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A Statement by
Concerned Faculty and Staff
for Peace
in Afghanistan
The following Peace Statement was written and
circulated by faculty at the University of
Mass./Amherst and the other four colleges in the area.
Perhaps this statement could be considered to be
expanded into a national statement to get other
professors and university staff to sign on to,
and perhaps run as an ad in the New York Times or send
to Congress. An additional outlet could be an online
petition set up as a separate site where signatures
could be collected.
We, the undersigned faculty and staff, oppose the
continuation of the US war in Afghanistan for both
moral and political reasons. We are outraged by the
loss of life in the September 11 terrorist attacks and
agree that the United States government has an
obligation to take steps to secure the security of its
citizens. But targeting Afghanistan or any
nation to retaliate for actions by an international
group of terrorists is both immoral and ineffective.
It is immoral because civilians will inevitably be
killed, causing more unnecessary suffering. It is
ineffective because it will not root out this or other
networks of terrorists located all over the world. To
the contrary, US war actions of this sort will be
perceived by those who are already angry at
previous US policy in the Middle East and elsewhere
in the world as more evidence that our country is a
violent aggressor. Thus these actions may, in fact,
produce more responses like the September 11 attack.
As a consequence the US at the end of this aggressive
process will have achieved neither justice nor
improved security.
We believe it is important to create a space for
critical discussion and debate on the history of the
US's involvement in the Middle East and Central Asia,
as well as on foreign and domestic policy
alternatives to war. In this spirit, we encourage
other faculty to create a space for discussion of
these issues in their classrooms, or to support
student efforts outside of class to promote open and
constructive discussion. We believe individuals should
suspend "business as usual"
and commit themselves to efforts to promote peace and
justice.
We oppose any restriction on our civil liberties of
freedom of speech and association, including pressure
on individual faculty, staff or students not to openly
express their political opinions, no matter how
unpopular they are. We also oppose various
anti-terrorism bills before the Congress which would
suspend constitutional rights for immigrants
who are suspects.
As goals for the critical space of discussion and
investigation called for above, we accept the five
points of unity of the Five College Students for a
Peaceful Response (SPR).
The Five Points of Unity are as follows:
1. Expressing sympathy with victims of terrorism;
2. Seeking and promoting peaceful alternatives to
war;
3. Countering prejudice, specifically toward Arab
and Muslim individuals;
4. Protecting civil liberties, and
5. Fostering discussion about American foreign
policy.
We would like to add point 6, which is a proposal for
an alternative policy to resolve the present war in
Afghanistan: We urge the US government to cease its
present war with Afghanistan and request that the
United Nations Security Council establish an
international tribunal to try those suspected of
terrorism. The UN should determine the nations whose
judges are represented on the tribunal. The Security
Council should also establish a UN force to arrest
terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks, and use
other measures deemed necessary, such as economic
sanctions on nations and banks that refuse to comply
with the freezing of suspects' assets. Such
international mechanisms to challenge global networks
of terrorism can provide citizens of the United States
with more security than our present policy, and will
not continue a war in Afghanistan that is
counter-productive and a humanitarian disaster.
UMass faculty and staff signers include: Asya
Al-Ashaikh, DPPA; Arlene Avakian, Women's Studies; Lee
Badgett, Economics; Stephanie Bergmann OEB; Joyce
Berkman, History; Samuel Bowles, Economics; John
Brentlinger, Philosophy Emeritus; John Brigham,
Political Science; Elisabeth Chilton, Antropology;
Marta Calas, School of Management; Arlyn Diamond,
English;
James Der Derian, Political Science; Carmen Diana
Deere, Economics; Judy Dietel, Economics; Gerald
Epstein, Economics; Martin Espada, English; Isabel
Espinal, Library; Ann Ferguson, Philosophy and Women's
Studies; Nancy Folbre, Economics; Lyn Frazier,
Linguistics; Julie Gallagher, History and Women's
Studies; Julie Graham, Geo Sciences; Laurie Godfrey,
Anthropology; Laura Holland, Art; Julie Hemment,
Anthropology; Kirsten Isgro, Communications and
Women's Studies; Sut Jhally, Communications;
Sangeeta Kamat, Education; Art Keene, Anthropology;
Christine King, Nursing ; David Kristjanson,
Economics; Elizabeth Krause, Anthropology; Karen
Lederer, Women's Studies; Sara Lennox, STPEC and
German; Margaret
Levenstein, Economics Sara Lewis, English; Leo Maley,
History; Stanley Malinowitz, Economics; Sandy Mandel,
Everywoman's Center; Gary
Matthews, Philosophy; David Mednicoff, Legal Studies,
Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; Elizabeth Miller,
Film Studies; Joya Misra, Sociology and Public Policy;
Augustin Lao-Montes, Sociology; Anne Lundberg,
Education; Sonia Nieto, Education; Ellen Pader,
Landscape Architeture and Regional Planning; Enoch H.
Page, Anthropology; Susanne Page, Center for Public
Policy and Administration; Nancy Campbell Patteson,
Women's Studies; Robert Paynter, Anthropology; John
Pepe, Office of Waste Management; Kirk Peterson, UIS;
Robert Pollin, Economics; Janice Raymond, Women's
Studies; Tom Roeper, Linguistics; Srirupa Roy,
Political Science; Chizu Sato, Women's Studies; Lisa
Saunders, Economics; Lisa Selkirk, Linguistics;
William G. Shepherd, Economics; Michael Simsik, Grants
Office; Peter Skott, Economics; Linda Smircich, School
of Management; John Stifler, Economics; Banu
Subramaniam, Women's Studies; Peter
Tamas, Education; Suzanne Tiranno, English; Ronald M.
Trunzo, Housing Services; Jacqueline Urla,
Anthropology; Carol Wallace, Every-woman's Center;
Richard Wallace, Anthropology; Viera Lorencova
Wallace, Communications; Eileen Walsh, Women's
Studies; Beverly Weber, Comparative Literature; Martin
Wobst, Anthropology; Robert Paul Wolff, Afro-American
Studies; Nicholas Xenos, Political Science; Christine
Yario, Studio Art.
From the Five Colleges:
Margaret Hunt, History and WAGS, Amherst College;
Leonard Berkman, Theatre, Smith College; Joan
Braderman, Hampshire College; Margaret Cerullo, Social
Sciences, Hampshire College; Marlene Gerber Fried,
Civil Liberties and Public Policy Project, Hampshire
College; Jean
Grossholtz, Political Science and Women's Studies, Mt.
Holyoke; Carolyn Sadeh, ESS, Smith College; Martha
Ackelsberg, Political Science, Smith College; Sue
Thrasher, Five Colleges, Inc.
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