McMaster Peace Initiative
(Back Row, L to R) Judy Schwartz, director of Jewish Students Association; Vishal Tiwari, vice-president (education), MSU; Yaser Haddara, faculty advisor to Muslim Student Association and McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice; President Peter George; Professor Lawrence Hart, Faculty of Health Sciences; Azim Kasmani, MSU president; Ilene Bush-Vishniac, provost and vice-president (academic). (Front Row, L to R) Anna Kos, president of Jewish Students Association; Kareem Mirza, president of McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice; Mile Komlen, director of human rights and equity services; Rebecca Cherniak, president of Israel on Campus; Omair Rahman, president of Muslim Student Association.
The McMaster community is taking a new and unique approach to help ensure that the University inspires a respectful community.
The McMaster Peace Initiative has been developed in the context of events surrounding Israeli Apartheid Week in 2008.
A number of groups have now signed onto the Peace Initiative committing to create an environment of mutual understanding and to promote peaceful co-existence. The document has been signed by President Peter George, McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice, the Jewish Students Association, the Muslim Student Association, Israel on Campus and the Jewish Faculty Association.
“The groups who have signed the initiative have shown great leadership,” says President George. “McMaster prides itself on being an inclusive community and that means all members whether students, faculty, staff or visitors should feel valued and respected, and able to contribute to debates that promote understanding, scholarly discourse, and peaceful co-existence.” The full text of the Initiative can be found by clicking McMaster Peace Initiative.
The groups have gone even further, agreeing that if any hate or intimidation incidents happen, hatred is promoted, physical acts that endanger the safety of others occur on campus, or if property is damaged, then a response will be issued to condemn the act.
“We don’t know of any other university that has taken this kind of proactive approach on these issues. Mutual accountability and a commitment to positive discourse provide a wonderful opportunity to uphold our Refining Directions principle of creating an inclusive campus community.”
