We shall not be moved (preliminary response):
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Dear [Uni Secretary],

Thank your for your kind reply.

The contents of your reply will be discussed by the group and action will be taken according to the consensus that we will hopefully reach.

You are welcome to join us in the process in the Yurt at anytime.

However, it is at this stage worthy of note that:

(i) in the past you have demanded that the yurt be guarded 24 hours,which is anyway in our interest, but that it is somewhat incommensurable with a demand that no one sleep in the yurt.

(ii) we have indeed discussed, at great length, in the past the issuesthat you raise, but we did not find that the conditions and demands with which we were met were reasonable. For instance, if there is no heating in the yurt it defeats the very purpose of exhibiting it insular qualities and capacities as a feasible mode of dwelling. Moreover, would you like to sit in a yurt all night long in the cold and not be allowed to even sleep a bit?

(iii) we will continue to exercise a strict meaure of self-organisation and control, while we contemplate an answer to your request.

Thanks a lot.

Sincerely,

The Yurters.

Here are a few shots of inside the Yurt and a banner outside.

The first night has come and the Yurt is very warm, cosy and filled to the brim with curious students, old-timers and weirdos. Isn't it great?

There is nothing like camping and occupying...... hehe....

Dear Yurters,

I do not seem to have had any further information from you about your discussions, but I would like to reiterate a number of points in the meantime.

The University takes its responsibilities for health and safety seriously, and while you may not like the conditions we set on the use of the yurt in the past, they were set for good reasons relating to health and safety. I am sorry if they were too onerous for you to comply with; this, of course is why you do not have any permission to be in the Square at present.

You tell me that you are members of staff and students of the University. As such, can I remind you of your obligations to abide by the University's rules and regulations, with particular reference to safety, whether your own or of other people on campus.I understand from LUSU that the yurt is not, as you claim, an integral part of OWW, and I find it regrettable that you are bringing the organisation of what is an important event into disrepute.

I must therefore reiterate my request that you remove the yurt from Alexandra Square.

Yours sincerely,

xyz

Dear [University Secretary],

One wonders whether people who are self-organising, people whoseinitiative is at the heart of the ideas that created One World Week inthe first place, namely to bring people from around the world together -and who do so in an inclusive, non-commercial space with free tea, coffee and more can be said to be disreputing One World Week. Is that a reasonable statement, or is it a statement that is laden with a whole range of connotations borrowed from certain real-political, bureacratic and hierarchical practices?? - which brings us to another point of One World Week: there can only be a 'One World' if people are allowed to freely associate, socialise and through dialogue exchange and approximate with each other.

That is what you are not allowing students and staff to do through your unreasonable demand to remove the Yurt.

That LUSU in the spirit of its institutional memory as a management training centre claims that the Yurt is NOT integral to OWW just goes tos how that they (whoever speaks on behalf of what is supposed to be a students' union) are detached from the process. Anyone who would spend a bit of time in the yurt, listen to what students, staff and visitors think about the space and how it is allowing them to interact with people that they would have never met otherwise, --and to do so in a chilled out fashion that defeats any corporate setting, anyone who did so, or who read the many comments in the visitor's book--, would completely agree that without the Yurt One World Week is but a series of sproadic events unfolding randomly around campus.

I.e., the Yurt brings connection, continuity and, yes in the end analysis, success to the many brilliant, and, as you say, important events that make up One World Week.

Perhaps that is what you want to deny students and staff of this campus,- that there can be a space for interaction for one little week of the year?

There is nothing we can do about it. The Yurt wants to stay because people wants the Yurt to stay. How can the people deny the people?

We will mind the Yurt for the week - then the University can spend their time and energy contemplating how it will provide a Yurt in Alexandra Square as a permanent feature - for that is what people want. Come and have a look, read in the visitor's book, you will be surprised.

Imagine.

Cheers,

Luther Blisset.

PS: We are still working on a response to your initial approach, but due to an overwhelming amount of visitors we have been sooo busy keeping the kettle on that we have had to deprioritise our bureacratic processes. After all, practice is prior to theory. So please be patient.

Dear [University Secretary], [Head of Security], [Health and Safety Officer];

Some comments and observations on campus security, sincere apologies for any inconvience caused and thanks a lot:

Despite the incommensurability between University insurance policies and the nature or reality of a social experiment like the Yurt as a convergence Centre for One World Week, the people who committed to and took responsbility for keeping the Yurt running for a week sincerely hope that you can understand that it would make no sense to have a tent in Alexandra Square that was not heated. Not only would it defeat one of its main purposes (an alternative dwelling), but also make it very uncomfortable, indeed a health hazard.

Only one problem was passed onto security: the Yurt was attacked by a group of four students who threw eggs at it and put a plastic bag over the chimney. Of course we immediately recognised this and identified the perpetrators (as they were lurking around wearing hoods and talking on mobile phones contemplating further escapades) - and then notified security. We were most impressed with the efficient, coordinated and sustained response from security. Thanks a lot, it made everyone feel safe. Well done.

Apart from the general exhibition purposes (sustainable living etc.) the Yurt functioned incredibly well, like in previous years, as a social space and it really is a shame that the University does not have a'similarly configured' space that can bring together people so different as those who have met and found new friends the last week. A lot of connections across cultural, political and religious boundaries have been made. This is an important aspect of the Yurt: it highlights that there is an unmet need, and it stresses that although the Yurt brought out the attack mentioned above, it makes more sense to consider the attack as a consequence of a lack of something to the effect of 'an inclusive social space' on a permanent basis. This lack adds to the increasing anti-social behaviour on campus. If people cannot meet and commence 'out of the ordinary' dialogues there cannot be a *One World*. In that sense it is regrettable that we could convince you, XYZ, as University Secretary, to come and have a look for yourself.

Differences that make a difference. It did happen and many people are very happy and grateful that they were given this opportunity.

We have collected hundreds of signatures as usual and in that light it would be great if we did not have to deal with being confrontative. We do not wish to be and are generally more interested in constructive, imaginative projects. The purpose of the Yurt is not to contest the rules and regulations of the University, but to highlight some shortcomings of provisions.

The architecture of Lancaster University is not very intelligent in social terms and the current expansion does not add any either. There are now kids from Galgate (and probably other places) roaming around the campus ghetto and causing distress: running on the roofs, presumably looking for open windows and whatever comes along. Campus will soon be twice as big (or something) and stretch down to Galgate where locals and students are already besieged/harassed by a gang of juveniles who are bored, likely to be envious, and who do not have anything better to do. This is an issue that needs to be addressed for what concerns (i) campus security; (ii) the safety of students living in Galgate; and (iii) and those commuting between campus and Galgate. We are very interested in your responses to this and any plans to deal with it.

However, we shall leave you by thanking you all for your tolerance and help, and please do also herewith accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused you. We do appreciate that you have a job to do and probably would prefer to not have to deal with any yurt issues at all. We are also happy to go back to our work!

We really hope that on the basis of yet a success there will be no unreasonable restrictions put on the organisers of One World Week next year to create a convergence centre.

With best wishes,

The Yurters.