UNIVERSITY: “THIS IS NOT AN ARMS FAIR. THIS IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF LARGE PROCUREMENT PROJECTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT… FOR THE DEFENCE INDUSTRY”
Editors note: ‘Since originally publishing this article, WesternEye have received a statement from BiP Solutions Ltd. We have been assured that: “The exhibitors at DPRTE will NOT have any form of munitions, weaponry, artillery or hazardous military equipment on site.” It is still unclear exactly which products will be on show at the DPRTE event, as so far, the exhibitors with whom we have attempted contact, have declined to reply.”
A controversial conference taking place at UWE on the 20th November is being described by activists as an ‘arms’ conference. Defence and other private contractors will be exhibiting their services for commercial and military buyers at the event.
At the time of publication, the Western Eye is currently unable to confirm which products are being exhibited. The university wishes to clarify that while this is a defence conference, it is not an arms fair. Further information regarding the exhibitors themselves can be found at the promoters’ website www.dprte.co.uk. Defence Procurement Research Technology Exportability are selling tables to exhibitors for up £6000 a go.
Nuclear propulsion technology, fighter jets, machine guns, rockets, hand grenades and electromagnetic pulse bombs are all military weapons manufactured by BAE Systems, who are one of the organisations exhibiting at the event. One of their products is the officially named “Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System”, a 2.75 inch rocket, surprisingly being advertised as “low cost” and requiring “minimal training.”
Local activists associated with Bristol Against the Arms Trade, along with a group of UWE students who currently request anonymity, are gathering support for a demonstration. The protest will be held near the Exhibition and Conference Centre (ECC). In the past, student activists have used dramatic tactics to publicise their opposition. Last month an arms based careers event with representation from BAE amongst other companies was held at Bristol University, where a group of activists faked screaming and dying at the entrance to the exhibition.
The UK government plans to spend £33 billion on military defence in 2014. It is a key sector of the UK economy, an argument often levelled at critics. The defence industry maintains close relationships with research institutions, who help research and develop such technology. Countries guilty of human rights abuses continue to be supplied with arms by Britain. Recent parliamentary committee research revealed that Britain exports £12.3 billion of arms to 25 states which have been identified by the Foreign Office for potential human rights breaches.
At defence conferences held at the ExCel Centre in London, attendees have included “high calibre representatives from the Middle East, India, South America, South and Far East Asia, Australasia, United States and Europe”. Specific invitees to the London conference included delegates from Saudi Arabia, who according to Amnesty International, have “failed on every count to live up to its promises to address the dire human rights situation.”
Student opposition focuses on whether the conference should be located on a university campus. Students feel that their university should represent them. According to one source who wishes to remain anonymous “A university is an educational establishment. Weapons have no place here, and I believe that my university should be obliged to act in a way which is ethically sound. The promotion of advanced technological tools of warfare upon campus is contrary to this.” Despite this, awareness of the event is particularly low, with many students totally unaware of the conference, or the fact that the same conference took place here last year.
Arms dealers are quick to point out that the industry exists whether people like it or not, it cannot be reversed. The logic remains that if the UK stopped producing arms; another country would simply take its place and the ‘losers’ would be all of us affected by the shortfall in the UK economy. Arms dealers also claim that weapons can provide security to citizens under threat in various regions of the world.
University spokesman, Keith Hicks, is keen to assert that UWE does not support arms fairs. He commented, “It is our policy not to support arms fairs. This is not an arms fair. This is a conference that promotes project management of large procurement projects and supply chain management. The University is also not a sponsor of the conference or involved besides the rental of the space. We would not expect protest at this type of conference and clearly we would hope any protest would be responsible.”
So, unethical arms dealing or commercially beneficial conference? We will leave the semantics up to you; draw your own conclusions and let us know what you think.
Typical waffle from Hicks. This is an arms fair promoted by people who make their living from selling lethal weapons. Not really surprising that the current UWE management are happy to make money from it.
ha. the old time argument if we don’t do it someone else will! that is really such a childish response! most of the components for the weapons are made abroad anyhow, so if they decide to stop supplying them to us then the UK has no control over that. The Uk sells the weapons to military dictators, knowing full well that they will use them on their defenseless population. at least make it fair and give the weapons to everyone so we can all have a go at shooting the rich business men and fascists back! I will be waiting at the door to the ECC tomorrow for my rifle and a box of grenades.
