Signing the petition lets governments and the drug companies know that young people will not be silent on the issue. The Bush administration has been silent on the case. In an unprecedented move, the European Parliament recently passed an emergency resolution calling on the South African government to drop the lawsuit. The case has spurred protests internationally. Students can write letters and organize protests to encourage the United States to join the chorus of global outrage.
Students can make a difference.
Students in the U.S. played a key role in increasing pressure to force South Africa to end its system of apartheid. In the eighties, a nationwide student and faculty outcry forced many prestigious universities to divest their holdings in the country. Now that South Africa faces a new crisis, students must speak out again. Write an article or editorial on the case. A sample editorial is available.