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Edwin Naidu
Academic freedom is said to be sacrosanct. Why aren’t more South African academics using their voices to speak out against the genocide in Palestine?
Are they concerned that expressing themselves could land them in hot water with donors or people who could thwart their academic ambitions?
Sometimes, it feels like there are more questions than answers. But while some sit on the fence there are brave voices that continue to call for an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. I won’t name them to draw attention to their powerful voices because that’s not why they’re doing it.
There’s a few in South Africa that daily keep their followers updated through social media platforms. However, it is not enough. In South Africa, and globally, there seems to be a pattern by universities to muzzle such voices or use silent bullying tactics to threaten university staff with sanction if they expressed views in the name of the university.
It does not make sense, however, expecting one to express their views in a personal capacity when tied to an organisation as a university, the embodiment of free speech, expression of ideas and pursuit of justice.
In South Africa, it is not as overt at the clampdown on voices in Britain and America, however, in some instances it is a question of “he who pays the piper, calls the tune”. Some people at universities in South Africa have been told to pipe down or face disciplinary action.
The genocide in Palestine was discussed during the recent 26th annual International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) conference under the theme “Navigating Internationalisation in Challenging Times”, in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
The academics and staff from university international offices gathered to examine a variety of issues, among them whether intercultural competence and “dialogue” should occur instead of taking a stance to immediately cease all partnerships, research activities, exchange programmes, etc.
There were questions about the academic freedom of the individual researcher versus the collective freedoms of academics, researchers, staff and students in the Palestine-occupied territories, which were also debated.
Academics and practitioners pondered how to balance values, ethics and human rights in contexts where universities are not taking a firm stance in support of the International Court of Justice ruling on 24 July that declared Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was unlawful.
In her presentation, “Power: Of Speaking Truth in International (higher education) Relations”, Professor Ylva Rodny-Gumede, the Head of the Division for Global Engagement at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), said the main aim of higher education institutions should be to educate students about democracy and community and global engagement, in the interest of finding solutions to common problems and fostering solidarity and unity.
“What is emerging is a stronger emphasis on diversity and equity in international relations globally and within the global South, a voice that is becoming increasingly stronger and empowered to speak the truth,” she said.
While it might be trite to say that speaking truth to power is an act of bravery, Prof. Gumede said in international relations, diplomacy often trumps the ideal of truth-speaking.
“Where in the mix does academic freedom sit and what is the state of academic freedom in our institutions amid increasingly fraught geopolitics?” she asked.
Prof. Gumede was clear that academic freedom is an as unbreakable covenant of the business and ethos of higher education. But in later years actions as well as talk of academic freedom have increasingly touched upon issues of how to deal with academic partnerships with states accused of domestic and/or international war crimes or human rights abuses.
For example, she said there were debates among and between academics and university leadership of whether to continue partnerships and whether an institution should follow its own ideas and ideals, i.e. exercise their right to academic freedom or align to government policy on issues of international relations.
She highlighted the views of 12 conversations with a select group of academics (ranging from full professors to lecturers) from five different universities, including the University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa, University of Cape Town, University of the Free State, and Stellenbosch University,
The conversations provided some illuminating responses.
“What are we if not a public good, the question is what public good we are, who we serve?” (Lecturer, University of Stellenbosch)
“We might have become lapdogs of government.” (Professor, University of South Africa)
“I don’t think our Senate debates are as open and free as they should be.” (Professor, University of the Free State)
“The level of debate within our universities could and should be much higher.” (Professor, University of Johannesburg
“Do academics see themselves as truth speakers and do they exercise their right and standing to be public intellectuals in their own right?” (Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Town)
“Does our academics understand their own role and how to exercise academic freedom?” (Senior Lecturer, University of Johannesburg).
In April, the United Nations expressed concern over the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers and students in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, describing the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system as ‘scholasticide’.
Palestinian academic Amani Al Mqadma implored: “Please don’t lose hope in us. We started universities from tents and even without buildings. We will continue to provide education because education is part of our existence in Palestine, and we are doing a lot of things to be educated, providing education in Palestine in the Gaza Strip because without education, we will not have a future. So please don’t lose hope. We will continue to provide education. We need your support to continue.”
In a presentation entitled “The Role Paradox: Speaking Truth to Power or Soft (Power) Diplomacy?”, Anisa Khan, the Director of Academic Services in the Global Engagement Division at the University of Johannesburg, said some universities took distinct approaches to dealing with the genocide.
Coordinator of the Right-to-Education campaign, Birzeit University, Sondus Hamad, said education has become a casualty, with 17 higher education institutions in Gaza paralysed by the bombings which have claimed the lives of countless professors and students.
A day after the conference, she issued a statement saying that Birzeit University was raided again on Tuesday. The carnage continues.
If the pen is mightier than the sword, it’s time the voices of academia were louder than bombs.
Edwin Naidu is editor of Inside Education.