CR motion about the Coke scholarships

NOTES:

1. The School of Geography and Linacre College have instituted three scholarships for graduate students, funded by the Coca Cola Foundation.
2. That Coca-Cola is a socially and environmentally irresponsible company, which has shown grave contempt to the rights of many people and to the environment in areas which it operates.
3. According to the BBC, Coca-Cola has illegally drained groundwater in Plachimada, Kerala for its bottling plant, leaving the remaining water unsuitable for drinking because of the increased density of chemicals. The case is currently proceeding in the High Court of India.
4. In the US in 2000, faced with charges of racial discrimination by 2000 African-American employees in Atlanta, Georgia, Coca Cola made an out of court settlement of $192.5 million.
5. In Columbia, Coca Cola have not denied using paramilitaries to murder, torture and detain trade union leaders. They merely claim that they can not be held liable in a US Federal Court for occurrences in Columbia.
6. In the US in 2002 the Coca Cola Company and its network of bottlers were cited for 222 violations of Federal Health and Safety standards by the OHSA.

BELIEVES:

1. No department or college in the university should be seen to condone such behaviour by any individual or company.
2. It is important to prevent companies with a dubious social and environmental record from being legitimised by Oxford University.
3. That it is not in the interest of the students of the university that Coca-Cola is closely involved with academic research.
4. That by accepting money from Coca-Cola, the School of Geographyand LinacreCollegelegitimise their activities.
5. That both institutions are part of a strategy to improve the company's public relations without addressing the damaging facts behind its negative publicity.

RESOLVES:

1. To mandate the Common Room President to write a letter to Diane Liverman, director of the Environmental Change Institute (part of the School of Geography) and to Professor Paul Slack, Principal of Linacre College, to state [our Common Room's] belief that, the School of Geography and Linacre College should not condone the activities of Coca-Cola by running the scholarship scheme, and that by doing so they neglect the principles of environment and justice which they both abide by.

Posted on 06/06/05 by Anon