Deciding to support the UMass Boston Human Right’s Working

Group’s proposal to establish a human rights center and human rights

program on campus is a “no-brainer.” The value of establishing such a program was outlined nicely by Interim Provost MacEwan.

“It could be a basis on which to organize new classes that would both enlighten and energize students. It could provide a foundation for new scholarship on a wide variety of important issues. It could present the larger community with a source of information, ideas, and activity around human. Not only would this work be valuable in itself, but, in addition, the work of a Human Rights Center could be a model for the further emergence of strong multidisciplinary programs on campus.”

There is strong support across this campus for human rights related dialogue, as evidenced most recently by the overflow crowd that turned out to hear Noam Chomsky and German Plata Diaz speak in December.

The proposal has received the endorsement of the Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies, the Economics and Anthropology departments, the College of Public and Community Service (CPCS), 45 faculty members and numerous staff.

Chancellor Gora has come out in support of the program. “Its innate interdisciplinary focus is one I support.”

The entire university community should get behind this effort and change the “could be” that Interim Provost MacEwan refers to into “should be” and “will be.”

The focus in the coming months, in light of the current fiscal climate, may likely be on what UMB can’t do, but can also offer an opportunity to find innovative solutions. This particular issue can prove to be a rallying point on what UMB can do.