Community update: FIFSW’s response to fifsw4ceasefire calls to action

Dear FIFSW community,  

I am writing to update you on the outcomes of meetings with the group fifsw4ceasefire, which includes members from FIFSW’s student, alumni and teaching communities. In the spring, this group presented our Faculty with an open letter outlining ten calls to action for FIFSW in response to the crisis in Gaza. The open letter received over 300 signatures, both anonymous and known.   

Leaders from FIFSW had two meetings with representatives of this group. At the first meeting, on June 5, members of fifsw4ceasefire presented their position and initiated a discussion of the calls to action. Realizing that we would need more time to allow for a deeper dialogue, a follow-up meeting was scheduled for July 9.  

Before sharing an update on our response and the actions now underway as a result of our discussions with this group, I would like to acknowledge the pain and trauma that students, alumni, faculty, staff and partners continue to experience as a result of the atrocities that have occurred in Palestine and Israel, including continuous news of the attacks and rising death toll in Gaza and ongoing fears for the hostages taken by Hamas. We must also recognize the increases in experiences of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab, anti-Israeli, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism that have coincided with these events. Whether you have been witnessing the relentless violence through media, have loved ones in the areas that have been directly affected, or feel retraumatized due to shared histories, for so many in our community the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East has been heartbreakingly constant. In this context, it is vital that we not only find ways to support each other, but also provide space for and encourage ongoing learning and dialogue in our community. These are the core values that guide me as Dean. 

In both meetings with fifsw4ceasefire, I shared that our Faculty is aligned with the University guidance (communicated in an April 26, 2024 memo) that strongly discourages leaders of academic units from issuing “a public statement that purports to represent the views of everyone in an academic unit or program.” As such, moving forward, I will not be making public statements of this nature on behalf of the Faculty as Dean. Instead, I intend to focus on promoting respectful dialogue and academic freedom — including the right of faculty, course instructors, and students to make statements as individuals or within groups and engage in research and teaching that may include contested ideas without fear of retaliation. 

Similarly, FIFSW is also aligned with the University’s position when it comes to severing ties with program partners associated with Israel. Severing relationships conflicts with our commitment to academic freedom and hinders opportunities for dialogue and the sharing of ideas.  

While we will not meet fifsw4ceasefire’s demand to issue a public statement or sever partnerships, there were several areas in which their calls to action pointed to a demonstrated need to build on and amplify current initiatives and develop new ones to address the global events that are affecting us.  

These include:  

• reiterating the University’s commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom;  

• ensuring clear communication of procedures for students seeking academic considerations due to trauma, grief and distress related to humanitarian crises, including war and genocide; 

• clarifying and better promoting on our existing mechanisms for reporting EDI concerns;  

• building a better understanding of the needs of our Arab and Muslim students; 

• developing training and educational resources for our community, including staff, faculty and instructors; 

• improving transparency around Faculty governance and opportunities for community members to get involved and have a voice, and 

• collaborating with FIFSW’s Graduate Student Association (GSA) and PhD Student Association (PhDSA) to explore various ways we can engage students in meaningful community conversations. 

The past year demonstrated to all of us that we have more to learn, not only about the issues surrounding the Middle East but also about antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab, anti-Israeli, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism. Fifsw4ceasefire has championed these issues, but we have also heard from and know that members of the FIFSW community have connections to, and are deeply affected by, many other global and local crises and intergenerational traumas. We can all benefit from moving these initiatives forward.  

We will cultivate learning opportunities, partnerships and conversations that will equip us to engage courageously with difficult issues, support those who are in pain and distress, and nurture an environment in which diverse perspectives are respected and welcomed. We heard this from fifsw4ceasefire along with many other students, staff, faculty members, and field and classroom instructors who have stepped forward to be collaborators in charting the way forward. We welcome these collaborations. 

This message provides only a brief overview of our work in response to fifsw4ceasefire’s calls to action. In the coming weeks we will share more detailed updates on the initiatives we have listed above — and more — as they evolve, through email, in our newsletters, and on our website.  

Sincerely, 

Charmaine C. Williams, PhD (she/elle)
Dean & Professor
Factor-inwentash Faculty of Social Work