USI's e-campaigning website goes live!

national | miscellaneous | news report

Monday January 27, 2003 17:57

by Noel Hogan - USI

dep_president at usi dot ie

Grattan Street, Dublin

01 435 3400

NEW WEBSITE ALLOWS PUBLIC TO SAY 'FECK FEES' TO POLITICIANS

from www.usi.ie

27th January 2003

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) today launched a revolutionary new e-lobbying system with Internet company 54 Degrees. By accessing the site www.fightfees.com, students and their families can directly lobby any politician in the country as well as gaining access to information on politician clinic times and USI campaigns calling for the abolition of fees.

Colm Jordan, President, USI said: "Judging from calls received in our office, there is a groundswell of public anger at the proposed re-introduction of fees. The beauty of this site is that it allows constituents to voice this opposition to their local politicians and Government ministers in a straightforward and user-friendly manner. Students or members of their family simply access the site and fill in a message which is delivered directly to the politician.
This initiative is being launched at a vital time with our huge national demonstration taking place on February 5th and Minister Dempsey's report on improving access to third level education already overdue.
Users can be sure that any message sent to a politician is guaranteed to be delivered within seconds. The site also provides a wealth of information on politician's contact details and clinic times and how the 'fight fees' campaign is developing."

Eugene Flynn, MD of 54 Degrees Ltd., said: " We are delighted to launch this online campaign today with USI. We have provided them with the power to run a sophisticated advocacy campaign. 54 Degrees Advocacy is a revolutionary web based software application for grassroots advocacy making it easier for Advocacy Groups to organise members & campaign supporters for rapid response on important issues.
Supporters can quickly inform themselves about the issues of the campaign, are connected directly with Decision Makers and can voice their support and send an email to friends in a matter of minutes. Supporters also help spread the word using an integrated email tool to send a message to friends about the campaign. USI can easily manage the online campaign, monitor progress reports, create campaign updates and issue personalised email action alerts to supporters as the campaign develops. Politicians will receive direct communication from genuine concerned constituents and the web site will provide a useful resource for information as the campaign unfolds.
The Internet is an essential tool for advocacy driven organisations because it enables rapid mobilisation of advocates with high efficiency and impact.
54 Degrees is a Dublin based Web Design Company providing creative, technical and consultancy services to a diverse client base. Online Advocacy is one of the services that they provide to Non Profit and membership based organisations. They also provide Internet Fundraising and Content Management solutions.

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Comments (6 of 6)

too little,late(hopefully not too late)

by conor - ucd socialist alternative/campaign for free education

Mon Jan 27, 2003 21:19

conor at ziplip dot com

this is a good idea,and well done to usi-were all in the business of defending the right to state sponsored education.

BUT (yes yes-but) the cfe (a voluntary activist group) have had a website online for the last 5 months.i understand its proberbally not as webwise as the usi's (its a yahoo pagemaker job) - leading me to ask ,apart from the occasional token gesture ,what the fuck are all the FULL TIME officers in the usi doing?

i agree with the principle of a strong national union, and defended usi in the recent ucd referendum, but the fact that that one was won, dosent mean that usi have the right to sit down and get fat.

see you all at the next demo - lets hope that the officer board dont go all templemore at the prospect of a direct action!

www.fightfees.com
www.freeeducation.cjb.net
www.socialistalternative.cjb.net
http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display_printable/4 - still relavant

Get your facts straight Conor.

by Noel Hogan

Tue Jan 28, 2003 15:05

Conor,

USI's official website, www.usi.ie, has been up for the past several years. www.fightfees.com is a new resource website for emailing TD's, senators, ministers and other gits.

As for your question of what the full time USI officers are doing, here's an answer - a lot!

So far this year about 35,000 students have come out and protest. Protests have taken place in Cork, Limerick, Tralee, Waterford, Thurles, Galway, Carlow, Sligo, Castlebar, Dublin (x2), Letterkenny and Athlone. These protests don't organise themselves, they took a lot of time, effort and arse-numbing travel.

At any rate I'm sure you'd agree that not every officer can participate in direct action. The welfare officer

This was in addition to the various protests in Dublin such as handcuffings and the occupation.

I really love your comment about running to Templemore at the prospect of direct action. I've always been one for direct action. I've been in 3 occupations, 2 chaining protests and got arrested two years ago for my troubles. You won't find me running from direct action.

So - what's your problem? If you want to debate with me on what USI is doing, I'm all game. That is, if you are willing to debate. Or maybe you just prefer the easy route of slagging people off.

USI are correct

by TROTWATCH

Tue Jan 28, 2003 15:46

"So far this year about 35,000 students have come out and protest. Protests have taken place in Cork, Limerick, Tralee, Waterford, Thurles, Galway, Carlow, Sligo, Castlebar, Dublin (x2), Letterkenny and Athlone. "

Why is the turn out so low in UCD? Could it have anything to do with the antics of the Trots? Ordinary students are turned off by doctrinaire speechifying and dumb stunts.

You are not winning people over by disrupting the activities of Societies. They just see all activists against the fees as headbangers.

As long as the SY rule the roost in UCD along with their tame followers in SA you will continue to get pathetic numbers attending demos.

Trotwatch shut up

by UCD student

Tue Jan 28, 2003 20:43

The pathetic numbers in UCD have more to do with the right wing bastards in the SU that have done absolutly nothing on the fees issue.

If it was not for SY and SA there would have been no protests in UCD.

Why don't you reveal who you are 'trotwatch'?

CFE and SY are not the reason for low turnouts from UCD.

Tue Jan 28, 2003 20:54

Look to the opposite end of the political spectrum for any problems, is all I'd say.

UCD Student

by Magneto

Wed Jan 29, 2003 12:22

Why dont you reveal your identity?

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USI's e-campaigning website goes live!

Comments (6 of 6)