This is not an event about weapons this is an event for procurement & Supply Chain – Do you even know what that is?
If you took the time to look at what is on show or what is entailed within the event/conference then you would see that its nothing to do with people who make money from the arms sector. This is about procurement and things like Army uniforms; food; hats; socks; various supplies that are required on a day to day basis.
Are you also aware that under the new procurement legislation security comes under Defence – i.e. the police? Next you will be telling us that we don’t need them and its all a money making racket!!!
Advise – before you make comments have a bit of an understanding to what you are commenting on!!!
Yeah, thanks a bunch students. Still why expect thinking from ‘graduates’ of a jumped up polytechnic whose qualifications are worth jack in the real world. If you had undertaken ANY research at all, you would realise that pretty much all of the exhibitors are small companies, quite a few of them local to the area.
We’re one of them. It costs a significant amount of cash to exhibit at these events. Thanks for wasting it. Our stuff is not in any way ‘bombs and guns’. Our products (software based) are bought by, and support the business of finance, transport, ordinary companies, the NHS etc etc. Yep we’d like the MoD to be a buyer too. You do know most of the stuff the MoD buys isnt guns and bombs?
Did you know that the purpose was to demonstrate the latest UK based research in technology? We had interest from UK based car manufacturers. We had interest from Polish heavy machine manufacturers. We might have had other export leads if people were not illegally stopped by a bunch of ill-informed wasters who’d rather rant than learn.
The people who did manage to turn up through your skiving ill-mannered badly thought out childish ‘the man’ ‘you all sell to Mugabi’ yadda – its like listening to 5 year olds – I wish you’d made it through to my stand and allowed me to ‘demonstrate’ what its like to try and promote your business through a research exhibition and then have some mindless uninformed poly students dick around until lunch-time when their demand for a greggs pasty and a pint overwhelmed their principles. Hope you felt brave yesterday afternoon.
We’ve been looking at partnering with academia comp-sci to undertake some research with us. We won’t bother with UWE. You havent got a clue.
Get outraged at BAe if you want. Or anyone else you feel the need. Next time dont spoil it for the bystanders who have a job to do and are trying to sell and export the latest innovation to raise the profile oft the UK.
I’ll write to the boss of your Poly and BiP and try and get this event moved. It will still take place and it will be bigger and better. And we’ll exhibit again. And your poxy poly will be dminished for it.
In reply to Mr. Ballsac;
Part of the protest was to highlight how much it cost to exhibit at these fairs – they are a party for elites and not many local businesses can afford to attend.
Secondly, supplying the MoD with non-lethal technology is not a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card; you are still supplying, supporting and enabling a military group who’s prime directive is the use of military force.
The argument can be taken to absurdity when we take the case of a supplier of rifle scopes. They are not selling guns and can thus claim to be free of any wrongdoing. In the eyes of protesters and the many student voices they represented however, there is little difference between the two – A scope allowing more precise killing of humans is not a good thing.
Many of the points raised have been to do with supporting business; perhaps this is also a twisted view. UWE students want to be seen as pro-business and be able to get jobs when they graduate this ‘poxy-poly’ (hilarious observation I might add) despite graduate employment figures telling them otherwise. But how much morality are we willing to sacrifice in the name of profit? – the UK is already one of the leaders in supplying lethal and non-lethal weaponry to the world. It has been proven that UK goods have ended up in the hands of terrorists, rebels and dictators.
The key problem with the debate is obfuscation of terms: by describing “end-users of products” or anti-privacy devices” there is no option for open debate. Instead, students are forced to protest just to draw attention to something they see as amoral. Anyone claiming they are ‘just doing their job’ can just as easily be accused of condoning nefarious activities. Mr Ballsack, whilst you may feel that you are a beneficial small business in Bristol, you are part and parcel with the booming blood industry in the UK. The fact that the arms trade is an area of economic growth should perhaps be a warning sign.
