As students prepare to go home for the holidays, we know that many of you remain deeply affected by the conflict in Gaza and Israel. The scale of the violence, the physical devastation and the many thousands of deaths are horrifying, and the impact and trauma of this conflict are felt profoundly now and will be felt for years to come by so many around the world.
We understand that many students will be spending the next four weeks away from University worrying about family and friends in the region as well as feeling deep anxiety for the future. We will always provide a safe, supportive environment for all students to be heard, without judgment, and will support you in any way we can.
We have a zero tolerance approach to any form of discrimination or harassment and would encourage students to get in touch if they experience any form of islamophobia, antisemitism or any other harassment or abuse. You can speak to us confidentially by emailing our Union President (president@soton.ac.uk) or the SUSU independent Advice Centre (advice@susu.org)
SUSU is open every day except during the period 22nd December – 2nd January so please do contact us for support or to make us aware of any problems you are experiencing. If you need support during that period, the University Student Hub is also available 24/7.
In January we will be speaking to our societies about how to further support them with awareness-raising and fundraising events. For now, though, our thoughts are with all our students affected by the terrifying events in the Middle East and we hope all of you manage to find some peaceful moments over the holidays.
Ed Brooker – Union President, Amy Moir – VP Activities, Marina Stasi – VP Sports and Rebecca Would – VP Education and Democracy
