Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: Time for USC to divest Sudan assets
By Jeff Gustafson
Daily Trojan (USC)
04/10/2006

(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES — National momentum has been increasing to stop genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with more than 400,000 killed and 2 million displaced by Sudanese government sanctions.

USC is no exception. Awareness has been promoted by a diversity of student groups; Daily Trojan articles have been written; perhaps most laudably, the Armenian Student Association managed to raise $60,000 to donate to humanitarian efforts in the region.

We now have the opportunity to effect funds far larger than this impressive sum, however - a sum that will finally hit the solar plexus of the Sudanese government, which thanks to global indifference and naivete has gone unharmed even as they slaughter their own people.

I'm speaking of divestment. The concept is pretty simple: Despite Sudan's international notoriety, it is still receiving plentiful financial support from countries such as Russia and China that are dependent on Sudanese oil and other goods, as well as weapons to continue their attack on civilians and undersupplied rebel groups.

For some time now, states and universities nationwide have been withdrawing investments from companies that directly or indirectly benefit the Sudanese government. In doing so, they are decreasing the value of shares held by the company. In turn, the company, to protect the interests of shareholders, will somehow convey to Khartoum that their country is a bad place for business. Already in the United States, asset managers have been developing "Sudan-free" investment tools and large companies such as Xerox and 3M have severed ties with Khartoum.

In addition, the divestment of American companies could significantly alter the investment practices of internationally owned companies, many of which get their primary capital from their home country's government. Foreign investment is an integral part of Sudan's economic growth, which thanks largely to oil, was estimated at 8.3 percent in 2005, so getting even a bit of it removed is a big deal. While political jockeying has been ineffectual in persuading the Sudanese government to any change in their genocidal agenda, they have responded to economic pressure in the past - in 1997, it was enough to help shift their terrorism policy dramatically.

Both states and universities have participated in the divestment campaign. The process on the state level, however, involves copious bureaucracy and is very time consuming. Universities, though not funded as well as states, go through a much faster process, and are ubiquitous enough to create state-sized dents if there is a widespread commitment to divestment. This seems to be the case - already Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Stanford University, the UC Regents and many others have committed to divestment, while scores of others are debating the option.

USC could join the list and efforts are already underway to contact corporations connected with the university that might (inadvertently) be helping the Sudanese government. By throwing USC's considerable financial weight into the divestment campaign, we would not only be contributing to a noble cause but would be fulfilling the lofty ideals of our school's code of ethics, which states that we are to "bear responsibility not only for the ethics of our own behavior, but also for building USC's stature as an ethical institution."

If you want to help, start by writing a letter to President Steven B. Sample expressing your concern for the people of Sudan and your desire to see USC help abate their suffering.

If states and universities persist, we can help to deprive the Sudanese government of the resources needed to carry out their sadistic campaign.

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