Petition Summary:

This Petition underscores the urgent need for Antioch University to break its silence and unequivocally condemn the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Despite its proclaimed commitment to fostering social justice, the university's failure to speak out contradicts its core principles and ideals. As the death toll continues to rise and the Palestinian population faces unprecedented displacement, economic hardship, and environmental devastation, Antioch's silence becomes not only a betrayal of its mission but also an endorsement of injustice. In solidarity with the global community, it is imperative that Antioch University utilizes its platform to advocate for human rights and denounce the atrocities unfolding in Palestine.

If you resonate with our stance thus far, or if you're interested in delving deeper, or even if this discourse provokes discomfort, we wholeheartedly encourage you to continue reading.

Full Petition:

"A Social Justice University Silent on Genocide: Demand Antioch Take a Stand"

We, the students, alumni, staff, faculty, and community members bound by the ideals of Antioch University's mission, demand that our institution end its silence in the face of horrifying atrocities.

Antioch University proudly professes a commitment to fostering social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. The university recently founded the Coalition for the Common Good, a "system of affiliated universities organized around a shared mission of educating students not only to advance their careers, but to promote our pluralistic democracy, social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and the common good." 

An “Analysis of International Law and It’s Application to Isreal’s Military Actions Since Oct 7th 2023” was issued on May 15th, 2024 by the University Network for Human Rights, the International Human Rights Clinic (Boston University School of Law), the International Human Rights Clinic (Cornell Law School), the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria), and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project (Yale Law School). 

The report, based on extensive legal analysis, accuses Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The report emphasizes the genocidal intent behind Israel's actions, as evidenced by official statements and military conduct, and calls for urgent international intervention to address these violations of human rights and prevent further atrocities (a summary of the report can be found here.)

Yet, as genocide ravages innocent lives in Gaza, the glaring absence of a resolute stance from our Antioch leadership is not just disappointing—it's an egregious betrayal of the core values Antioch espouses to the global community. 

Prospective students come to Antioch looking for a social justice-centered educational refuge in which to expand and strengthen their knowledge, and perspective, and ultimately to transform their fields and communities to be more just. 

To be the university Antioch claims to be, Antioch must encourage and facilitate a hard look at history, brave conversations, critical thinking, and courageous action against genocide. 

Our institution has a responsibility to cultivate an environment where students are empowered to recognize and confront genocide, along with other social, racial, economic, and environmental issues, rather than perpetuate complicity through silence. 

The genocide unfolding in Palestine, fueled by our tax dollars, demands our urgent attention and condemnation, now.

As of mid-May, the United Nations confirmed the Gaza Health Ministry’s count of 35,000 Palestinians killed since Oct 7th, but also shared that this number “does not include thousands more people trapped under the rubble of homes or hastily buried in mass graves or side streets. The death count also does not include the untold numbers of people dying from preventable disease, malnutrition and other consequences of the war.” 

Further, “the Health Ministry in Gaza has struggled to keep an up-to-date electronic database...of each person killed in the war due to the scale of deaths and because most hospitals in the Gaza Strip have collapsed and stopped functioning.”

​​The Palestinian death toll continues to rise. 

No genocide, no mass killing, is acceptable; history has always judged this so, and every time this history repeats we must refuse to be silent. 

In Palestine, the impact far transcends the enormous loss of life. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 80% of the surviving population of 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced within the territory, often multiple times. Economically, surviving Palestinians face severe hardship due loss of home, relocation, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to resources including food, clothing, clean water, and medical necessities, and famine is now present in the region. Additionally, countless of the surviving Palestinians are living with significant harm to mental, emotional, and physical health in the wake of experiencing unspeakable violence. 

Palestine also faces decades of historical apartheid including an extreme lack of human rights and economic blockades. This has been perpetuated and reinforced by an international coalition led by the US and Israel. The repeated and catastrophic IDF assaults in the wake of October 7th have exacerbated these long-standing forms of violence.

The assault on Gaza undermines Palestinian identity and heritage, eroding the rich cultural fabric that binds communities together. 

Environmentally, the ongoing conflict leads to widespread ecological devastation in Palestine, with bombings and military operations damaging land, water sources, and wildlife habitats. Israel's assaults are also causing significant carbon emission pollution. Additionally, the IDF’s use of illegal chemical warfare poses a severe threat to people, land, and wildlife, with enduring consequences.

The ongoing genocide, led by Netanyahu, is also making the world more dangerous for Jewish people. This is unacceptable. Jewish people deserve to live free from prejudice and hate. As this genocide continues, the risk grows that the world will conflate this genocide with the beliefs of all Jewish people, which is absolutely not the case. 

Antisemitism is unacceptable. Zionist genocide is unacceptable. Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. 

In the words of Jewish Voice for Peace, the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world, “we envision a world where all people — from the U.S. to Palestine — live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity. Our struggle against Zionism is not only an act of solidarity with Palestinians but also a concrete commitment to creating the Jewish futures we all deserve.”

The consequences of genocide reverberate through time, inflicting harm upon generations to come, and extenuating existing and future social, racial, economic, and environmental injustices.

The interconnectedness of all life demands our unwavering solidarity in the face of such monumental crises. 

Apartheid and genocide anywhere propagate the threat of apartheid and genocide everywhere. 

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” 

The silence from our leadership speaks louder than words, signaling complicity in the face of unspeakable atrocities. We refuse to accept this complicity, for silence is an endorsement of injustice. 

We urge you to come along with us and that you use your privilege and power to its fullest capacity. 

We call upon Chancellor Groves and his cabinet including the Deans and Vice Chancellors, the Board of Governors, and the aspirationally titled “Coalition for the Common Good” to uphold the spirit of our mission by unequivocally denouncing the genocide in Palestine. 

We express our gratitude for your commitment to this cause and warmly welcome you into our community. CEDI believes that we are stronger together. Your involvement strengthens our collective efforts. 

If you would like to connect with us, reach out to cedicircle@gmail.com

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