Generation Why went to the recent NUS conference in Blackpool to campaign and report on an eventful marathon of debates, voting and controversy.

Emmanuel Jal spoke of his experiences as a child soldier in Sudan.

Around 1,200 student representatives voted on NUS policy (motions) and in elections for new representatives (with their supporters brandishing stickers, sweets, pot noodles, bubble machines and mega phones), and browsed stalls of information with campaigns and issues to get involved in. Many first time conference-goers found themselves wading through the thick murky waters of personal politics, party politics and full-on revolution. From the RESPECT party to the "I heart Boris" badge-wearing young conservatives, here lay a feast to suit all tastes.

Control arms campaigner Hayley Baker getting faces for the Million Faces petition.

Oxfam campaigners worked hard to raise awareness of the Control Arms campaign, getting sign ups for the million faces petition and encouraging delegates to attend the 'no nonsense' fringe meeting on the last evening of the conference. Many students had already signed up and those who hadn't were keen to get their face on the petition - with some (mostly boys) requesting re-taking of photos for better poses. Behind the vanity, though, was a positive and passionate reception to the campaign.

The Control Arms teleshop ad was played to the conference before lunch and the issue was brought to life at the evening fringe event by a moving testimony from Emmaneul Jal, former Sudanese child solider and MC. He highlighted the absurdity and injustice of the arms trade, saying, "I didn't know what was behind it all before but now I do, I feel I must share my testimony to fight against it".

NUS president elect Gemma Tumelty joins the Control Arms campaign.

Campaign

The NUS is a massively powerful body for campaigning.

Dan Chilcott, newly elected Treasurer, believes the Union's campaigning power should be expanded on: "If we all gave an assembly to our old school, we could reach one million teenagers in one morning".

Gemma Tumelty, National President Elect of the NUS, encourages campaigning too: "Students who want to campaign on global poverty should note that students' unions are ideal platforms for bringing this issue to the attention of their fellow students and the wider community. Through NUS, students can also raise the issues on a national scale. Student politics can be a powerful force for change."

Fight global poverty

The future of the Make Poverty History campaign provided much of the debate on students fighting global poverty. A national concert inspired by Live 8 was agreed on and RAG was praised for its massive successes in fundraising. An unanimous vote for a Fairtrade motion, requesting that the NUS fully support Fairtrade universities, proved that awareness spread by popular movements had not gone unnoticed and signified a positive step towards "a time when Fairtrade is default".

At the end of it all, Gemma Tumelty told Generation Why that "NUS has always taken a strong stance on social equality and justice, both in the UK and in the wider world, and I am committed to continuing this tradition under my presidency. Although NUS is mainly known for campaigning on educational issues such as top up fees, we are also strongly internationalist and our members are passionate about global issues. This was most recently illustrated by the strong student involvement in the Make Poverty History and Stop the War campaigns. One of my aims is to get NUS to harness the amazing energy shown by students during such important and popular campaigns."