Noam Chomsky Speaks at UMass Boston’s Human Rights Forum
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By Leigh DuPuy
Noam
Chomsky, noted linguist, political philosopher, and professor at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, addressed issues of terrorism
and human rights violations before a standing-room-only crowd of 400
members at UMass Boston’s faculty club on December 12. An additional
100 interested people overflowed into the media auditorium of the Healey
library, eager to hear Chomsky’s provocative look at the role of
U.S. government intervention in the plight of Colombia and other countries.
The event, second of its kind, was organized by the Human Rights Working
Group (HRWG) at UMass Boston.
“The human rights definition is very important in meaning and application,” said Winston Langley, associate provost and human rights expert who moderated the event. The program included speakers and performers intimately aware of the conflicts in Colombia, having lived or spent time in the war-torn country. Musician Marina Rodriguez performed music from her homeland and Cindy Schuster of the Hispanic Studies Program read several poems based on her own experiences living in Colombia.
Gérman Plata Díaz, a volunteer for the Program of Development and Peace of Magdalena Medio, spoke in depth about the troubles in Colombia, via translator. In an impassioned address, Díaz spoke of the tremendous poverty and violence of the country, setting the scene with his narration. He said, “Our phones are bugged. We are very accustomed to attending funerals on a regular basis.” Díaz spoke of his and his countrymen’s determination to address these problems, “I want to share all the things we do and won’t stop doing to promote peace in Colombia.”
Featured speaker Noam Chomsky then took the podium to discuss his own views of Colombia’s human rights needs. In his provocative and controversial approach he is well known for, Chomsky began by discussing definitions of terrorism. He said, “It is an easy question. I simply use definition in the U.S. Army Field manual. ‘Terrorism is the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to inculcate fear, intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological’… this also happens to be identical to the official U.S. policy for counterterrorism.” He went on to say that these definitions should be applied to the United States government, as well as our enemy’s activities.
The forum was sponsored by the Student Senate, the office of the Provost, the College of Public and Community Service, Africana Studies, Hispanic Studies, the Women’s Center, Latin American Studies, Women’s Studies, and the Anthropology Department. Among their next initiatives, the HRWG are trying to bring a human rights center to campus and develop an interdisciplinary human rights program that students could earn a certificate or concentration.
Image: Noam Chomsky, a renowned professor of linguistics, spoke at UMass Boston on December 12. Chomsky is also known for his role as dissident and has written over 30 books on the political economy of human rights, the United States intervention in developing countries, and the influence of media on American ideology. (Photo by Harry Brett).