Campaign message to OsloMet students .

Towards students parliament election at Oslo Metropolitan University 2019.

I am a 24 year old international student from Zimbabwe (Africa) doing my first year of a Masters in International Education and Development. I studied a BSc Honours in Economics at The University of Zimbabwe where I gained a solid background in student activism and welfare from a fragile state where it a taboo to be a voice of reason. Despite the risks associated with advocacy in my parent country , due to my empathetic and sympathetic nature I kept on standing for the truth and goodness for the betterment of the maximum many. I wish to be accorded the same opportunity to keep representing students for this is a natural calling to self-sacrifice. My international perspective and global approach to issues may add great value to our Students Parliament.

Being an international student born in the technology generation with a greater commonality with millennials born in a time where the climate change discourse is selling like hot cakes , also coming from a background where democracy is in short supply as compared to the demand on the market place of ideas. I have a heartily  passion to champion, but not limited to the cause of internationalisation, sustainability and better students democracy at this prestigious university, OsloMet.

Together with you, I want to sacrifice to heartily champion the agenda of the removal or the loosening up of annual stringent requirements for international students to produce bank statements and visa processes  using both internal and external remedies premised upon engagement of local and external authorities.

Together with you, I am going to push for the widening, or the expansion of the current capacity to access  free Norwegian language courses for all OsloMet students. I appreciate  that the existing similar arrangement is very necessary, but not sufficient enough for all students at OsloMet in need of the facility.

Together with you, I am  going to push for a domestic and permanent solution to ensure a fixed number of permanent seats in the students parliament for internationals, given that the current state of affairs guarantees equality of representation but does not guarantee equity due to the issue of language as an inevitable barrier. The above move helps to allow full and organic representation of specific interests from the affected direct communities.

We need to widen representative opportunities to ALL students.

Together with you, I also want to push for a better communication  on current events and information through various platforms and literature including provision  of local news in English and other languages.

Together with you, I shall make it a point that we negotiate, lobby and convince the administration to expand capacity and variety of both bachelors and master programmes offered in English to widen the sovereignty and basket of choice for English speakers. This may not benefit you and me in the short run, but future generation of students who will come after us.

Together with you, we will fight for a more guaranteed and substantiated access to Norwegian taught courses’ exams to be allowable in English to allow full expression and maximum potential from students.

Also, together, we shall guarantee an enhanced and synergistic relationship and contact between the business  community and government branches with OsloMet students for greater job opportunities , networks  and apprenticeships.

Together, we shall negotiate for the expansion of current capacity  on the budgets offered to campus organisations and lessen the application and approval bureaucracy and time periods.

Together, we shall push for the opening up of new avenues and exchange opportunities for all programmes at OsloMet including master programmes that are currently not offering that opportunity.

I shall push for the improvement on access to social events to eradicate depression related suicides and depression related diseases and effects.

Also, I shall push for a greater network, participation and contribution of OsloMet students in the global discourse on eradicating climate change and global warming by twinning our university organisation with various other organisations that do the same inside and outside Norway, to as far as Africa. This is one of my key interest areas and I currently work with an organisation called Green Africa Project from Zimbabwe that champion the cause against climate change.

Due to limited space , the above issues, but not limited to the typed words shall be some of my focus areas that I shall make sure results are seen, for I am confident that together we can move mountains, myself alone cannot do that, but together we can.

Where unity is present mountains are conquerable. You can check for my further works on my Facebook and Instagram account both titled “Treasure Basopo”, you can also follow my YouTube channel “Cde Treasure Basopo” , email me at basopotreasure@gmail.com or take a simple google search for my background check.

A luta continua.