Union Council has decided that the Union should not show the men's football World Cup matches on campus.
The upcoming men’s football World Cup, taking place in Qatar, has highlighted serious issues about the treatment of migrant workers as well as the country’s laws concerning LGBTQ+ people.
Some of our members have raised concerns about UCASU’s plans to show the games and with this in mind your Union Council have met to discuss the concerns, coming together to agree that the World Cup games should not be shown.
Your officer team felt that by showing the matches on campus, this would not align with our values. They want to show solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community, here at UCA and show the student community that we, as an organisation, are firmly against the exploitation of workers in Qatar.
We recognise that some of our members will want to watch the World Cup but at the same time, want to do something to support human rights. You can still do both and here are some ways in which to do so:
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Support Amnesty International’s campaign for migrant workers https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/11/qatar-time-fast-running-out-for-infantino-to-break-his-silence-on-migrant-workers-compensation/
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Back Human Rights Organisations in Qatar https://mofa.gov.qa/en/foreign-policy/human-rights/human-rights-organizations-in-qatar
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Sign a petition to end LGBTQ+ discrimination in Qatar and ensure the safety and security of all LGBTQ+ fans travelling to the World Cup https://action.allout.org/en/m/b050d85/
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Write an open letter to FIFA calling for remedy of abuses of migrant workers https://www.hrw.org/PayUpFIFA
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Sign a petition to end forced labour in Qatar https://www.freedomunited.org/advocate/qatar/
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Join Stonewall’s ‘Pride Stadium’ https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/stand-lgbtq-people-qatar-proud-stadium
We hope you understand the team’s decision and we will continue to do our best by our students.