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Chicago decides to keep investing
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Also by Cassie Kornblau:
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by Cassie Kornblau
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Joining a minority of colleges nationwide, the University of Chicago announced Tuesday it will continue investing in corporations associated with the Sudanese government despite reported genocide in Darfur.
The move comes one semester after the University of Wisconsin System schools ended all economic ties to the Sudanese government.
"The University of Chicago values money over human life," said Brandon Kunz, Wisconsin divestment director for Action in Sudan. "Sudan business as usual means killing hundreds of thousands of people."
Larry Arbeiter, communications director for the University of Chicago, said the announcement came after members of the Student Anti-Genocide Coalition asked the university to take a stand on the issue.
Arbeiter said the university chose not to divest, citing the Kalven Committee Report of 1967. The report established the precedent during the Vietnam War that the university would not use divestment as a way to take a stance on a political or social issue.
The University of Chicago's Board of Trustees and the administration, Arbeiter said, agreed the university should take action in regard to genocide in Sudan, but said they decided long ago divestment is not an appropriate measure.
"It is outrageous to say this is simply business," Kunz said. "The University of Chicago decided that they support genocide."
According to Arbeiter, University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer has devoted $200,000 to a fund aimed at helping the violent situation in Sudan.
University of Chicago Provost Richard Saller is currently developing guidelines for proposals that students and faculty can submit to receive funding for educational programs targeted at Sudan relief such as studies and public presentations.
Arbeiter said the provost would then decide how to divide the money based upon the perceived ideas that could make the most difference.
"The University of Chicago chooses to spend its time and resources politically devoted to ways of critiquing, analyzing, criticizing and searching for solutions," Arbeiter said.
UW student Ryan Pfeffer, a member of Action in Sudan, a UW student organization, said the state of Illinois has had problems divesting in the past. According to Pfeffer, Action in Sudan is now working toward getting Wisconsin to divest.
Kunz added representatives from Action in Sudan lobbied hundreds of legislators at the Wisconsin Capitol over winter break, as well as the governor and state treasurer, urging them to lead the state toward divestment.
Anonymous (February 7, 2007 @ 5:25pm):
It wasn't Student Anti-Genocide Coalition that the university was reponding to but Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND).
Anonymous (February 9, 2007 @ 7:24pm):
STAND National joined the Genocide Intervention Network and became STAND - A Student Anti-Genocide Network
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