Anti-War Resolution

[email protected]

[email protected]

I received this letter from a friend of mine at Hamline University. He put the resolution in front of the student congress at Hamline and asked me to forward this to the newspaper here at SDSU.It would be great if the resolution could be published in The Collegian, as well as a short paragraph that would encourage the students here at SDSU get involved with this and maybe even write a Anti-War Resolution of their own.

Sincerely,Ben Morrison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 8, 2002St. Paul, MN

Contact: Laura Wilson (651) 523-4152 Colin Schumacher (651) 523-4348

Hamline University Student Congress PassesAnti-War Resolution

On Tuesday, October 8, the Student Congress of Hamline University in St.Paul, MN passed a resolution in opposition to a unilateral United Statesmilitary strike against Iraq.

The resolution was drafted by Students FOR Peace, a local affiliate ofthe National Fellowship of Reconciliation (www.forusa.org).

The resolution calls upon members of Student Congress to speak outagainst unjustified acts of violence in accordance with the missionstatement of the College of Liberal Arts. It affirms that a respect forinternational law and a concern for the Humanitarian crisis in Iraq arenecessary in “preparing compassionate citizens of the world.?E(Excerptfrom Mission Statement)

The resolution is being sent to the United States Congress and toUniversities throughout the country in hopes that it will encouragecitizens to engage in democratic discourse regarding United Statesforeign policy in the Middle East.

A Resolution To Affirm Our Opposition to theSpread of the War on Terrorism to Iraq

October 8, 2002

Whereas The College of Liberal Arts at Hamline University is dedicatedto preparing compassionate citizens of the world by helping studentsmaximize their intellectual, creative, and leadership potential (MissionStatement);

Whereas a concern for human rights and international law is an integralpart of becoming “citizens of the world?E

Whereas a sense of shared humanity with all people of the world is anecessary step in becoming “compassionate citizens of the world?E

Whereas the civilian population of Iraq has suffered greatly over thepast eleven years as a result of sanctions imposed by the United Nationsand supported by the United States of America;

Whereas, according to United Nation Estimates, these sanctions alongwith the destruction of civilian infrastructure during the Gulf War havecontributed to the deaths of nearly one million Iraqi civilians, half ofwhich were children;

Whereas a March 1999 United Nations Report states that Iraq “hasexperienced a shift from relative affluence to massive poverty?E

Whereas the current administration of the United States of America isconsidering, among other options, military action against Iraq;

Whereas no evidence has been brought forth by the administration provingthat Iraq posses a clear and present danger to the United States and ourallies whether through the production of weapons of mass destruction orotherwise;

Whereas no evidence has come forth linking Saddam Hussein to theterrorist attacks of September 11, nor has there been evidencesuggesting he has supported Al-Qaeda;

Whereas an unsubstantiated, unilateral, preemptive military strike wouldbe a breach of international law and would undermine the United NationsCharter;

Whereas a preemptive military strike against Iraq could destabilize theregion, escalate anti-United States sentiment and increase thelikelihood of acts of terrorism;

Whereas the already impoverished civilian population of Iraq reliesheavily on the regular distribution of United Nations humanitarian aid;

Whereas United States military strikes would disrupt food distribution,ruin civilian infrastructure, and pose a clear and present danger toIraq’s civilian population;

Whereas these consequences could perpetuate and greatly complicate thehumanitarian crisis in Iraq, resulting in genocidal living conditions;

Whereas the United States of America, because of its status as aneconomic and military superpower, is in the position to set a diplomaticprecedent as an alternative to violence;

Whereas Hamline University is in the position to set a precedent througha public statement of opposition to military action in Iraq;

Whereas such a statement could inspire and empower other institutionslocally and nationally to recognize world citizenship and exercisedemocracy;

Let it be resolved that Hamline Student Congress voices its oppositionto a unilateral military strike against Iraq as a matter of conscienceand in accordance with the said mission of our Liberal Arts College.

Passed by Hamline University Student CongressVote: 103 (yea) ?E32 (nay) ?E2 (abstentions)

Authors: Students FOR Peace

Megan KohlsLaura WilsonColin SchumacherJessica CiciKari RuddAnna HayekMathew EdwardsJunauda PetrusJason SchellackSusan Erickson