Concerned TucsonMedical and Public Health Advocates Release the'6Doctors'Letter"

* * * * * * ** * * * FOR IMMEDIATE Contactsfor Intervews: Hannah Hafter (letersigner),GraduateStuden! UofA Public Health: 651.338.8058; hehafter@ l.arizona. emai edu Gabriel Matthew Schivone (student organizer),UofA Community for Human Rights, 520.302-6006; ai sabrielm(sm l.arizona.edu Tom WaIIace (letersgner),Nutritionist: 520.624.7 698; tomwallace42@,gmail.com PRESS COITTFERENCE: Time:/Date:Tuesday, March 30, 2010, lDam Location: PresidioRoom, StudentUnion Memorial Center(SUMC), University of Arizon4Tucson 1* * RELEASE * it * "c * * * * ".

Local Medical and HealthAdvocates Call on UofATo Cancel Contracts with Companies Found to be Complicit nAtrocities Committed by Israel in its Occupation of Palestine. TUCSON,AZ (USA) - Ajoint group of more than 50 Jewisl Christian,Muslim, and agnosticmedical and healthadvocates the Tucsonand surroundingregion, following studentinitiative, are calling on of the University ofArizona to divest from corporationsbenefitingfrom the global healthand humanitarian criss in Palestinecausedby Israel's military occupation, supportedby the United SttesIn recent weeks theArizono Daly Wdcat, the daily newspaperof the University of Anzona, exposed the business relationshipbetweencompanies Motorola, Caterpillar,and the UofA, promptingthe numeroushealth advocatesta at. UA PresidentRobert Shelton, for severalmonths, refisesto seriously addressthe issuethereby dismissing students'concernsand thoseof the broaderTucson Human Rights Community.SinceAugustof last year,studentsin Univers Community for Human Rights (UCHR), the group leading the campuscall for divesftnen! have requestedmeetingswith PresidentShelton; t datahe has not graned their requestsnor answeredalternative requestsfor him to sendrepresentation his behalf meetwith students on aboutthe issue. Following through with an openletter released Friday, 52 sners rangingfrom local physicians, on medical professors,Public Hsalth professionals,students, and humanitarian aid workens have demandedan end to thesecontractsand relationshipswhich violate Uof,A's own Policy on Corporae Relationsand which contradictthe UA's overall Mission, particularly that of its Collegeof MedicineThe signersendorsed statement the foremostas individualsof the UA/regional medicaland health community,althoughmany of them also represent participationin a diversespectrumof prestigious medical and human rights activities- Someofthe signers include Joyceen Boyle (PhD), former AssoeiateDen of the UofANursing School and current Country Specialist onAmneser International USA's CentralAmerican Coordination Group; Barbara Warren (MD), National Board of Direcfors member of Physicians for Social Responsibility; Caron Trowbridge (RN), member of the UA's University Committee for Monitoring Labor and Human Rights Issues;also

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numerous ad workers of local humanitaritn organizttions No More Deaths/fo Mas Muertes and Tucson Samaritans: Hannah Hafter, Nanry Murphy, Sarah RobertsrAnnie Swanson, Maryada Vallet, Jim Walsh; as well as student leadersNatasha Bhuyan andAllison towe (med students) of progressiveUAgroup Medical Students for Choice; and Enas Thmimi, officer of UA Students for Justice in Palestine(undergraduate, Nutritional Sciences). According to studentsGabriel Matthew Schivone and Flali Nurnberg, co-directors of University of ArlzltinaCommun for Human Rights: "The actions of theseurageousdoctors and health advocates demonstrate uncontroversial the humanrights consensus the US/Israel-Palestine on conflict; they suggest how to help attainapeacefulresolution,that is to say,implementingthe sort of international nonviolentdivesnentactivismthat helpedend apartheidSouthAfrica's actsof regionalaggression and occupationthroughoutthe latter half of the 20 century-..When the Israeli humanrights groups,all all the Palestinian humanrights groups,all the internationalhumanrights groupsare sayingthe same underoccupation,suggesting that thing, namely,that Israel regularlyviolatesthe rights of Palestinians the occupation is detrimental to the health and safety of everyoneit touches--oth Palestinianand Israeli--+heworld is compelledolisten." This initiative follows the historic resolutionrecentlypassed Thursday,March lSth by the on AssociatedStudents the University of California, Berkeley,in supportof financial divestmentfrom of with their university for the companies'connectionto human rights abuses two companiesassociated committedby Israel in its US-backed military occupationof Palestine. February25,2010, a similar On Last year, bill was passed the studentgovernmentof the University of Michigan'sDearborncampus. by HampshireCollegebecame first collegeor university to financially divest from the occupation. the This past September, Norway becamethe first stateto obey the July 20M. ruling by the United Nations InternationalCourt of Justiceproclaimedupon the entire intemationalcommunity "not to renderaid or assistance maintaining"the "illegal situation creatd" Israel'sSeparation in by Wall which cuts and led divides Palestinianlandsand communities.Divestmentmovements by students,trade unions, privaesector ftrms, and other membersof civil society are active in dozensof countries throughout the world. All of the aboveactionsoccur following the 2005 call by a consensus more than 170Palestinian of civil society organizations initiatives of boycott,divestment,and sanctions for againstIsrael until it complieswith internationallaw. On Tuesday, March 30,2010, Palestinian civil societyis calling on peopleof conscience throughoutthe world for a Global BDS Day ofAction. In Tucson,numerousgroups,both on and offcampus, havejoined togetherto issuetheir calls on the UofA to divest, including UA National Lawyers Guild, SocialJusticeLeague,Students Justicein for Palestine, Muslim Students Association,TucsonWomenin Blac JobsWith Justice(Tucsonchapter), 'V'omen's International League for Peaceand Freedom(Tucson chapter),Tierra Y Libertad Organization, CasaMaria Catholic Worker House/Soup Kitchen, Coalicin de DerechosHumanos, InternationalSolidar Movement (AZ Chapter), and many others. Answering the local call for Global BDS Day ofAction, UofA studentsand community members representinggroups from the gre.atr Tucson areaand surrounding region supporting divestment from Motorola and Caterpillarare holding a press conferenceto official present the "Doctors' Letter' public$ to the University of lrizona on T[esday, March 30,2010, 10am, in the Presidio Room, Student Union Memorial Center (SIIMC). gmai uahealthforhumanrights@ l.com/ 520.624.7698