ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Wayne,

While I'm a firm believer in using this type of economic pressure approach
certain issues (e.g. Divestment from companies doing business in S. Africa)
The real question to me is where do we draw the line.  There are certainly a
lot of countries right now which are ripe for this type of pressure by our
museums and professional associations.

While I don't agree with the ideas promoted by the planners of the museum,
they aren't physically harming anyone, just touting their particular
(repressive) belief system. I for one wouldn't be comfortable with
approaching design firms and fabricators in the way you suggest. If firms
are mistreating or taking advantage of their employees (e.g. Nike) then that
is a different matter.

What you seem to be suggesting is that individuals or firms who've worked
with these groups who are philosophically out of step with our own belief
system should be considered suspect and therefore divested from our
consideration. Question: Would you refuse to purchase books from a store or
publishing house that carried ideologies that were in direct conflict with
your own belief system?  Again, where do we draw the line.

Sara




Sara DeAngelis
Project Manager/Lead Exhibit Developer
Brooklyn Children¹s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11213

p. 718 735-4400 x149
c. 718 578-8269
e. [log in to unmask]

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One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
‹ Wm. Shakespeare

Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art and
more.
‹ Vincent Van Gogh



> From: WAYNE LABAR <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Informal Science Education Network <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 11:09:11 -0400
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Creationism - museums and business
> 
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> Here is a recent article (today) from the Chicago Tribune
> 
> http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/chitribts/20050807/ts_chicagotrib/mus
> eumexhibitsacreationistviewpoint
> 
> Although some may know of this facility and the article does not shed much new
> information on this issue, it does raise one that I have not heard discussed
> before but one I thought I might enter into the discussion.
> 
> Certainly I fully support the right of the facility mentioned in the article
> to exist, although I may not believe in their faith.
> 
> But as I read this article the question that arose for me is that there was
> some company or companies that supplied this facility with the means to pull
> this off (designers, fabricators etc.).  Now I have no issue with any company
> making revenue but equally I may not want to send work from my institution to
> a company that felt that providing more sophisticated representations to help
> teach creationism was where they should be making money.  Similar to the fact
> that I may not accept donations from a company that has gotten its revenue
> through means I disagree with.
> 
> I know this could be a touchy subject but thought it should be explored as it
> delves deep into our business in ways not yet discussed.  I would love to here
> people's ideas on this.
> 
> 
> Wayne
> 
> 
> Wayne J LaBar
> Vice President, Exhibitions and Theaters
> Liberty Science Center
> 251 Phillip Street
> Liberty State Park
> Jersey City, NJ 07305
> 
> voice: 201.451.0006 x-347
> fax: 201.451.7046
> 
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> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
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More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
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To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
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