Pluto has received an exclusive copy of an open letter to Vice Chancellor Malcolm McVicar from student protest group Disobey. 

The letter follows the recent protest held on Foster building roof, which resulted in three people being arrested.

The letter explains the group’s reason for protesting and criticises UCLan’s third party involvement in a range of projects, including the links with BAE. Disobey are requesting UCLan establishes an ethical policies regarding genetic modification, animal welfare, human rights and arms trade dealings.

They continue to state a number of “the best” universities have already established similar policies.

A member of Disobey who goes under the “pen name” Peter Kropotkin said: “We sent the letter as part of our actions to encourage UCLan to adopt a decent Ethical Policy. We have more actions in the pipeline to further our campaigns. 

“We also want NUS to compare all Universities’ Ethical Policies so students can decide were to spend their considerable fees most ethically”

Disobey are part of the national Study War No More group, made up of locals and current and former students.

Speaking on behalf of Vice Chancellor Malcolm McVicar, Executive Director of Operations Len Lewis, said: “The University has chosen not to respond to this particular organisation. Information about UCLan’s ethical policies is located on the UCLan website.”

 
Open letter to Dr. Malcolm McVicar, Vice Chancellor of UCLan, from ‘Disobey’:   

27/02/09 

Dear Dr. McVicar,

Our investigations into UCLan’s dealings with BAE Systems lead us to a most startling discovery: UCLan has no Ethical Policy(!) Given that the University does actually run courses encouraging corporate social responsibility we believe UCLan should practice what it preaches and formulate and put into practice a good and principled Ethical Policy.

It appears that UCLan has only a Sustainable Development Procurement Policy. Explicit guidance regarding investments is absent, meaning that, for instance, whilst purchase of illegally-cut timber is forbidden, investing in a company involved in such operations is not. Further, no procedures are in place to prevent such a company funding research projects at our University.

We seek, via this letter, to urge your fine self and all concerned students and other workers at UCLan to seek to put in place an Ethical Policy which covers not only environmental matters, but also concerns regarding genetic modification, animal welfare and testing on animals, human rights, and dealings with the arms trade. Many of the best /most progressive Universities around the world now have such a wide-ranging Ethical Policy – UCLan should be with them. Adoption of such a Policy would be one more step towards a decent and sustainable future.

This letter arrives as a consequence of our journey from Israeli State Terrorism via BAE to our demonstration on the UCLan rooftop on CAAT’s Day of Action. We would see a principled UCLan Ethical Policy as a memorial to the four hundred (++) children murdered in January this year by the Israeli State in Gaza.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Kropotkin

on behalf of

Disobey Anarchist Collective

http://disobey-afp.blogspot.com/