Thankyou for writing to our VC and asking to move the event; I think many of the pasty-eating unemployable UWE students/graduates you mention will be pleased to hear that you support their view that UWE should not become another cog in the murder machine.We have enough trouble with businesses ruining our university for their own profit as it is thank you very much.
Its a bit goddam rich to complain about a military group who’s prime directive is the use of military force, given the actions of the people yesterday, the proud woman who got arrested for assaulting a policeman, the running scuffles with police and forcing your way into a private building.
I like your polemic, the ‘murder machine’. Very good. With alliteration like that are you a media student perchance. Media studies from Bristol Poly. Your parents must be so proud.
Do you not smell the rank hypocrisy?
You are annoyed because you don’t want to be grouped in with murderers. Yet you willingly group me with law breakers.
How are you a professional, a business owner? The way you are acting, you wouldn’t be allowed to study at UWE. Have some damn respect.
Don’t worry though my friend, I forgive you. I understand you fell for the small business rhetoric of successive governments. You feel like you deserve a profit. You feel like the system owes you one.
Perhaps you could learn from UWE students who work hard in the face of unemployment, debt and zero-hour contracts.
But please don’t offer me a job. I would NEVER work for you.
Indeed dear, I smell the rank hypocrisy in all of your posts. You need to understand, that amongst us grown-ups there is a strict definition of what a ‘murderer’ is. You can group me in with whomseover you like, thats your prerogative to be ignorant. But when you impact my business because you are clueless then we’ve got an issue.
I have no respect for you (damn or otherwise) because:
a) you are entirely incorrect and misinformed.
b) you claim to dislike military force but then use it yourself, or support those who used it against police, people in the street who had no connection with the ‘bombs and missiles’ you keep going on about.
You talk about working hard in the face of unemployment. When did you last do a 40 hour week, Deary? You talk about debt, when did you last invest your money to try and get work for your employees. Those students picking a fight with the police on weds – well they were working hard weren’t they?
Good grief, I wouldnt be allowed to study at UWE? A second rate Poly? Give me a break. I can buy a qualification from ebay with greater provenance.
Thank you Mr Balsac for your thoughtful, although rather rash, insights into our university. Your attitude is exactly why so many students opposed your presence yesterday.
Firstly, to use phrases such as ‘jumped up polytechnic whose qualification are worth jack in the real world,’ would surely question why you want to be at our university anyway.
You miss the point with regards to the presence of varied local businesses and their supposed lack of involvement in controversial, international trade. Correct, there were only a small handful of companies exhibiting that actually make live munitions and those products were not being exhibited yesterday. Nonetheless, being part of the industry and dealing with these companies makes you involved. You are not innocent bystanders, you are indirectly compliant with the munition side of the industry.
The activists were quite aware of what was going on inside, they oppose any trade with countries who present risk. In fact, inside the conference yesterday there was a talk by the UKTI about how to procure export licenses to countries with risk.
It spoke of previous cases where products had been diverted to people operating outside of the parameters of their license. It detailed how you go about acquiring licenses to Iraq, Iran, Oman etc. Again, whether you are selling guns or uniforms you are contributing to this process.
To say it was a conference for the NHS is quite misleading. There was another talk on UK Export Finance. The conference was more about supply-chain management overseas. Did you not notice that?
You should redirect your concerns apropos your prospectus contractors to the companies your industry engages with who export to countries where the products, accumulatively, present a risk.
I find it hilarious that you mock our ‘poxy’ education even though your post is full of errors in grammar and spelling. Just to share a few things I have learnt at our fantastic, established university…. The opposite of informed is ill-informed. Mugabe is spelt with an ‘e’ not and ‘i’.
Also, please use commas between adjectives, to set off adverbs at the beginning of a sentence and to separate lists.
Lastly, please do write to the ‘boss of our poly,’ and attempt to get the event moved. That is exactly what we wanted from the start. You would be doing our job for us, and for that we thank you.
Yep, if you’re going to be a smart-arse regarding syntax, then you better not come up with english such as:
“You should redirect your concerns apropos your prospectus contractors to the companies your industry engages with who export to countries where the products, accumulatively, present a risk.”
