OPINION & EDITORIAL
Leaders of Action in Sudan respond to Tenenbaum
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by Letters to the Editor
Monday, September 25, 2006
The leaders of Action in Sudan disagree with Mr. Tenenbaum's analysis of divestment efforts and would like to show their support for the UWdecision to divest from Sudan and foreign companies that help fund genocidal actions in Darfur.
While we and Mr. Tenenbaum can agree that divestment is a symbolic action on the University level that does not make it ineffective. Mr. Tenenbaum makes the point that the "the key to helping Darfur is hidden in the far-off cities of Beijing, Moscow and Doha". We agree entirely. The Board Regents adopted a model of divestment that will prevent its assets from ever being invested in Chinese oil companies, among other foreign offenders, that operate in Sudan. This is not currently prohibited by any law. Granted, the Chinese government may never hear of the UW's decision; but our state government and its investment board have noticed and they DO have funds, millions of dollars, invested in foreign companies that support Sudan's genocidal campaign in Darfur. UW divestment puts pressure on the State of Wisconsin to divest. State divestment puts pressure on foreign offenders and perhaps more importantly on the United States government to intensify its actions with the Sudanese government. Divestment on any level may not directly save the life of any one Darfurian but it does help to bring about the actions that will. For detailed information on what the UW did and what divesting from Sudan means, you can visit http://www.sudandivestment.org.
On behalf of Action in Sudan,
Branton Kunz Divestment Manager bkunz@wisc.edu
Anonymous (September 25, 2006 @ 4:01pm):
The Chinese don't need anyone to invest in their enterprises - they have so much cash they don't know what to do with it. I'm sure they are loving the lack of competition from the west in Sudan. Sudan is just another example of the complete failure of the United Nations to be anything other than a worthless debating club.
