attempt to silence the protesters they were banned from marching through Cardiff city centre as police used the the public order act to suppress opposition and the human right to protest in public. The MOD spend huge sums of money on propaganda and publications especially in the vale of glamorgan and John smith has thousands of pounds to promote the academy and even go in to schools with unbalanced material in favour of the academy. Recently we saw the NUT protest at the MOD & government lies to school children regarding Iraq.Yesterday - the huge police presence was totally disproportionate and a waste of tax payers money. Police photographers where busy taking pictures and videos - to what purpose - the real criminals and evan murders are the arms dealers Ratheon and serco and the new labour politcans like John smith & rhodri morgan who supported or voted a policy of going to war and this academy to train people to kill.Yet they want to stop http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/ and its suscribing member organisations and supporters like PCS - there defending its members jobs and the public protesting at their expensive failed PFI policy being applied to MILITARY TRAINING.We don't want a school for mercenaries in Cardiff - we don't need it - we want sustainable jobs to benefit the community not mercenary soldiers to terrorise them and put our young people at risk of rape and worse.Note this story today Police in court over pictures at arms protest Politics The ...This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday April 27 2008 on p6 of the ... Arms campaigner Andrew Wood from Oxford claims that his human rights were ...The power of the police to mount surveillance operations at peaceful protests will be challenged in court this week. In a case seen as opposing Britain's move towards a Big Brother-style society, the High Court will determine if police are legally entitled to take photographs and compile information on protesters even if they do not break the law www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/27/police.humanrights

Demonstration Against the St Athan Military Academy By Cheryl The demonstration was against the proposed St Athan Military Academy, which would mean enforced relocation or loss of jobs for many PCS members. From the PCS point of view there are several issues; risk to the front line, loss of skills ...

PCS Shropshire Area - http://www.pcsshropshire.selfip.org/newspage

Questions at university over military academy By Greg Lewis(Greg Lewis) Protesters say they’ve found the first chinks in the armour of the arms and defence consortium behind the new St Athan training academy. Much is being made about the educational courses which will be on offer at the massive base – and ...What Is Wales And What Is It For? - http://whatiswales.blogspot.com/

Protests against military academyBBC News - Building on the centre at St Athan is due to get under way in 2009, under a public-private finance deal. The academy will provide a central training base ...

NO2 OU & Raytheon. Ethics letter to OU Wales

Campaign against the St Athan Defence Academy
Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground), http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/ is an all Wales network of organisations which promotes equality, peace, justice, human rights and co-operation between nations, peoples and communities on the basis of sustainable environmental, economic and social development.

Please find and read a copy of a letter below - to Mr Humphreys, OU Wales following a recent protest outside the Cardiff office.

The campaign against the proposed military academy at St Athan is concerned
about the impact the partnership with companies like Raytheon , arms dealers
have on international peace and conflict. We want a public debate in Wales
regarding the democratic deficit within the Open University on the decision
to enter into the Metrix Consortium.

The OU is accused of giving this consortium and the proposed privatised training a veneer of respectability. As part of the National Day of Action for University Ethical Investment on
Wed 27th Feb campaign protesters gathered outside the OU Offices in Cardiff. Mr Rob Humphreys, the Director of the Open University in Wales declined to take up a position on behalf of the Open University or one which defined his personal stance. He said that ethics were matters for individuals and as far as the Open University was concerned no formal policy had been determined.

Jeeny Lee who played a key role in the formation of the Open University was against the UK acquiring a nuclear deterrent. Working with war profiteers makes a mockery of the OU promise to promote social justice

Mr. Rob Humphreys Open University in Wales 18 Custom House Street Cardiff CF10 1AP

Dear Mr. Humphreys,

· Why is the Open University involved in a private consortium that is seeking to expand Britain's role in the global arms trade?
· Why is the Open University engaged in a partnership with one of the world's largest manufacturers of weapons of mass destruction?
· Is this not is direct conflict with the Open University's historical commitment to social justice and to using education as a force for social good in the world?

I applaud the Open University’s attention to ethics and last year’s opening of a new Ethics Centre, that will "carry out research to clarify our understanding of key ethical concepts, design new courses to spread ethical understanding and promote public debate about the most pressing moral issues of our time."

But I ask the Open University how it can reconcile its supposed commitment to ethics with its direct participation as a member of the Metrix Consortium, which has won a PFI contract from the Ministry of Defence to open a £14 billion military training centre near the village of St Athan in Wales.

Through the St Athan Defence Training Academy, the OU will now be helping to create a British version of the infamous US School of the Americas of Fort Benning, Georgia. The St Athan Academy will provide military training not just to members of the British Armed Forces, but to soldiers from armies all over the world – who will guarantee that the Burmese Army will not train there? In order to make the most money that it can, the private Metrix Consortium openly intends to use St Athan to expand Britain's role in the global trade in military training and expertise.

Through the St Athan Academy, the OU will also be partnering directly with one of the largest missile manufacturers in the world, Raytheon. On the grounds of ethics, the governments of Norway and Belgium have recently called for full divestment from Raytheon – because of the company's involvement in manufacturing cluster bombs, which kill and injure children and civilians indiscriminately in armed conflicts world-wide. The governments of the Netherlands and Canada are shortly expected to follow suit.

Through the St Athan Academy, the OU will be engaged in openly promoting the culture and economy of militarism, war, occupation, terror and mass environmental destruction.

Open University Vice-Chancellor Brenda Gourley herself has said that "there is no doubt that institutions demonstrate their values most powerfully by their actions rather than their words." She said that universities should “reflect the very best of which the human spirit is capable."

I therefore call on the Open University to cut all ties with the Metrix Consortium and to take a clear stand against the St Athan Defence Training Academy. I call on the students, staff and trustees of the Open University to demand that their institution return to its historical commitment to promoting ethics and social justice through their collective work in higher education.

Note _ The Director Mr Humphries statement
"In meeting those taking part in the demonstration outside The Open University in Wales offices, I listened to the points they made and outlined the University's involvement in the Metrix consortium, which is overseeing the St Athan project.
"The University recognises that Britain's armed services play a vital part in peacekeeping activities all over the world and that it is important that service personnel receive the best education possible for these demanding roles. As a partner in the consortium, The Open University is committed to delivering the highest possible quality of support to this endeavour.
"Since its inception, the University has helped more than 100,000 Services personnel and their families fulfil their potential through education. Participation in the St Athan project will help us to continue that work."

Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground) Y Deml Heddwch, Parc Cathays, Caerdydd CF10 3AP
Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3AP
Contact us by email no2militaryacademy@inbox.com

For more information
http://www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/
see also http://www.metrixconsortium.blogspot.com/
http://stathanmilitaryacademypoliticians.blogspot.com/
No to St Athan Military Academy on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4156619706
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