University of Winnipeg
Statement by President Axworthy on British UCU
boycott of Israeli Academics
July 6, 2007
WINNIPEG - Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of
Winnipeg, issued a statement today regarding the boycott of Israeli academics
and universities by the British University and College Union:
“I stand in solidarity with leaders from the academic community across Canada
and around the world in condemning the actions of our colleagues in the British
University and College Union and voicing our strong opposition to this
unacceptable boycott of universities and academics in Israel.
Universities can only serve their true purpose so long as students and faculty
are free to engage in the unrestricted debate of ideas and flow of knowledge.
This is not only a fundamental tenet of academic freedom; it is a core value of
a democratic society. Scholars must have the right to express their opinions in
the academic world in the same way as citizens can express their democratic
rights in an election. No one group can be allowed to arbitrarily censure the
right of another. We who believe in democracy would never stand for it."