I am writing because an editorial that appeared March 21 contained grave mischaracterizations. First, The Eagle characterized the Harvard living-wage campaign as a victory won "without having to take any drastic measures." This is simply not the case. The Harvard campaign was one of the most drastic measures taken by students this decade. In spring 2001, 46 Harvard students occupied administrative office buildings for a total of 21 days in order to win what they deemed an acceptable proposal from the university (according to their reports).
This event has become a benchmark of campus activism for our generation and was documented in the film "Occupation." Members of that campaign even advised Georgetown activists in their hunger strike. The Harvard campaign was one of the most drastic measures taken by students in this decade.
Second, it is inappropriate for The Eagle to characterize the PuraVida/Starbucks campaign as "basic surface activism." For this, the paper refers to the protest that was held by a non-violence class on March 30. As the article makes clear, this was not a protest organized by those who have been pushing for Pura Vida on campus, but was part of a class on non-violence. It was characterized by the reporter as a "protest exercise." It should not, therefore, be seen as an action of the campaign.
The campaign for Pura Vida includes members of The Movement for Global Justice, Fair Trade Student Association and Community Action and Social Justice. These students have been working to convince the university to contract with Pura Vida since October, when they collected more than 1,000 signatures. Since then, a growing and dedicated group has been meeting regularly in order to raise awareness on campus, write and send letters, meet with the administration, and call on them to do the right thing and contract with Pura Vida.
To be described as mere surface activists ignores all the hard work and research done by these students. It will not be for lack of thoughtful planning or commitment that this campaign fails to achieve its goals of gaining the 100 percent fair-trade, shade-grown, organic coffee shop that Pura Vida, not Starbucks, can provide. It will be because the University administration fails to commit to the values it claims to hold.
