Allowing PSM will foster debate

The University made the correct decision in allowing a student group to host the annual conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement, as the event has great potential to spark dialogue and Duke has yet again renewed its commitment to academic freedom.

For three days in October, the University will open its doors to the annual conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement. The movement’s critics have already begun voicing their objections to the University’s decision to allow the conference, and they are likely to continue until after the event is over. Despite the criticism, however, the University has made the correct decision in hosting the conference for several reasons.

First and foremost, the University has a commitment to academic and intellectual freedom. PSM is a group that advocates a peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East. The conference will play host to speakers and panels, allowing the group to exercise its freedom of expression.

The issue of academic freedom aside, the University has also shown that it will not cower when confronted with sensitive issues. There is no reason for the conference not to come to Duke. If the University had bowed to outside pressure from groups who allege PSM condones terrorism it would have violated both its objectivity and its commitment to academic freedom.

The PSM conference has the potential for a positive effect on Duke’s campus. Duke students are often considered apathetic with respect to national and international issues, and the University is not a very politically charged place. The PSM conference, however, will bring a whole new level of discussion to campus. The conference will receive a great deal of national attention, and it will draw participants and protesters from all across the country, all while sparking political debate and discussion on campus.

The whole issue of the Israeli-Palastinian conflict is complex and difficult to understand. Many Duke students are extremely underinformed, despite the fact that the conflict is one of the farthest-reaching events in the world today. Having the PSM conference on campus will not only allow for discussion of important issues, but it will also lead to a more aware and informed student body. By allowing a student group to host the conference, the University is showing that it trusts students to engage in such discussions and to foster this sort of important political dialogue on campus.

Although the conference is expected to draw a large number of demonstrations—past conferences have been set upon by hundreds of protesters—the University will likely pay for additional security for the weekend. As it is currently planned, the event will not be putting any students in danger, which would have been a legitimate reason for not hosting the conference.

The University should take the proper precautions to ensure that students and faculty, as well as those attending the conference and those protesting it, remain safe. At the same time the University has a commitment to preventing violence, it also has an obligation to allow the protesters their freedom of speech. Protesters should be given appropriate space, as long as they do not interfere with the University’s functions or cause any disturbances.