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Support a coalition of anti-war groups on campus and in the community by calling on Rutgers’ Board of Governors to divest the university’s endowment of all military contractors and other companies that profit from war.
The coalition believes that investing in companies, including Halliburton, Raytheon, General Dynamics, DynCorp International, Boeing, GE, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman and L-3 Communications, is counter to the university’s stated mission, as articulated by President Richard L. McCormick in his inaugural address: Universities have always been influenced by their sources of support and are always challenged to maintain an independent set of values — autonomy, integrity, accessibility, openness, freedom of thought and expression, civility, and equality. These values are never entirely secure. They must be reaffirmed and defended and held in trust for future generations who will, in turn, be required to restate them and defend them again. As we secure the resources Rutgers needs, we must also secure its values. Raytheon manufactures weapons that have been used (whether intentionally or “collaterally”) against Iraqi civilians, while DynCorp has killed Iraqis in the course of its "security" duties.
Detailed information about each of the companies is presented in the Rutgers University Divestment Proposal (see the reference below). Rutgers University was at the forefront of the successful South African divestment campaign in the 1980’s. Then Rutgers University President Edward Bloustein was arrested in an act of civil disobedience in front of the South African consulate in January of 1985. The state legislature and Board of Governors acted later that year to divest the $7.5 million in the Rutgers endowment's investments from South Africa. Actions:
1) Write letters to local, state, and national publications in support of the Rutgers University Divestment Proposal. * New Jersey area newspapers (especially the Daily Targum (Rutgers)): Go to our NJ Media Corps Online Action Center. * National media: Use the Congress.org Media Guide
2) Sign the petition supporting divestment (contact Rutgers Against the War).
3) Find sponsors in the state legislature to introduce a bill requiring Rutgers University to divest from all military contractors (contact Rutgers Board of Governors).
Letter writing tips:
In your letter, use some (not all) of the talking points (see below). Two or three is a good number. Keep your letter short and to the point. Good luck and hope to see you in print! NJ Media Corps
Talking points:
*Call on Rutgers University faculty, staff and students to join the campaign for divestment from military contractors. *Call on the Rutgers University President McCormick to take a leadership role in the current divestment campaign, in the tradition of Former President Bloustein. *Call on the Rutgers University Board of Governors to divest the Rutgers endowment from the companies mentioned in the divestment proposal. *Discuss the role a university should play in the community and how values should be reflected in the choice of the university endowment's investments. *Discuss ties the defense contractors have to the Bush administration. *Mention one of the dozen companies and how they are profitting from war (see the Divestment Proposal for details): Boeing Co., Caterpillar Inc., DynCorp International, Exxon Mobil, FMC Tech Inc., Forster Wheeler, General Electric, Halliburton, Honeywell Inc, L-3 Communications, Northrop Grumman Corp., and Raytheon.
References:
Rutgers University Divestment Proposal: http://www.campusantiwar.net/documents/func-startdown/20/
Rutgers should cut ties to war profiteers by Ryan Olander in Home News Tribune Op/Ed, November 6, 2008: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811060303
Rutgers Against the War: http://www.rutgersagainstthewar.org
Campus Anti-war Network: http://www.campusantiwar.net
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War: http://www.againstendlesswar.org
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