City Council asks Worcester to divest from Sudan

00014At last night’s City Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted to “divest the retirement system of any investment in the Sudan.”

I made a crummy recording of the discussion, which you can hear below. Because of battery trouble, it cuts off in the middle of Councilor Michael “Dah-foo” Perotto’s introduction, and cuts back in as Councilor Joff Smith is speaking. After the council voted, Joe O’Brien, Darfur native Abu Asal Abu Asal, and Mike Benedetti said a few words of additional support.

Note also that Mayor Lukes mentioned the Armenian Genocide in her remarks, and asked that language explicitly using the word “genocide” be added. (The US Congress is currently considering labelling the Armenian Genocide a “genocide,” with Turkey strongly objecting. AP: Bush urges defeat of genocide bill.)

Documents from this vote

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3 thoughts on “City Council asks Worcester to divest from Sudan”

  1. Thanks for including that detail about the Mayor’s addition. That didn’t make it into today’s paper (I will try not to see this as deliberate on the T&G’s part) and is very interesting. It really (among other things) adds to the city’s comment on an international issue.

  2. The T&G actually left out a lot of the nitty-gritty of the discussion on this measure, as the Clerk’s on-line notes indicate:

    Motion Perotto – Request to add the entire Council as authors to the Order Motion Haller – Further, request that the letters of support from Congressman McGovern and State Senators Augustus and Chandler be entered as part of the Council’s official record. Motion Lukes to amend by adding – because of the genocide occurring in that country. Mayor Lukes suspended the rules to allow the following speakers at the request of Councilor Haller: Joseph O’Brien, Worcester resident Sudanese Worcester resident Michael Benedetti, Worcester resident Order adopted, as amended on a roll call vote of 10 Yeas and 0 Nays (Toomey absent)

    Also, the T&G quoted several Councilors’ remarks, but didn’t mention Gary Rosen, who gave the only decent statement of the lot.

  3. And this is why we all should go to city council meetings! The reporting the T&G does (when it gets around to it, which is usually Thursday!) is very incomplete.

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