Call for "No Drones" at U.S. Colleges, Universities, and Research Institutions

Friends,

A national call has been made for “April Days of Action” to focus on three key components of U.S. drone work: Drone Manufacturers, Drone Bases in the U.S., and Drone Research. (See the list about nationwide actions and post your own planned actions for April.)

Given the fact that drones are now the primary weapons of warfare used by the US, and for surveillance both domestic and abroad, the research and development of this warfare is growing rapidly at academic institutions, in our towns and neighborhoods. Drones are the perfect instrument for endless war that kills civilians, even as they target “militants” in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

Academic institutions often receive large grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, enabling them to build labs within schools of engineering, for instance. We are well aware that without this research in robotics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and the accompanying accessories, these drone warfare projects would probably not take place. So there is an interdependent relationship between the universities and the U.S. government and or its Department of Defense and CIA. (CIA drones are used in countries with which the U.S. is not “at war”, ie Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, and others.)

While universities tend to publicize some information on their respective websites regarding the drone work, it is most often said to be for non-military purposes. And there are students working in the labs who are convinced that all the research is for humanitarian purposes. However, history has told us that non-military can quickly and easily become military. Moreover research has shown drones make mistakes on recognizing their targets.

We are therefore asking organizations and individuals, nationwide, to explore any drone research that might be going on at their local university. We are calling for local actions between April 16 and 18, 2013 (Suggested actions are listed below) Our limited research into University and Academic UAV programs indicates that a research centers are operating in the locations listed below.

Before those dates in April we will need to know what information you have acquired about the research and what actions and events your group is planning.This will be shared among groups in the Network. You can send this information to us at notodrone@gmail.com.

We will have a press committee that will receive your press release and any articles you are able to publish before or after the event.

This project will complement other outreach, education and action projects that will be launched in April, focusing on drone bases, April 27-28 and drone manufacturers , April 4-6.

Suggested actions:

1. Learn what research is being done by searching on a university website. Look especially at the Engineering Dept.
2. Organize a forum, preferably on campus, with speakers and discussion. Be sure to publicize in campus newspapers, and possibly include a professor as one of the speakers. Also include local activists.
3. Plan a small meeting with the appropriate persons in the department working on drone research, both professors and students.
4. Hold vigils and leaflet on or close to the campus, as well as in town.
5. Let us know if you need further tools for your research.

Thanks in advance for your reply to notodrone@gmail.com.

With all good wishes,

Marge Van Cleef, WILPF, Philadelphia
Leila Zand, For USA
Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

APPENDIX: U.S. Drone Research Sites

ARIZONA

Arizona State University - Tempe
PIMA Community College - Tucson
University of Arizona - Tucson

CALIFORNIA

California Polytechnic - San Luis Obispo
Girvan Institute of Technology - Santa Clara
Stanford University - Palo Alto
University of California - Berkeley
University of Southern California - Los Angeles

COLORADO

Mesa State College - Grand Junction
United States Air Force Academy

FLORIDA

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach
University of Florida - Gainsville
University of Central Florida - Orlando

GEORGIA

Georgia Tech - Atlanta
Southern Polytechnic State University - Marietta

ILLINOIS

University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

INDIANA

Ross Hulman Institute of Technology - Terre Haute
University of Notre Dame - South Bend

IOWA

Iowa State University - Ames

KANSAS

University of Kansas - Lawrence

KENTUCKY

University of Kentucky - Lexington

MARYLAND

John Hopkins University - Drone Swarming - Baltimore
University of Maryland - College Park

MASSACHUSETTS

Harvard - Cambridge
MIT - Cambridge

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi State University - Mississippi State University

MISSOURI

Parks College (university of St. Louis) - St Louis

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico State University - Las Cruces

NEW YORK

Clarkson University - Potsdam
Cornell University - Ithaca
Rochester Institute of Technology - Rochester

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina State University - Raleigh

NORTH DAKOTA

University of North Dakota- Grand Forks

OHIO

Ohio State University - Columbus
University of Dayton - Dayton
Wright State University - Dayton

PENNSYLVANIA

Carnegie Mellon Institute of Robotics - Pittsburgh
Drexel University - Philadelphia
Lehigh University - Bethlehem
University of Pennsylvania – GRASP Lab, Philadelphia

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota School of Mines - Rapid City

TEXAS

Letourneau University - Longview
Texas A&M University - College Station
University of Texas - Austin

UTAH

Brigham Young University - Provo

VIRGINIA

Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond
Virginia Tech - Blacksburg

(List updated: February 26, 2013)