CMU-Q launches ‘Respect for All’ campaign on Martin Luther King Jr Day
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day with the launch of the ‘Respect for All’ campaign. Led by the Office of Diversity and Climate (ODC), the campaign will highlight CMU-Q’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful environment.
CMU-Q will mark the day with a slate of in-person and virtual activities that promote respect, a civil society, and thoughtful, empathetic discussion.
Annette Vincent, associate dean of diversity and climate, believes that these concepts are especially important at this moment in history: “The climate of the world right now normalizes disrespectful speech and conduct. We want to say, as a community, that we stand for respect and empathy.”
Led by Angela Ng, program director for student engagement, the organizing committee selected Martin Luther King Jr Day to launch the campaign. The day is marked in the United States to recognize the civil rights leader who, from 1955 to 1968, led a non-violent movement to end the racial discrimination and segregation of African Americans.
Vincent remarked that Martin Luther King Jr’s message transcends the history and politics of America: “His vision for equality, regardless of color or creed, is relevant at this moment, everywhere in the world.”
According to Vincent, educational institutions can and should play a leading role in setting the standards for civil discourse. “Our students are the next generation of leaders in science, business, and government. We have a responsibility to introduce them to the ideals of diversity, empathy, openness and civil discussion, so they will go into the world and lead by example.”
During Martin Luther King Jr Day, which falls on January 18 this year, CMU-Q will premiere a video of the Tartans Stand Together pledge. The statement, which was drafted by a group of faculty, staff, alumni and students, expresses the community’s vision of inclusion, fairness, open discussion and self-reflection.
In the coming weeks, as the community prepares for the annual International Day celebration, members of the community will be encouraged to translate the pledge into their home languages. “That would be a true expression of how our diverse community can speak as individuals with a common vision and purpose,” said Vincent.