The UCSD Department of Communication drafted a resolution opposing the war in Iraq on Feb. 26. The resolution was accepted by the entire department, department chair Geoffrey Bowker said.

“”We felt that we had a ‘communication’ spin on the events currently

unfolding,”” Bowker said.

The resolution opposes the war based on the Bush administration’s lack of convincing evidence of a military threat by Iraq. It says that such actions would be “”completely unjustified and morally reprehensible.””

The communication department’s resolution focuses on the lack of debate within the Bush administration. It cites the presence of debates within the public, in the media and public demonstrations, and deplores what it says is a dismissal of dissent by the current administration. The White House, it says, partakes in one-sided communication that asks the public to support the war.

It also discusses its opposition to the current state of human rights in Iraq, which it says are deplorable. However, it says that this is not justification for the destructiveness that would occur during a conflict, and that there are better means to resolve the current issues. The resolution demands that the current military actions be stopped and that the administration seek a peaceful solution, saying it would be “”in the best interest of the world community.””

According to Bowker, the initial resolution was drafted by a faculty member who then presented it to a group of faculty, staff and graduate students at a weekly department meeting.

Bowker said that any member of the faculty or any grad student is welcome to bring business on any matter to these meetings. A subcommittee was then formed of faculty, staff and graduate students to draw up a final draft of the resolution, based on comments made about the original resolution.

Bowker said that the subcommittee was drawn up because “”it became clear at the meeting that there were some differences amongst us.””

After the final resolution was drawn up, there was an open critique. There was some dissent with the final resolution as stated. However, according to the resolution, the disagreement was in respect to certain arguments, and the main issue of opposition to a preemptive strike by the United States was passed without dissent.

Bowker says that he knows of no other department on campus authoring similar resolutions. However, other departments have had faculty, staff and students participate individually in anti-war activities, such as the national Anti-war Poetry Luncheon last month.

In January, the Department of Community Studies and Academic Senate at UC Santa Cruz drafted similar resolutions opposing the war.