[Air-l] AOIR on AUT?

[Paula]

I think the first action should be to read the other side of this debate:

These are the notes from the meeting which made this decision which cite
the reasons:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/unions/aut/council.htm

This is the website of the British Committee for Univesities of Palestine:
http://www.bricup.org.uk/

This is the letter from the Palestinian Civil Society to the AUT:
http://www.monabaker.com/

It would appear that BRICUP is acting in *defence* of academic freedom
here.
Well, from a Brit point of view anyway!  Well, and, God, don't get me
started on
occupations in contravention of UN resolutions cos we're still feeling
pretty awful about our Government ignoring the objections of the vast
majority of the British people to the illegal occupation of Iraq. Note
that this meeting also passed a resolution calling for an end to this
occupation as soon as possible too.

I think everyone understands that there are many Israeli people,
including academics, who are working in difficult circumstances to
oppose policies which are oppressive to the Palestinian people but this
was also true of South Africa under apartheid. In South Africa, white
members of the ANC also called for support from us in the form of
boycotts. Many Brits understand the UK's part in creating these
situations historically and are anxious now to try to do the right
thing. Obviously, there are always arguments about boycotting as a
strategy, but I think it undoubtedly was a factor in ending the
apartheid system in SA and, since we can't rely on our government to act
in accordance with the ethical or political views of the majority of the
British population, we'll just have to do what we can ourselves through
more localised institutions.

It really *is* problematic attempting to universalise ethics . . .

:-)    Paula


Ellis Godard wrote:

>This seems like an appropriate topic on which AOIR, as international and
>interdisciplinary as well as academic and open minded, should take a
>stand. What are the appropriate steps/procedure(s) thru which that
>could/would/should happen?
>
>http://ellisgodard.blogspot.com/2005/05/aut-is-out-of-line.html
>
>-eg
>
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