Speak Up! Stand Up!

We at the University of Manchester Students Union believe that everyone has the right to live, work and study in an environment free from the fear of harassment or violence.

The 'Speak Up! Stand Up!' campaign is collaboration between the University and the University of Manchester Students Union. It aims to empower people to take action against harassment, hate crime and sexual violence.

Acts of harassment and violence committed because of a person’s identity stem from negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes about other people. Left unchallenged these beliefs can lead to prejudicial and discriminatory behaviour and potentially more serious acts of hate and violence.

If you witness problematic behaviour don’t be a bystander Speak Up! Stand Up! Call it out and report it.

Speak Up! Stand Up! helps us understand  the subtler versions of problematic behaviour such as micro-aggressions which always have potential the escalate. It is important to become aware that if we stay silent in the event of a verbal or physical assault especially when a perpetrator targets a person’s religion, gender, or sexuality. As bystanders we can feel it is the job of someone else to speak up for people, to stand up against hate crime, but it isn’t. It is everyone one of our responsibilities’ to stand up for each other in some way or another, and this is what this campaign is all about.

The Students’ Union is proud to be in collaboration with the University of Manchester to launch the Speak Up Stand Up Campaign which aims to educate and empower our students as future leaders of our society, and staff to increase knowledge, confidence in their ability to recognise problematic issues in order to safely confront these issues and report them.

It our duty as humans to protect one another, and as the General Secretary of the Students Union, I think it is important for us all to support and take advantage of this campaign so that we can coexist in a community that is safer for us all.’

We can all do something if we witness problematic behaviour.

The University’s Report and Support Platform allows you to report something anonymously or report it and get support from an advisor.

The campaign includes:

  • Speak Up Stand Up. A campus wide communications campaign.
  • Be the Change. A series of active bystander training sessions and online modules.
  • Diversity Champions. A pilot with Champions in Schools to encourage young people to be active bystanders.

We want to create a culture where all members of our community are treated with respect. Find out how to get involved.

You can find out more about the University's Policy and Guidance.

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