Preventing Prevent
The UK Government's 'Prevent' strategy is a manipulative, discriminatory and Islamophobic programme to suppress political dissent in the name of preventing people from turning to terrorism.
SACC believes that 'Prevent' should be scrapped. We urge people not to cooperate with 'Prevent' or accept 'Prevent' funding. We support the Together Against Prevent initiative, we support the stance taken against 'Prevent' by the University and College Union (UCU) and the National Union of Students (NUS) and we urge other unions to adopt similar policies.
The roll-out of 'Prevent' in Scotland has speeded up, partly as a result of the new 'Prevent' duties placed on public bodies under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. Staff in some public-sector organisations are already receiving 'Prevent' training. If this continues unchecked, it will spread a poisonous atmosphere of suspicion and islamophobia through our society.
The new 'Prevent' duties apply to local authorities, universities, further education colleges, schools and the NHS. They may also be forced upon third sector organisations through contracts with public bodies.
We are trying to monitor the situation, so please contact us if you encounter any 'Prevent' activity in your workplace. It could be that you or your colleagues have received 'Prevent' training, or it could be that someone has made comments to you that appear to have been derived from 'Prevent' training. Or it could be that someone exercising their supposed 'Prevent' duties has raised concerns that your behaviour or political views are potentially "extremist".
If you are a student please contact your student association. If you are an academic, please contact your UCU branch. If their response is unsatisfactory, please draw their attention to the NUS and UCU conference resolutions, and alert us to the situation. If you are in any other union, please discuss the situation with your union representatives, ask them to support you against any unreasonable demands placed on you by 'Prevent', and encourage your union to develop a firm position against 'Prevent'.
If you are being targeted by 'Prevent' as a potential extremist, we recommend that in addition to these steps you seek legal advice.
The impact of 'Prevent' on the NHS and schools in Scotland could be particularly serious, but has so far received little attention. If you work in these sectors in Scotland and you have any information about 'Prevent', or if you just want to get involved in the campaign, please contact us.
Resources
A Prevent Cheat Sheet from SACC - What you need to know about Prevent
Students Not Suspects (pdf document) - leaflet (2 pages) from the UCU - recommended.
Preventing PREVENT handbook from NUS Black Students' campaign - recommended
Preventing Violent Extremism? (pdf document) - booklet (21 pages) from IHRC
Prevent Guidance issued by the UCU (pdf document) - unfortunately a little weak in places.
Prevent Case archive from Prevent Watch
Preventing What? SACC Briefing published in 2009 (some changes in Prevent since then)
The Prevent Strategy: Campaign Resources from IHRC
Preventing Violent Extremism and PREVENT by Khalida Khan (An-Nis Society), 2009 (some changes in Prevent since then)