Student activism has been a defining feature of university life for as long as there have been universities. Young, idealistic, energetic and caught in the throes of an exciting yet tumultuous period of growth and exploration, it is unsurprising that students are often the first to question and challenge social norms and injustices. However, the ways in which students campaign and fight for a better, brighter, and fairer society can vary, raising questions about just what ‘student activism’ really is. Where are the boundaries between delinquency, social disruption and political protest? Must activism be loud? This is the driving question behind Mia Sandgren’s article which explores how an individual’s quiet, everyday choices (such as choosing to cycle rather than drive) can be considered forms of ‘activism’.
While education has always been a key focus for students, activists engage in many wider social movements and issues such as apartheid, refugee rights and climate change. This inaugural print edition of Demos Journal takes a look at several specific campaigns, particularly as they have played out at the ANU and in Canberra. ANU Professor John Minns muses on the successes and challenges of the ANU refugee campaign, as well as the tactics used to build momentum and maintain morale in the face of a stubbornly hostile political environment. The same issue is explored in the poem ‘Lonsdale Street’ from the perspective of being involved in a direct and confrontational way.
History is a key focus of this issue, and as such, many articles explore the issues which angered the predecessors of today’s student activists. Catherine McLeod, Andy Mason, Steve Skitmore and Emma Cupitt all look at issues from a historical perspective, from student protests against the Vietnam War, to support for Indigenous rights and the fight for affordable housing. The latter issue is one which has immediate, personal relevance to Skitmore and Cupitt. As former residents of the Canberra Student Housing Co-op in Havelock House, they have benefited directly from the initiative and bravery of the students who came before them. Their piece, “We Just Needed a Place to Live”, also explores contemporary gentrification and the demolition of public housing on Northbourne Avenue. The extensive timeline found at the back of this issue provides a detailed chronology of the ANU’s student activist history. In addition to the past and present struggles which are unpacked in this issue there are hints of campaigns to come. Robyn Lewis, in her piece, “Higher Education Activism without Vocation”, implores activists not to forget vocational students when campaigning for accessible, quality education. Anna Dennis argues that the fight for free education is meaningless if we remain silent while our institutions wither under the pressures of neoliberal managerialism.
This edition of Demos Journal aims to provide a kaleidoscopic exploration of student activism and therefore looks beyond specific movements to the lives of activists themselves. Lizzie Storer and Sylvia Gunn reflect on the influence their upbringings have had in shaping their identities as activists and approach to activism. Esther Carlin and Amelia Filmer-Sankey have curated a poignant collection of responses from ANU activists, past and present, to the question of whether it is difficult to maintain hope as an activist. Other contributors, such as Anna Himmelreich, delve into the apparent rise in apathy and decline in student activism from the heyday of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Vanamali Hermans’ interview with ANU ‘70s activist, Chris Swinbank, provides insight into the generational differences that might be behind this.
We hope you enjoy the engaging and thoughtful explorations of student activism our contributors have to offer, and that this publication plays a role in the ongoing project of capturing ANU’s history of dissent. There are many people to be thanked for helping us achieve this snapshot.
Thanks must firstly go to Odette Shenfield for helping to initiate this project and making it a reality. This issue would not have been possible without her vision, energy and ideas, not to mention the countless hours spent researching material, soliciting pieces and contacting activists. Thank you to Anna Himmelreich and Shoshana Sniderman-Wise for beginning the collation of archival material on ANU student activism. Their hours of work and research were pivotal in constructing the timeline found at the back of this issue. For making this inaugural print edition a reality, we are incredibly grateful to the Layout Editor, Joanne Leong. Her artistic flair and eye for detail really brought the publication to life. A huge thank you to Mia Sandgren for her ongoing guidance and encouragement throughout the soliciting and editing phases, and to our team of sub-editors—Duncan Stuart, Amanda Dheerasekara, Odette Shenfield, Mia Sandgren and Emma Cupitt. Thanks must go to Chris Swinbank for the invaluable material his scrapbook provided and to Esther Carlin and Amelia Filmer-Sankey for working alongside us to produce the artistic installation of this wider project. We would also like to thank James Connolly and ANU Students’ Association for their support, and the ANU Fund who provided a grant for the printing. A final thank you to all our contributors and the student activists, young and old, without whom this edition of Demos Journal would not be possible. We are deeply grateful to these activists for their ongoing commitment to struggles against injustice and inequality, and for their dedication to building a world we may all equally share and enjoy.
Acknowledgment of Country
This edition focuses on activism at the Australian National University. We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land the Australian National University sits on – where this edition was written and published – always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging of the Ngunnawal, Ngambri, and Ngambri-Guumaal nations.
We acknowledge that Indigenous sovereignty has never been ceded to any state or corporate entity. We acknowledge that colonialism never ended in Australia and has only shifted form.
For the pieces in this edition that discuss environmental activism, we would like to acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations have lived here sustainably for millennia and continue to practice and share their unique knowledge in their connection to country.
