Maroof’s Mid-Year Memo: Key Wins and What’s Brewing

Hello, lovely humans of Cambridge!

I hope you've managed to make it through the term without too many existential crises, accidental all-nighters, or overly ambitious pumpkin spice latte orders. As we zoom past Week 8 and collectively limp toward Christmas (powered by caffeine, hope, and mince pies), I thought it was time for my mid-year “What I Have Done So Far” essay. It's part update, part shameless plug, and all caffeine-fueled enthusiasm. Let’s dive in!

1. Decolonisation at Cambridge: Unpacking the Empire, One Meeting at a Time

This term, the ambitious project of “decolonising” Cambridge went ahead on full steam. Here’s what I have been up to:

• The Decolonisation Report 2024: A shiny new report with a manifesto to match. Think of it as a guide to making Cambridge a little less Eurocentric and a lot more inclusive.

• Working Group: Over 25 brilliant students from 20+ colleges and 18 degree programs have joined forces. It’s like the Avengers but with more policy papers and fewer explosions.

• National Decolonisation Conference (March 2025): We’ve invited 32 SUs to collaborate and are even chatting with CRASSH’s Catalysts for Decolonisation Lab. (Yes, they have a lab. No, no beakers are involved.)

Future Steps:

• Building a Decolonisation Hub for resources and initiatives. (The one-stop shop for all your inclusive curriculum needs!)

• Proposing a Decolonising the Curriculum paper to the General Board of Education Committee. Wish us luck—or send snacks.

2. Preventing the Prevent Campaign: Students Not Suspects

Prevent policies might have a catchy name, but the reality is far less palatable. Here’s how we’ve been fighting the good fight:

• Students Not Suspects Campaign: Leading a robust campaign mandated by Cambridge SU.

• Engagement: Presented a discussion paper with Amnesty International (because nothing says academic synergy like a collab with human rights advocates).

• Cross-Collegiate Inquiry: Informally gathering data ahead of the OfS deadline. If colleges don’t play ball, we’ve got our FOI requests at the ready.

Future Steps:

• Publishing the Prevent Campaign Report 2025 with data, guidance, and resources. Hopefully, it’ll be as impactful as it sounds fancy.

3. Additional Projects: Because Who Needs Free Time?

Here’s a quickfire round of what else has kept me busy (and dangerously close to needing an extra espresso shot):

• Press & Statements:

  • Condemned Islamophobic riots and supported the aims of the Palestinian encampments.

  • Responded to an avalanche of press requests this term, with journalists demanding hot takes faster than you can say “Week 5 Blues.” (Pro tip: 90% of it is probably on Varsity—just saying.)

• Black History Month:

  • Highlights included screening Educationally Subnormal and a fantastic talk on Reclaiming the Narratives with the Black Curriculum.

• Diwali Collaboration:

  • Lit up Cambridge with cross-collegiate events. Literally.

• BME Mental Health Initiatives:

  • Organised strolls in Grantchester, created a Freshers’ Quick Resource Pack and partnered on Movember’s events.

Future Steps:

• Anti-Racism Training: Rolling out training for students and staff, with a snazzy Train-the-Trainers model. (Looking for funding help—because activism isn’t cheap!)

• Porters EDI Training: Revising training specifically for porters. We want the people who welcome students daily to be as inclusive as the campus itself.

Final Thoughts: Collaboration, Caffeine, and Christmas Countdown

If anything here aligns with your projects, priorities, or random ideas scribbled in your notebook, I’d love to hear from you! Whether it’s Decolonisation, Prevent, or the pressing need for snacks at every meeting, let’s chat before we all disappear into holiday mode. 

Empathetically yours,
Maroof Rafique

Email: maroof.rafique@cambridgesu.co.uk

P.S. If you’ve read this far, reward yourself with a mince pie. You’ve earned it.