Ever since the IDS began printing the series of articles exposing the morally inept ways in which the IU Foundation allocates it's money, this sense of anger has been growing inside of me. Now I've known that the IUF has been investing $6 million in government-black-listed companies like Fidelity and PetroChina since the beginning of the school year. There was just something about reading the tainted words of the representatives of our public university (ie. President McRobbie) and listen to them in a weak attempt to justify their refusal to divest from these companies really rubbed me the wrong way.
One problem is that I'm not sure why I feel so strongly on this issue. Of course anyone could comment here on how my Jewish past relates me to the Holocaust so I feel a moral imperative to act now. And while this may be slightly true, I have only distant connections with family members and the Holocaust, so I just don't buy into that reasoning.
I've attended a few of STAND's (the group fighting against the genocide in Darfur) meetings and have been aware for some time that Professor Weitzman (the director of the Jewish Studies Program at IU) is the faculty adviser for this group. Now this (I'm nearly positive) was not in Professor Weitzman's job description but I find his engagement with STAND and their fight for divestment extremely important. It makes me incredibly proud to see his name as the only faculty member quoted throughout the article and to see that a representative of the Jewish Studies Program has taken a direct role with this fight.
I live a busy life, just as everyone out there does, but this series of stories in the IDS has really made me stop and think. I have in my mind related this story and the "outing" of the IUF to all of my courses, from nonprofit management to Jewish Identity to a course on Democracy in Times of War. I keep talking about it with my roommates and friends all in hope that someone will be able to change the mind of the IUF so that we stop funding the genocide....and oh....so that our university can rid itself of this tainted reputation.
If you care even a bit about this, take a moment to sign this PETITION, demanding the IUF remove all resources from funding the genocide in Darfur.
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