Student Action Network Elections

Are you a student in a UK university or further education college, passionate about human rights and ready to drive change? If so, Amnesty needs you! 

The Amnesty Student Action Network (STAN) committee is at the forefront of student activism in the UK, leading campaigns and representing thousands of students.

Whether you are passionate about dismantling racism, defending our right to protest, championing LGBTQ+ rights, or fighting against apartheid - lead the campaigns you care about and develop crucial skills whilst working in human rights.

Our 2024 elections are happening online – nominate yourself to lead the Amnesty Student Action Network!

We particularly welcome nominations from people from non-Russell group universities, Further Education Colleges, and from those with lived experiences of racism and ableism. 

Who are the STAN committee?

• The committee is made up of up to 10 current students who support Amnesty student groups and represent the Student Network to the rest of the Amnesty movement.
• The STAN committee are highly committed and enthusiastic students, dedicated to human rights.
• They lead campaigns and fundraising, directly inputting into and implementing strategies for the student network.
• They support student activists at national and regional events, as well as throughout the year.

Committee Roles 

Rather than just representing a region of the UK, the STAN Committee also have specialist roles within Amnesty UK. This is an opportunity for you to lead work on a human rights area you are most passionate about!

These roles are:

• Chair
• Gender Justice Officer
• LGBTQ+ Justice Officer
• Anti-Racism and Racial Justice Officer 
• Disabled Students Justice Officer
• Climate Justice and Sustainability Officer 
• Socio-economic Justice Officer
• Student-led Campaigns Officer 
• Higher Education Outreach Officer
• Further Education Outreach Officer

When you submit your application, you will be asked to nominate yourself to the 3 officer roles that most appeal to you. Please read the full description of the STAN Committee Officer roles before nominating yourself, and make sure you are eligible to apply for certain roles. 

To run for election, you need to:

1. Complete an online nomination form (takes approx. 15 minutes) 

2. Submit a 1-minute video recording to Hannah.Stokes@amnesty.org.uk outlining why students should vote for you, as well as a photo of yourself.

• If you are unable to record a video or audio, and submitting a written summary about what you'd like to tell us about yourself is more accessible to you, then please do so.
• There are no right or wrong things to say in your recording, but remember you are speaking to the student network about why you would be great on the STAN committee! You might want to tailor it so that it speaks to the officer roles you’re applying for.
• Please make sure to include a written transcript of your recording, or include captions in your video recording where possible, to ensure your recording is accessible to as many people as possible.

3. If successfully elected, be available to attend the STAN handover weekend on 22-23 June in Sheffield. All travel, accommodation and food expenses will be covered.

Committee members need to:

• Be available to attend regular online calls (usually 1 per month).
• Be available to attend physical committee meetings throughout the year which always take place on weekends (3-4 times per year).
• Have enthusiasm and dedication for defending human rights.
• Commit to attend and help organise key Amnesty events throughout the year such as Amnesty UK’s Student Conference.

What we provide for committee members:

• Experience leading human rights campaigns for the Student Action Network and shape the direction of Amnesty's work with students.
• The opportunity to feed into the development of Amnesty UK, especially the Student Network.
• Receive specialist training delivered by Amnesty UK staff and external experts
• The opportunity to speak at internal and external events and represent the Student Network 
• Tailored personal development opportunities – got a future career in mind? We can find experience to support you in this journey!
• Full reimbursement of expenses, including support for attending meetings, events and conferences.

Reserved Spaces:

There are 4 reserved places on the Student Action Network Committee, 1 for each of the UK nations; England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. 

If, at the close of nominations, there have been no nominations submitted from one of these regions, that seat will become unreserved. 

All members of the Student Action Network Committee represent all students within the network regardless of which seat and officer role they occupy.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about what it’s like to be a member of the STAN committee, please get in touch with the committee at stan@amnesty.org.uk. 

Please read the full role description before nominating yourself. 

How does voting work?

• Information on how to vote will be sent to all student groups.
• Each affiliated group will need to decide who they want to vote for. Each group can vote for 10 candidates and each vote will be counted.
• Only groups that have affiliated with Amnesty UK, having paid its annual affiliation fee, will be eligible to vote in the STAN Committee election. If your group is not currently affiliated, you will still be able to vote in the elections as long as you affiliate to Amnesty UK 1 month after the elections take place.
• If you need to re-affiliate or are not sure of your group’s current status, please get in touch by emailing students@amnesty.org.uk. 

Nominations close at 23.59 on Sunday 26 May 2024. Good luck!