The Daily Texan should endorse a the White Rose Society's campaign for Targeted UT Divestment from Sudan not shed tears for its difficulties. On Tuesday, student government will propose a White Rose Society resolution calling on UTIMCO and the Board of Regents to divest from Sudan. While human rights groups have yet to stop the genocide in Darfur, they are not a failure to take legislative action, feed and protect refugees, and raise awareness. It is the White Rose Society that created a coalition and drafted and lobbied for legislation that divested the State of Texas from Sudan last year, wrote thousands of letters to John Cornyn and other legislators, raised tens of thousands of dollars for humanitarian aid, organized the annual UT human rights symposium this April 2-10, and made it possible for every student to learn more about Darfur and to do something to help.
The White Rose Society is supported by many individuals, foundations and a corporate gifts. It is multi-faceted and therefore not vulnerable to the demands of any specific donor. The direction and behavior is set not by donors but by a few students leading the divestment advocacy of the White Rose Society. So when you talk about the 'campaign' you are really talking about a group of student activists busily trying to pass classes, pay bills, and divest UT from Sudan. These students have donated their own money and long hours to the campaign. The direction of the campaign is focused on UTIMCO now, but attacking our university and supporters is not our strategy. Getting student, faculty, and staff support is the strategy that works. This type of advocacy costs time, not money.
Since 2004, Hillel International and American Jewish World Service have been providing humanitarian aid while simultaneously engaging in U.S.-based education and advocacy to end the crisis. Fortunately, it is not Jewish people alone who feel the responsiblity to never forget the Holocaust and to apply its lessons to our own time. The White Rose Society is not a Jewish organization and represents people of all faiths. The people of Darfur are asking us to never forget. As human beings, and global citizens, we must take action now. Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel has said: "Now people know. And so they have no excuse for their passivity bordering on indifference."
Texas Hillel is supporting the students at our university who have become the champion of human rights at our university. The White Rose Society are stars when it comes to taking action over apathy, and it is a movement that has captured the attention of tens of thousands of students and respect across the nation. I hope the incoming editor of the Daily Texan does not intend to continue to capitalize on the popularity of the White Rose Society by attacking the roots of a grass roots organization.
Unpublished
Re: Viewpoint: When causes collide
Don't cry for us
