faculty peace statement

---

11/4/01

Dear Jennifer Terry and the RPA mailing list:

I am sending you a Peace Statement which we circulated at the University
of Mass./Amherst and the other four colleges in the area.  I have
included it in the text below.  I don't know what the status of the
Professors for Peace group is that you suggested back in September, but
perhaps our 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.

What do you think?

Ann Ferguson
Philosophy and Women's Studies
Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst
ferguson@philos.umass.edu
***********************
A Statement by  Concerned Faculty and Staff  for Peace in Afghanistan

 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 Calás, 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.

---