Students Meet at AGM

By Anna Batler

At the 2003 AGM the National Campus Advisory Committee ran the student caucus. The theme of resolutions came out of the desire to empower the students to act within the often-murky realm of organizational policy. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. This year six resolutions were directly connected to the student movement within Amnesty International. The Caucus was designed to incorporate all levels of Amnesty involvement. Over two hundred people attended.

During the first brake-out group, students were divided based on their comfort level with the resolution process as a whole. All the groups were leads by students, from the most experienced to the least. The students who wrote several of the resolutions lead the less experience groups, proving them with an overview of the process. Those with more experience focused on the different methods of persuasion.

Throughout the caucus the students gained an understanding of the entire process of resolutions, from the regional working parties, to the final vote at the AGM Plenary. At the end of the caucus the attendees were able to follow the entire process and make their own amendments. Terms such as "calling the question" and "an amendment on an amendment" were no longer a mystery. The caucus concluded with regional break out groups, lead by the National Campus Advisory representatives from the orresponding region. Students had a chance to catch up on the year, mingle and network amongst themselves.

All in all the caucus was fast-paced, interactive and engaging.

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