If you’r trying to be profound, at least get the words out in the correct order. And no, I didnt feel it necessary to proof-read my submission, for one thing most of you can’t spell and second, you’re not worth the effort.
I was just saying if you’re going to mock our education, at least bother to write correctly.
You are charming, aren’t you.
Thanks again, for taking the time to enjoy our website.
Peace.
No sense of irony. A quickly typed out web comment is not War and Peace. If you are going to criticise the semantics and syntax of others, you better be damned sure you’re above reproach.
And you’re not.
I’m not here to be charming, just as those protesters were not. I’m here to find out why a bunch of mis-informed idiots are blackening the name of UWE, Bristol, the UK, our work, investment, innovation and research (which is not an aggressive war-mongering product) used violence, intimidation and illegal acts (including violence against the police), whilst they should be taking part in tax-payer (that’s me) funded education to damage my business, cost UK jobs and opportunities at an exhibition designed to showcase the latest in research.
One day, one of you reprobates will be criticising British innovation and industry and wondering why good jobs are few and far between. Its because the dicks at UWE stopped us from selling our ideas at a RESEARCH EXHIBITION. I wish you could have seen what was inside. Its not what anyone here thinks it is.
You are mis-informed with badly directed action and those protesters are lucky that the exhibitors did not get their hands on them.
I hope that the Authorities kick out all of the students that took part in that action. Then they might realise its not ‘their’ Polytechnic and there’s a thing called democracy, where violent action isnt tolerated. If you want to change the world, you change Govt policy. Bullying and heckling people in the street is a cowards way out.
UWE is a joke. Its students are a joke. It cannot shake off its low rent Poly heritage. Call it a Uni, but a Uni it is not.
If I had my way all 25000 of you would be out on your ear today flipping burgers. Only 3 years difference anyway.
We’ll have peace when those tossers pay me for the money I lost. Until then, I’m owed.
Don’t be such a ball sack harry.
Also, who are you Mr Balsac? I cannot find you on the internet… Surely that is how any business promotes itself today if they operate transparently?
A LinkedIn page says you work for Turinn (sic) Consultants… I cannot find anything that suggests your company actually exists on Google or even Companies House….
So do you operate illegally or are you just a sad, angry troll?
Good grief, yet another stalker. Does your girlfriend know?
Dear Mr Balsac,
May I be the first UWE delegate to wish you and your company all the best in the future development of deadly arms all in the name of ‘raising the profile oft (sic) the UK’. I’m sure, with dynamic business ventures such as yours, that the UK’s profile will soar to new heights in Middle East, with the name of the British Arms Industry being praised for bringing peace, harmony and prosperity to such a volatile area. Who knows, perhaps once the infrastructure of Kabul has been rebuilt, they may even want your software for their shiny new public healthcare system. Dream big.
“It will still take place and it will be bigger and better. And we’ll exhibit again. And your poxy poly will be dminished for it.” Harry Balsac, 2013
“If you build it, they will come” Wayne’s World 2, 1993
Ah yes, U.W.E. the ‘poxy poly’ that will be so ‘dminished’ by the lack of your presence at future conferences that we may as well lock the doors to the 30,000 future graduates tomorrow, as we simply have no hope of soldiering on now we have lost ‘The Ballsac Factor’.
It saddens me that we have to part way on such hostile terms, but I lay in hope that one day UWE and the Killing Industry can reconcile their differences and embrace the mutual benefit that flattening Afghan villages can bring us all.
So long,
Best wishes,
And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Regards,
30,000 Pasty-Munching, Jumped-Up Poly Students x
This is the most clueless rubbish I’ve heard. Get back to the cradle. What ‘deadly arms’ are you bleating on about? What are you on about the MIddle East? What are you on about Kabul?
And yes, you turn your back on industry association and UWE Poly is diminished. But how you get lower than whale dung is yet to be seen.
Think about that when you’re having half a shandie at the Hamid Karzai Bar tonight.
Well, what surprises me is that 25,000 people (you’re not very bright, only being able to round up to the nearest 10000 eh?) with academic aspirations didnt have the intellectual ability to get a place at Bristol University, or, could only spell ‘Poly’. Still, after reading the posts here, you’ve all arrived at the right place.
