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Editor’s Note: All Quiet on the Western Front

Beatrice+Mtetwa%2C+the+2011+recipient+of+CWRUs+Inamori+Ethics+Prize%2C+has+been+imprisoned+in+a+Zimbabwe+jail+for+more+than+96+hours.
courtesy theage.com
Beatrice Mtetwa, the 2011 recipient of CWRU’s Inamori Ethics Prize, has been imprisoned in a Zimbabwe jail for more than 96 hours.

Four days can pass quickly at Case Western Reserve University. But I imagine they constitute an eternity when spent in a Zimbabwe prison cell. Beatrice Mtetwa, the 2011 recipient of CWRU’s Inamori Ethics Prize, does not have to envision this comparison. It has been her forced reality for more than 96 hours.

The Zimbabwe government jailed Mtetwa, one of the world’s most prominent humanitarian rights attorneys, this past Sunday for allegedly obstructing the actions of police officers. According to The New York Times, Mtetwa was arrested after she refused to give officers her purse and cell phone when they failed to produce a search warrant.

The arrest of Mtetwa and three other activists is part of a larger effort in Zimbabwe to suppress opposition politicians and civic groups. This suppression is occurring before the nation’s presidential election, which is anticipated to occur later this year.

Mtetwa first earned international acclaim for her defense of journalists who were being held or deported by the Zimbabwean government. In more recent years, she has stated her work involves defending the elementary civil and human rights of average citizens in her country.

“Beatrice Mtetwa has been battling injustice and defending vital human freedoms for over 20 years, at great personal risk, in a country where the law is used as a weapon against independent professionals,” CWRU’s Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence stated in the official citation for the 2011 Inamori Ethics Prize.

Mtetwa was awarded the prize on Sept. 7, 2011 in a ceremony at Severance Hall. “You need to do good, not necessarily live well,” she told a crowd of university students, staff, faculty, and administrators.

Attempts to free Mtetwa had yet to prove successful at the time this edition went to print. Additionally, while Shannon French, director of the Inamori Center, has denounced Mtetwa’s imprisonment through social media, the university as a whole has remained mostly silent on the issue.

As of press time, CWRU has yet to condemn Mtetwa’s imprisonment in either a statement to the press, a posting on case.edu, or updates on social media. Some may argue the university isn’t responsible for denouncing a human rights violation occurring half way around the world. I would assert those are the same people who will never qualify for the Inamori Ethics Prize.

But this moment doesn’t belong solely to university administration; students should share it as well. By denouncing the actions taken against Mtetwa in ways applicable to their organizations, students can help garner more attention for a global issue.

This juncture represents an unprecedented opportunity for CWRU. It’s the time to show a distinction bestowed by our institution runs deeper than the surface it is engraved upon. It is an instant when we can substantively support the values we honor, even after the acceptance speech has been given and the celebratory drinks have been poured.

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About the Contributor
Tyler Hoffman, Executive Editor & Publisher
. Fourth-year medical anthropology student Tyler Hoffman has served as Executive Editor and Publisher of The Observer since April 2012. As Executive Editor, Tyler is responsible for establishing and maintaining the direction of The Observer's print and online platforms. Formerly the News Editor, he specializes in research reporting and digital publishing, which are skills he honed as a health writer and editor with the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In addition to his work with The Observer, Tyler chairs the University Media Board and co-chairs the Student Executive Council. In April 2013, he was the recipient of CWRU's Outstanding Member of the Media Award. -- Outside of campus media, Tyler is the Division of Information Technology Services' Student Engagement Leader, in which he helps direct efforts to support students in their use of academic technologies at the university. When not working, Tyler, a passionate fan of food and cooking, enjoys kicking back with his friends and  tasting his way through the Cleveland restaurant scene. Reach Tyler at tyler.hoffman@case.edu and on Twitter @tylerehoffman. .

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