[media-credit name=’RAY PFEIFFER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]As part of its monthly meeting, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents held its annual trust funds investment forum Thursday.
The session served as an opportunity for the public to voice opinions to the regents, who will later discuss the issue of divesting funds from companies that support Israel and its conflict with Palestine.
The regents have already divested funds from companies that support acts of genocide in Sudan.
Molly Fields, a junior at UW-Whitewater and member of the Hillel Foundation, advised the regents to avoid divesting funds from Israel.
"I'm asking that we not divest funds from companies in Israel because this would just tell [Israelis] that we do not support them in trying to keep the peace and trying to keep the country together," Fields said.
The Hillel Foundation is composed of centers for Jewish life on campuses across the nation. The foundation provides opportunities for students to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity.
Another group, Al-awda Wisconsin, urged the regents to divest funds from companies that support Israel.
"Be it resolved that the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to divest from any company that does business with or in the state of Israel," said Haley Pollack, a graduate student at UW and member of Al-awda. "[This is] based on the evidence of the active roles these companies play in enabling Israeli forces to engage in practices that violate international law and the human rights policy,"
Al-awda, which means "the return" in Arabic, supports the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland of Palestine and is most concerned with refugees' rights.
Joel Bennett, a UW alumnus and representative of the Hillel Foundation, argued that divestment is not the solution to settling the conflict in the Middle East because a strong economy through investment will help both Israel and Palestine.
UW Professor of Sociology Chad Goldberg said the situation in Israel is much different than that of Sudan, of which the regents have divested funds.
"I completely agree with Al-awda that the Board of Regents should continue its commitment to socially responsible investing," Goldberg said. "But I think we need a single standard and a consistent policy with regard to human rights abuses around the world, not one that picks out the only democracy in the Middle East."
Though the two groups had different perspectives on the regents' decision, they had the same goal in mind.
"What's nice is that we're talking about the same thing ultimately — and that's peace," Bennett added. "There's nobody in here advocating anything else."
Regents receive update on Medical School
Last year, the Board of Regents approved the renaming of the UW medical school, located in Madison, to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, though the decision has since come under fire for possible encroachment on other UW campuses.
As part of the debate, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett pleaded against the name change in hopes of bringing a school of public health to Milwaukee, where he said the need is higher.
The regents, however, approved the name change in October 2005, under the condition that the school would partner with the needs of the city of Milwaukee.
Thursday, the board heard an update on the partnership from Robert Golden, dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
"We are fully committed to doing all that we can and to work with all available partners," Golden said.
A study is currently being conducted to see if a school of public health would be feasible in Milwaukee. Golden said he sees a potential opportunity to open up additional resources for the state school.
Golden added the school is working with the Medical College of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa, among others, to address the needs of the Milwaukee area.