We are horrified by the use of terrorist violence against Israeli and international civilians by Hamas. This is especially tragic in light of the countless, ongoing efforts towards peace in the region from those on both sides, including unseen and unheralded work. The horrific violence perpetrated by Hamas has had devastating effects on civilians in both Israel and Gaza.
In times of terror and tragedy, especially when it leads to the type of de-humanization we are witnessing, we cling to the values we cherish — peace, justice, and especially the dignity and worth of each individual, family, and community.
We understand that in the coming days and weeks, there will be active dialogue and reflection within our School and our community. We encourage compassion towards students, staff, faculty, and community members. We acknowledge that this is a painful time for many of us, including those with family and loved ones in the region. We echo President Cauce’s words: “At a time of increased acts of antisemitism, anti-Muslim and anti-Arab violence, I want to reiterate that we must not allow our opinions, grief or anger about the conflict to spill over into abusive behavior or harassment of anyone … any instances of harassment, discrimination or violence based on someone’s religion or nationality only hinders efforts to achieve peace in this region and beyond and will not be tolerated here.”
We stand in solidarity with our Jewish students, faculty, and staff, and offer a safe and healing space at the School of Social Work. Antisemitism and anti-Palestinian hate have no place in the classroom, in the hallways, and in our interactions at the School. For students who have been affected by these devastating events, please make use of the supports and resources listed on this page with President Cauce’s statement.
We have confidence in the compassion and commitment to non-violence of our social work community. We know that we can and will continue to live, work and study respectfully and kindly together, even as these complex and tragic events are unfolding. The School of Social Work is dedicated to working and acting for peace as the ultimate goal for this current conflict and everywhere state and individual violence have violated the human rights and freedom of persons and nations.
This statement was updated on Oct. 26, 2023 with the following:
To those who have expressed distress, hurt, and pain in response to our first message at the start of the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, we hear you. We understand why this has caused pain for so many. We read your comments and we have been working diligently on refining our communication process to be more sensitive and thoughtful so that we can better respond to emerging and ongoing needs. We have taken our time in responding, as we have been listening to many sources of feedback and determining how to best move forward.
Our highest priority is that everyone in our community, especially our students, knows their feelings and reactions are meaningful and important to us. We express our support and care in the strongest possible terms for every student, staff, and faculty member at the School. We are engaged in an ongoing process to figure out next steps for constructive, meaningful dialogue.