Open University opens arms to arms dealers

Those considering taking a course with the Open University might like to think again following remarks by the OU’s Wales director this week. In response to a demo against the OU’s involvement in the proposed St Athan military academy, Rob Humphries made the following statement:

“The University recognises that Britain’s armed services play a vital part in peacekeeping activities all over the world”

It must raise serious questions about the quality of education offered by the OU when its Wales director considers the invasion and occupation of Iraq as “peacemaking” – unless, of course, it was a slip of the tongue and he really meant to say “pitiless bloody warmongering without a shred of justification”.

But Rob’s schoolboy howlers don’t end there. If he had done even five minutes research on the subject, he would know that the St Athan military academy will train armed forces from anywhere willing to pay for the privilege.

The OU has certainly come a long way since it was founded by Wilson’s Labour government in 1969. Back then it met with scornful opposition from the products of Eton and Oxbridge on the Tory benches, appalled at the idea that hundreds of thousands of working-class people might get degrees through correspondence courses and BBC2. Under market pressures, however, the OU has become less concerned with education to improve society and more involved in vocational training. That already includes the training of the armed forces.

The involvement of the OU in the Metrix consortium no doubt seemed a logical next step for the OU’s management. But it has put the OU in direct partnership with some of the world’s most loathsome arms dealers: criminals in every respect except capitalist law. Raytheon – manufacturers of cluster bombs and missiles carrying depleted uranium warheads. Qinetiq – pasted by the National Audit Office for the most corrupt privatisation in UK history. And the aim of this unholy coalition will be a university whose graduates will not improve societies but destroy them; will not work for human rights, but crush them. St Athan will be the total negation of all the OU once stood for.

We do not believe the vast majority of OU students or staff, past and present, will find this acceptable. That is why Wednesday’s demo, part of the National Day of Action for University Ethical Investment, will not be the last. The OU buildings in Cardiff will certainly be on the route of the major march planned for 26 April, and we call on all students and staff of the OU to bring the maximum pressure – considering walk-outs, teach-ins, fees boycotts and whatever else it takes, to get the OU out of this project and help scupper it altogether.

Facebook users can join the groups Open University Fans Say No To Partnerships With Arms Dealers and No To St Athan Military Academy.

St Athan demo set for April 26

With the campaign against St Athan scoring successes throughout Wales and beyond, the date has been set for a major demo supported by the Stop the War Coalition. All activists should make a diary note for Saturday April 26th, when anti-military academy protesters will be assembling at 1.30pm on the lawns opposite Cardiff City Hall for a march at 2pm.

The case against the proposed privatised military academy has already been made on this site and others. Now is the time to build on the growing groundswell of support for the anti-St Athan campaign to ensure the 26 April march cannot be ignored.

The Stop the War coalition is already committed to the cause, and anti-St Athan speakers will feature in the STW “World Against War” rallies in Bristol (29th Feb) and Cardiff (3 March).

We criticised the SWP for initially opposing our attempt to make St Athan an issue for the Stop The War Coalition. Now we’re glad to say they’re on board the campaign and working to raise awareness amongst students.

Following our work building contacts with activists in north and mid-Wales, Cymdeithas Yr Iaith voted at their recent AGM to support the campaign. An active anti-militarist group in Caernarfon have held a successful rally against St Athan and plan to send a coach down to Cardiff for the demo.

We have already advertised our success in winning the Wales Further Education Sector Committee of UCU (lecturers’ union) to support our anti-St Athan resolution. The PCS (public sector workers’ union) continues to campaign against St Athan and the privatisation of defence training. Tony Benn has signed the campaign petition and John McDonnell has put down an early day motion opposing plans to continue with Package One at St Athan now that the government has backtracked on Package Two, admitting that the privatisation would represent poor value for money.

All in all, the rosy picture of the future of a militarised South Wales is revealing itself to be what we said it was all along: a fraud.

Unlike John McDonnell and Mark Serwotka of the PCS, however, we are not afraid to go all the way and question all the so-called “defence” spending which UK taxpayers subsidise. Attacking Iraq was not “defence”. Breaking the firefighters’ strike was not “defence”. Then why are we paying for it?

Posters and leaflets for the 26th March are available for download on our resources page: let’s pull out all the stops to turn the tide of public opinion well and truly against this latest misuse of public money.