DECISION TO BAN DESMOND TUTU REVERSED AT UNIVERSITY
Desert Peace
October 10, 2007
I just received word from my Sister Blogger Robin that the President of
St. Thomas University just sent the following letter to the students, faculty
and staff of the University.
ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND!
UST president says he made wrong decision, invites Tutu to campus
Father Dennis Dease, president of the University of St. Thomas, has asked
that the letter below be sent to St. Thomas students, faculty and staff:
Dear members of the St. Thomas community,
One of the strengths of a university is the opportunity that it provides
to speak freely and to be open to other points of view on a wide variety of
issues. And, I might add, to change our minds.
Therefore, I feel both humbled and proud to extend an invitation to
Archbishop Desmond Tutu to speak at the University of St. Thomas.
I have wrestled with what is the right thing to do in this situation, and
I have concluded that I made the wrong decision earlier this year not to invite
the archbishop. Although well-intentioned, I did not have all of the facts and
points of view, but now I do.
PeaceJam International may well choose to keep the alternative
arrangements that it has made for its April 2008 conference, but I want the
organization and Archbishop Tutu to know that we would be honored to hold the
conference at St. Thomas.
In any event, St. Thomas will extend an invitation to Archbishop Tutu to
participate in a forum to foster constructive dialogue on the issues that have
been raised. I hope he accepts my invitation. The Jewish Community Relations
Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas has agreed to serve as a co-sponsor of the
forum, and I expect other organizations also to join as co-sponsors.
Details about issues to be addressed will be determined later, but I
would look forward to a candid discussion about how a civil and democratic
society can pursue reasoned debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and
other emotionally charged issues.
I also want to encourage a thoughtful examination of St. Thomas' policies
regarding controversial speech and controversial speakers. In the past, we have
been criticized externally and internally when we have invited controversial
speakers to campus - as well as when we have not. Rather than just move from
controversy to controversy, might there be a positive role that this university
could play in fostering thoughtful conversation around difficult and highly
charged issues? We also might explore how to more clearly express in our
policies and practices our commitment to civility when discussing such issues.
I have asked Dr. Nancy Zingale, professor of political science and my
former executive adviser, to oversee the planning for the forum. If you have
suggestions regarding either the topic or other participants, please contact
her at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I sincerely hope Archbishop Tutu will accept our invitation. I continue
to have nothing but the utmost respect for his witness of faith, for his
humanitarian accomplishments and especially for his leadership in helping to
end apartheid in South Africa.
Sincerely,
Father Dennis Dease
President
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Moderator
Abuja Nigeria.
P.S.
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