Spring Break
Organizers call off Mideast visit
by Claire Moses
News | 3/13/07
Posted online at 10:49 PM EST on 3/12/07
/ Last updated at 4:47 PM EST on 3/12/07
CORRECTION APPENDED (SEE BELOW)
The planned trip to the Palestinian territories this summer has been cancelled because of the failure to raise the necessary funds and campus support, one of the group's organizers said.
Former President Jimmy Carter first encouraged students to visit the territories and observe living conditions there during his Jan. 23 visit, after which students quickly formed a group to accept the former President's challenge.
Kevin Montgomery '07 said fundraising for the student and faculty trip to the Palestinian territories was more difficult than he initially expected. Montgomery told the Justice last month that fundraising was not one of his major concerns.
Other campus groups were not eager to help make the trip a reality, Montgomery said. "Ultimately people were not ready enough for organizing such an event."
He said he had hoped to raise at least $100,000 for the trip, which would have possibly included a visit to Israel in addition to the Palestinian territories and the creation of a documentary film to show students on campus what the participants saw.
Montgomery said that his group sought funds from several sources, he refused to name them.
He told the Justice last month that the group would solicit funds from major nonprofit organizations and University donors.
Montgomery added that though Prof. Daniel Terris, director of the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, expressed skepticism to him about the trip, the committee chose to cancel the trip, however, and was not pressured by the administration to do so.
The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life is still planning to send undergraduates to Turkey this summer alongside students from the Palestinian Al Quds University, Brandeis' partner school.
(This article originally incorrectly reported that the trip to Turkey was sponsored by the Student Union.)
The planned trip to the Palestinian territories this summer has been cancelled because of the failure to raise the necessary funds and campus support, one of the group's organizers said.
Former President Jimmy Carter first encouraged students to visit the territories and observe living conditions there during his Jan. 23 visit, after which students quickly formed a group to accept the former President's challenge.
Kevin Montgomery '07 said fundraising for the student and faculty trip to the Palestinian territories was more difficult than he initially expected. Montgomery told the Justice last month that fundraising was not one of his major concerns.
Other campus groups were not eager to help make the trip a reality, Montgomery said. "Ultimately people were not ready enough for organizing such an event."
He said he had hoped to raise at least $100,000 for the trip, which would have possibly included a visit to Israel in addition to the Palestinian territories and the creation of a documentary film to show students on campus what the participants saw.
Montgomery said that his group sought funds from several sources, he refused to name them.
He told the Justice last month that the group would solicit funds from major nonprofit organizations and University donors.
Montgomery added that though Prof. Daniel Terris, director of the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, expressed skepticism to him about the trip, the committee chose to cancel the trip, however, and was not pressured by the administration to do so.
The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life is still planning to send undergraduates to Turkey this summer alongside students from the Palestinian Al Quds University, Brandeis' partner school.
(This article originally incorrectly reported that the trip to Turkey was sponsored by the Student Union.)
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