Aims / Objectives:

1. To allow for casual discussion in relaxing social settings over interesting debate topics where our members can enter a debate, hear both sides and crucially represent their own views.

2. To give members the chance to engage in external speakers’ options by offering floor speeches during our debate nights.

3. To promote a society with free speech at its heart where all legal opinions re allowed and members will be able to voice their opinions without fear of backlash from the establishment inner groups of students leading other political societies.

4. to be a society that acts as a mediating body which welcomes opposing ideologies to come together and have their voices heard about controversial issues not discussed at other societies.

5. To appeal to students who don’t feel welcomed by more established societies on campus but want somewhere to talk about political issues relevant to them.

6. Working with other similar societies across the country to promote casual discussions with a broad range of ideas, such as at the battle of ideas.

Clear differences to other societies:

1. Diversity of Committee – our committee reflects a wider range of political opinions, countries of origin, race, gender, religion etc. than any other political society.

2. Free speech – absolute commitment to inviting speakers of all political backgrounds and allowing all members to contribute at events without indirectly blocking them. This has happened at other societies.

3. Casual discussions – giving a voice to our members to speak up in defence of their values in political and moral motions in our Wednesday events. They can be part of the audience or speak if interested but can do so in a causal environment.

4. Debate nights - as a society committed to free speech at our heart, we have already had a long list of speakers commit to come and speak with us from across the political spectrum. We are excited that they will join us for our debate nights and that students will get to challenge their argument and not just ask questions. We are also pleased to be the only society running such events that promises to honour freedom of expression for our speakers while they are with us.

5. Student base who aren’t currently active in other political societies – we have already had contact with students who don’t currently engage in political societies say they would be interested in taking part as they feel our events would be more accessible in a casual environment and more enjoyable with more membership involvement. Therefore, we believe we would get student members no ither political society already has. If need we can provide written statements from students.

6. Appeal to international students with committee heavily formed from that often-disengaged group. We would want to run motions designed to reach out to international students to make them feel welcome. Many political societies struggle to do that, especially for those who don’t have English as a first language. I believe our more casual discussions will help with accessibility as well.

Offering panel discussions and workshops from external groups one Wednesday a month which no other society does