Dear Friends:
I have been talking with some of you and with others informally around the US and overseas about the possibility of starting a group called something like Professors for Peace. Perhaps there is such a group already but I am not aware of it. If any of you knows of such a group, would you please let me know? Some of us may consider joining it or, in its absence, we may consider forming one. In any case, here is the impetus behind the idea I propose to you now.
Basic rationale: It seems obvious to many of us teaching college students right now that they have very little understanding of the history and possibilities of peace movements and that many of them are not so gung-ho about going to war yet they are nearly paralyzed and cannot think of alternatives right now. Also many of them feel personally threatened by the unleashing of bigotry being done in the name of patriotism and national security. Arguing against an unfocused, ill-conceived, and protracted military mobilization is now more than ever crucial, as is arguing against the suspension of civil rights, including freedom of speech, in the name of national security. Ensuring public space for debate is urgent.
Basic strategy: In addition to teach-ins and courses and public (on and off-line) demonstrations on building peace in a post Cold War world, Professors for Peace could work in affinity with other anti-racist groups fighting against the rising tide of hate crimes against people of Islamic and/or Middle East and South Asian origins. I understand that a course on tolerance and hatred is being put together to be collectively taught this Fall quarter at Ohio State University. We could share syllabi and course materials about such courses and teach-ins. And we could form ad hoc watch dog groups to monitor the role of the university in funding and supporting defense contracts and the current mobilization for war. In other words, there is much to be done and we could decide how much we want to undertake and what our coordinated strategies might be. Outreach to you is the first step. We might find that we should organize in local contexts, college by college, university by university. Or we might want to think of other strategies for organizing, such as around particular foci and tasks. Or a combo of these and other kinds of strategies and subgroups. I'm thinking out loud here folks, so please bear with me.
Beyond the Campuses and into the Public Sphere: In addition to whatever we do on campuses, the group could show the larger society that the professoriate has a crucial (and neglected) role to play in shaping public dialogue and debate right now. This could also be an avenue for the voices of profs of color, women, and queers to be heard -- we are almost no where to be found in all the pundit shows and "late breaking news" on TV right now. Right now it's mostly the straight white men heroes' show. We need to be more organized, involved, and visible as this country moves toward some racist war.
Let me know your thoughts on this and please spread the word to others who you think might be interested.
Jennifer Terry Visiting Associate Professor of Women's Studies UC Berkeley (2001-2002) Associate Professor of Comparative Studies Ohio State University