Dear SPME UK Colleagues,
In light of recent reports of the UCU reconsidering anti-Israel boycott actions, the leaders of SPME-UK, Howard Kahn, Heriot-Watt University, and Ashley Grossman, University of London, are looking for volunteers to head up an anti-boycott workgroup to work with them and leaders of other international and UK groups to mount the campaign against the boycott. Interested SPME-UK colleagues should contact Howard at spmeuk@yahoo.com. We would like to form this task force no later that May 20, 2009, so please get back to Howard as soon as possible with which of the following you can assist.
It is important that we have workgroup taskforce members who can do one or more of the following:
* monitor relevant UCU communications and meetings at your institution and report to the SPME-UK
leadership
* attend meetings and conference calls of the various anti-boycott groups such as the ‘Stop the Boycott’ and the ‘Fair Play Campaign Group’.
* monitor other groups and serve as liaisons with such as ENGAGE, AFI, and others that may emerge.
* work with the SPME-UK and SPME leadership to develop international strategies such as statements
and petitions to bring academic peer pressure, which has been successful in the past.
This time around, the anti-boycott strategies and decisions of SPME will be governed by the leaders and members in the UK for maximum effectiveness. SPME leaders will work closely with SPME-UK leaders and funds collected by SPME through their donation site (click here ) will be designated to help SPME-UK with anti-boycott activities and chapter development. Even if you can’t volunteer, and we hope you can, please make a contribution to help our efforts here in the UK.
Thank you.
Howard Kahn
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh, Scotland UK
SPME-UK Co-Coordinators