Follow-Up Message

Dear WesternU Community,

I hope that this note finds you well. In follow up, yesterday, I had the great pleasure to meet with a group of students to discuss the concerns regarding my previous statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to glean further feedback. In the spirit of transparency and communication, in that meeting, I emphasized the importance of always communicating the right message. I also shared that I am committed to listening and hearing all concerns. In so doing, I am able to send to you today this follow up message that I believe may better represent all views, from our esteemed constituents.

WesternU is an institution of healing. Hence, I believe that any message must always convey our core values of humanism, life, peace, and voice, permiting us the opportunity to see world events from our unique position as non-discriminatory and objective healers.  During these difficult times, I thank you all for your genuine goodwill to make WesternU a place where everyone belongs and feels part of a community. I relish the opportunity to enhance communication, particularly during times of global crisis.

As an institution committed to healing, I believe that our messages in response to traumatic events must be inclusive, respectful, provide comfort, preserve dignity, and uphold the sanctity of human life. More significantly, I want to make sure that everyone in our community feels included and we remain mindful about actions that may marginalize and or hurt people. Hence, I feel it is of paramount importance, on behalf of WesternU, to express a heartfelt apology to any person in our community and especially to our cherished and beloved students, who may have felt marginalized or hurt. In this case, the main goal is to convey empathy for those suffering in the conflict.

Amidst the recent and ongoing Israeli-Palestine conflict that is affecting many in our community, I want every person in our community to know that I am always available to listen, hear, and learn how I can be helpful to you and especially to our precious and highly valued students.

As a unique community of healers, at WesternU, rest assured that we will never accept violence against humanity no matter what the cause, or the circumstance. As an institution of extraordinary diversity committed to healing, it is our collective responsibility to respect, comfort, and protect all our precious constituents, especially our students, and ensure their feeling of belonging. We will never accept the loss of human beings when we have the learning and the power to prevent and or heal them.

We condemn every act of violence that harms human life and threatens human potential. We recognize that any attacks on innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including students, of any nationality is egregious and unacceptable. My heart goes out to the people affected and to our own WesternU students, staff, faculty, and alumni hurting for loved ones. As a community, we will remain dedicated to healing human suffering, pain, and ill-health wherever we can. We are unequivocally united together as the healers that the world needs now!

A very heartfelt thank you to all of you who continue to ensure that our University is a safe, comfortable, and nurturing environment for scholars of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Let us stand together in opposition to violence everywhere. We are together because we are a community of healers, a community that provides care, and a community that stands for life!

Warmest regards,

Best wishes,
Robin