Also, like any good Poly student I get my facts strictly from Wikipedia, so I’m taking 30,000 as fact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_enrollment
Read ’em and weep, biatch.
Good grief, are you so lazy you can’t even check the basic facts?
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/factsandfigures/studentandstaffnumbers.aspx
25,404 students.
Seriously now, a bunch of people claiming to have a reasoned opinion and you can’t even get the number of students at your Poly correct. Even though its on the UWE web-site.
Just what facts do you think you’ve got right in the past week? You do know about Santa, right?
I honestly don’t care if you think my degree and University is worthless. I couldn’t care less that you are more intelligent than me, I would much rather have a heart and compassion for other human beings.
Mr Anonymous
You should care greatly as to what myself and others think of your education and institution, as this reflects directly on the worth of your qualifications. It doesnt matter how bright or capable you are, you need opportunities to exhibit this. With the dismal exhibition so far, lack of knowledge, insight, you are tarred with the brush of your fellow ignorant idiots.
So you have compassion, do you? I hope you expressed this to the family of the injured policeman hurt in the student led violence on Wednesday.
Or are you just another ignorant hypocrit?
Hi mate. I wouldn’t trust that figure, its from the official UWE website.
You know what, I think you’re right – UWE is full off ill-informed knobheads who spend their time targeting innocent software developers and policemen whilst they are simply trying to do their jobs. I think we should start picking on somebody our own size. According to Wiki, the Townswomen’s Guild has 30,000 members – bloody bra burning feminists!
Now that’s settled, perhaps you would like to advise us how you rose to your prominent position in society Mr Balsac? I have always dreamed of being a software developed who tours the ex-Polytechnics of the South West demonstrating my wares in a peaceful and normative manner, but was lead to believe by the lies of the Bourgeoisie (that’s a word used by us academics to mean those in charge of big business) that the only way to do this was through gaining a University degree.
I now feel saddened and ashamed at my life choices and am putting the blame squarely at your door Mr Balsac. Where were you when I was filling in that UCAS application form?
Probably off selling proximity mines to orphanages, no doubt…
Ball sack, it was 30,000 before the introduction of the £ 9,000 fees and has slowly dropped, over the past 3 years to its current figure. The university and the SU likes to round it up in its figures in publications that it send out to its students so that it sounds more impressive, hence why many students may still be labouring under that misapprehension. Who knew the university could lie/distort the truth… what was it Steve West said the other day, oh yeh ‘this is not an arms fair’….
Harry, you may not be able to sell Missiles any more, but you are one funny bastard.
Pint sometime? x
I can honestly say I would like to share a couple of shots with you. I’d even pay!
Also Harry, I’m intrigued to know just exactly how you can kill somebody using only software?
Bloody impressive that. Can you only kill people in Wi-Fi hot spots?
Might write my dissertation on this. Ta.
Harry, you say that the other posters on here are “not worth the effort” but still you comment/reply.
If your such a succesful, mature and intelligent business person, why on earth are you on here insulting pathetic polytechnic students?
I find the irony here, as I should be writing my dissertation on “Non-Newtonian Visco-Elastic Fluids and the Complex Viscosity Function, noting the effects of Fluid Inertia”… But I am writing this to you. Suppose it’s because I am a second rate student that couldn’t get into Bristol Uni.
Also, your constant refence to UWE being a “Bristol poly” is, I believe, incorrect. From what I can gather UWE is a part of South Gloucestershire…. So TECHNCALLY not Bristol.
It’s a shame, because I agree with what you have said re the “Arms Fair”, and disagree whole heartedly with this article. But hey ho, I’ll leave you and your “small business” in piece.
LM
P.S. If you honestly think that a letter from yourself and your business is going to encourage the powers that be to change the venue in the future, I admire your confidence.
Oops! I meant *peace. I guess my education really is lacking.
Oh dear! I see yet another spelling mistake.
I guess I should just kill myself now, before I loose all my brain cells.
Oh dear! A grammatical error too!
I guess I should hand over my Mensa membership….