Can anyone give me any infomation on exactly what has happened at the Univesity today? (or another day?)
From: Vice-Chancellor
Date: Aug 10, 2006 4:18 PM
Subject: Say ‘no’ to vilification
To: ugrad-users@studentlists.unimelb.edu.au
Universities offer a forum for vigorous debate, including discussion of
unpopular opinions.
In Australia, as in the rest of the world, we are experiencing the
effects of deeply troubled times in the Middle East.
At this testing moment, students and staff of the University of Melbourne
must feel secure in advancing or defending their views of the world.
But equally we must respect long-established practices about the conduct
of scholarly debate, however impassioned. Members of the University
community have a responsibility to appreciate that people on all sides
have sincerely and deeply held views.
They are entitled to express those views without suffering abuse or
intimidation. Present circumstances in the Middle East are no excuse for
anti-Semitism or racist behaviour. Such vilification has no place on our
campus.
Glyn Davis
Vice-Chancellor
10 August 2006
3 thoughts on “What Happened? Vice-Chancellor’s E-mail. (Rick)”
perhaps it may be to do with the debate that’s being held?/has been held?
i dunno..just a suggestion, they mentioned it at hall on monday at college.
Woah….I just checked my email and I don’t have that email :-S
Basically I think he means certain Group Protest Movements against Israel’s actions in Lebanon on campus. These groups are definitely making their presence heard and though I applaud their desire to question governmental decisions and fight for the right of innocent people, I think many of the individuals taking part in the protest have no true intellectual grasp on the issues at hand.
It is very easy to oversimplify what is going on and say one party or another is “Wrong” and that, for example, Israel should quit bombing Lebanon….but there is no ‘solution’ as simple as that…I don’t even know if there is an actual ‘solution’. The entire ‘Middle-East Conflict’ (by which I mean ‘everything’ not just Israel-Lebanon at the present moment) is a conflict which holds no correct party; there have been many mistakes by different sides which have helped escalate the problem over the decades.
I have friends who are both Jewish and Lebanese…I feel compassion for both sides …
I got that email too and was a bit worried about it.. it reminded me of in high school when we were called out of our classes for an emergency assembly because of 9/11. Ok, maybe not that drastic, but it is a little worrying when the absolute head-honcho has to make his presence known concerning a big issue.
perhaps it may be to do with the debate that’s being held?/has been held?
i dunno..just a suggestion, they mentioned it at hall on monday at college.
Woah….I just checked my email and I don’t have that email :-S
Basically I think he means certain Group Protest Movements against Israel’s actions in Lebanon on campus. These groups are definitely making their presence heard and though I applaud their desire to question governmental decisions and fight for the right of innocent people, I think many of the individuals taking part in the protest have no true intellectual grasp on the issues at hand.
It is very easy to oversimplify what is going on and say one party or another is “Wrong” and that, for example, Israel should quit bombing Lebanon….but there is no ‘solution’ as simple as that…I don’t even know if there is an actual ‘solution’. The entire ‘Middle-East Conflict’ (by which I mean ‘everything’ not just Israel-Lebanon at the present moment) is a conflict which holds no correct party; there have been many mistakes by different sides which have helped escalate the problem over the decades.
I have friends who are both Jewish and Lebanese…I feel compassion for both sides …
I got that email too and was a bit worried about it.. it reminded me of in high school when we were called out of our classes for an emergency assembly because of 9/11. Ok, maybe not that drastic, but it is a little worrying when the absolute head-honcho has to make his presence known concerning a big issue.