Announcing a SIPA Anti-Hate Task Force

Dear SIPA Community, 

As we continue to actively address targeted issues of safety, intimidation and harassment through our Doxing and Student Safety Task Force, I see the need for a broader anti-hate initiative. I am thus creating an Anti-hate Task Force to focus on strategies to address antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the spread of any targeted hate, bigotry and harassment against any member of our community based on their real or perceived identity. 

The aim of this Task Force is threefold: first, to work to address and deter hate speech on campus; second, to foster an environment at SIPA where everyone feels safe, secure, and empowered to speak their mind without intimidation; and third, to strengthen the resilience of our SIPA community so we can respond to this and future global crises in ways that are inclusive, pro-active, and meaningful. 

I shared this idea with members of SIPASA Leadership and several students last week and they enthusiastically support this important initiative. All members of our community should feel a sense of inclusion and connection, not intimidation, when they come to study here, and to learn from, and contribute to our globally diverse community. 

The Task Force will be comprised of faculty, administrators, and students who can bring to bear a variety of skills, expertise, and experiences in advocacy, bias prevention and response, relevant institutional and international laws, policies and best practices on this work and support services. It will focus on educating the community about existing rules against threatening and harassing behavior, identifying, and closing gaps, and seeking to create a better environment for constructive dialogue. The Task Force will convene this week and will liaise with our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Climate & Engagement (DEICE) Committee. The group will also coordinate with relevant University partners and Task Forces.

It is critically important that every member of the community take an active role in building a safe and inclusive climate. If you are targeted because of your identities or beliefs, or witness someone else being targeted in this way, the School can be a resource to help you take action to report the incident, provide you with support services, and keep you informed during any investigation. You will soon hear directly from the Task Force about its plans and the composition of the team. 

Thank you for your support and collaboration in helping us take the next step towards being a safer and more respectful school community.

Sincerely, 

Keren Yarhi-Milo

Dean, School of International and Public Affairs

Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations

Columbia University New York, NY