Across Europe, the economic crisis is dividing people between two ideals- are you for democracy or austerity?

In Greece and Italy unelected governments of technocrats have been implemented by unelected institutions like the IMF and the European Central Bank. The European Union dictated by Germany and France is introducing legislation to force governments to set austerity budgets. In Britain, a coalition without a mandate has introduced fees of up to £36,000 for students in England & Wales, as well as rolling back EMA for FE college students. All of this despite promises from Clegg and the Lib Dems at the 2010 election that they would scrap fees.

The lack of accountability in government is also prevalent in our college and universities. University Principals pay themselves huge salaries whilst acting with impunity in slashing courses and cutting staff.

Young working class people are being frozen out of the democratic process: if you can't get access to education and decent jobs you can't effectively participate in society.

The student revolt in the winter of 2010 where hundreds of thousands of young people showed their fury at the coalition government's fees rise and EMA cut shows that young people want to fight for their future.

Our Student Unions and NUS, however, haven't responded effectively to this rise in student activity. The NUS played a disgraceful role in the student protests, joining in government victimisations of student protestors and calling vigils when thousands of students are marching on parliament. Our student unions, on the whole, have failed to turn the rise in student activity into increased participation in the union structures. Most students remain uninspired by the apolitical, service-provider model where student representatives focus more on organising gimmicks for night outs than organising students to defend their courses.

We need a democratic society, and for students that starts with transforming student unions and the NUS into fighting unions that engage students in the democratic process.

The Students for a Democratic Society Conference has been organised to bring students from across Scotland together who want to transform student politics and our student unions. The conference aims to come to an agreed set of policies for education that student activists across Scotland can support and participate in.

Students from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Paisley, Dundee and Edinburgh will be joining the conference, we would encourage you to put forward suggestions here and join the conference on the 21st.