The latest deadly chapter in the decades-long struggle between Israel and Palestine has sparked protests, discussions and debates all over the world, including on college campuses. In Philadelphia, the conflict has led to protests and walkouts at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Temple University. However, beyond conversations happening in a few classes, which we wrote about last week in The Hawk, there has been a notable lack of public discourse here at St. Joe’s.
Aside from an Oct. 12 email sent to the university from St. Joe’s President Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D., in which she bemoaned the limitations of university messages in the time of such tragedies, there has been no further communication from the university and no university-sponsored opportunities for discussion and learning. And yet, McConnell said in her message that the university is called “to help students listen, learn and deeply explore issues.”
We urge the university to do as McConnell wrote and “[fulfill] our core mission” by providing ways for community members to engage in a productive and informative conversation about this war. We recommend organizing discussions with experts who understand the nuances and complexities of the conflict, as well as those who are impacted directly and are willing to talk about their experiences.
We also call on members of the St. Joe’s community to do their own reading and research regarding both the current conflict and the broader history between Israel and Palestine to better understand current events and their impact. As a start, they can consult sources such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Middle East Research and Information Project, as well as other reputable news outlets. We should all be intentional in where we find information and avoid the spread of misinformation, especially on social media, where misinformation has spread rapidly and widely during this conflict. Be sure to fact-check information with a reliable source before reposting or sharing it with others.
We need consistent and productive dialogue about this conflict on campus. Some of the tools the university community teaches during our annual Day of Dialogue should be utilized, including how to have difficult discussions, to listen deeply with the intent to make others feel heard and to check the biases that form our opinions.
Instead of hiding behind silence, afraid of the consequences of promoting difficult public discourse, we need to have the courage to embrace the discomfort and to engage in difficult but necessary dialogue, all while acknowledging the pain of those in our community directly impacted.
