| Victory
at University of Hawaii Press release of SAVE UH/STOP UARC Coalition, 4 May2005 First, we would like to thank our community of supporters in Hawai’i and around the world for their aloha, generosity and kokua. We would also like to acknowledge the staff of the university especially the custodial, secretarial, and security officers in Bachman Hall. Last Thursday, we occupied Interim President David McClain’s office to take back our University from an administration that had failed to uphold the core values and mission of this institution, and neglected to listen to the serious and legitimate concerns of our university ohana. The Save UH/Stop UARC coalition was forced to take this step because of the administration’s dishonesty and unwillingness to acknowledge the valid concerns that were raised. In doing so we transformed Bachman Hall into an alternative space where democracy and justice could take root. We agree with Interim President McClain that he made the mistake of pushing the UARC proposal through prematurely and without sufficient consultation. Contrary to what the administration insists, the UARC would institutionalize militarization at our university in ways that differ radically from the competitive bidding process currently used by faculty conducting research. We understand that the consultation process will be established through mutual agreement between the Save UH/Stop UARC coalition and the interim president. We are certain that the Board of Regents will reverse its provisional approval of the UARC once the regents hear a complete, open and honest appraisal of the proposed Naval classified research facility. This will be accomplished through full and open consultations, embracing the ohana of the university. As the debate over the UARC continues, we call on the members of the administration to pledge themselves to insuring that this dialogue is civil and respectful to all involved, no matter what their point of view. The UARC effort fits into the larger picture of the continuing militarization of Hawaii. Militarism is not the answer for our university nor for our environment, community or keiki. The ethics of the military industrial complex are not the same as the ethics of a university; the convergence creates a mutation, a perversion we will not accept. Despite our concerns, our occupation has been a tremendous victory: -We have shifted the focus of the debate over the UARC to the core values of our university; we have emphasized the goal of the strategic plan to make UH a Hawaiian place of learning. -We have raised the level of dialogue to include the awareness of the moral and ethical contradictions involved in combining military research with the university’s core mission of education. And we have derailed the secretive fast track plan for final approval of a UARC. -We have forced the administration into a more open and transparent decision-making process, and exposed the alarming connections between key figures involved in the UARC proposal and those being investigated for misconduct by the Navy. -We are moved and empowered by the profound experience of community we have created in our occupation of Bachman Hall. We have seen for ourselves and others have seen what a group of committed people can collectively do. Today we return the president’s office of our university to Dr. McClain. But we will return and reclaim this space in the future if the administration ever again fails to fulfill the duties of this office. We, the ohana of the university, remain steadfast in our commitment to defending our school and communities against the UARC and other forms of militarization. We pledge to continue our struggle to ultimately stop the UARC and uphold the vision expressed in our University motto: “Ma luna a’e o na lahui a pau ke ola o ke kanaka”—Above all nations is humanity. http://www.stopuarc.info/documents/pressrel_20050504.pdf |