The ISA's Reponse to Global Events
ICE and MIT-Harvard Lawsuit
Our Club's Response
Dear all, The International Students Association can see all the potential hardships that these recent events may cause. Thus, we aim to support students with resources as best as we can and keep you all informed with what is going on. The ruling from ICE states that international students who do not have in person instruction will not be allowed in the country during that college term. MIT and Harvard have recently joined up and have made a federal lawsuit combatting this ruling. These are the facts as of now, and more information will come over the next few days as the lawsuit keeps occuring. Our schools president has stated in his recent post, regarding his stance of internationals being welcome as "At MIT, the answer, unequivocally, is yes". The resources below should help keep you informed over time. Yours in solidarity, The ISA Executive Committee
Resources
- This Article has MIT President, Rafael Reif's message as well as info on the lawsuit.
- Here is the ruling made by ICE.
Police Brutality and Injustice
Our Club's Response
Dear all, The International Students Association would like to express solidarity and support to the families of all of those affected by police brutality and injustice. The ISA works to bring elements from our distinct and richly diverse cultural backgrounds to share them with our community at a cultural, academic and social level. We therefore must reaffirm our commitment to be an inclusive community and to speak out against racial injustice and any form of discrimination. We condemn the systemic racism destroying people and poisoning our society. Together, we can change our world for the better. We all have the responsibility to recognize the distinct forms of discrimination present in our respective corners of the world. More than that, it is on our hands to address these issues by educating ourselves, our families, our friends, our countries. It is when people listen to each other, stand with each other and learn from each other when we can truly make change with each other. Please stay safe. Yours in solidarity, The ISA Executive Committee
Resources from our Club
- This website has a consolidated list of ways to help.
- This ActBlue fund splits donations between a variety of organizations fighting against systemic injustice.
- Veronica, an international student class of 2022, wrote this incredible and strong blog entry that we encourage everyone to read. k
- This document has a long list of petitions and readings, as well as organizations and funds to donate to.
- Here is a free library of full texts from Black activists and BLM movements. The library was created and maintained by @_CharlesPreston. Library Link
- Here's a very extensive spreadsheet on how people can engage with the BLM movement - it was created and maintained by Charity D. from Wellesley, Festus O. from Harvard, the Wellesley African Students Association (WASA) and various other contributors. (note the tabs for different types of actions): Spreadsheet Link
UPDATE - SITEWIDE MESSAGE (9/3/2020): The ISA is excited to be launching a new program, ISA Hubs, meant to bring unity during this different period of life for students. Please see our page and sign up at this link. We wish you all a great start of the new semester!
UPDATE - SITEWIDE MESSAGE (6/14/2020): With the continuation of COVID around the world, and the recent social ills brought to our attention over the past few months, we as the ISA are in solidarity and support with all those affected. Our club's message and more information and resources can be found from this link: Read the ISA Statement. For anyone who has questions, feel free to reach out to us from the Resources/Contact Us menu at the top or use the social media links found at the bottom footer.
