Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2011, Pages 49-50
Human Rights
National Building Museum Cancels Public Award Ceremony For Caterpillar
Craig and Cindy Corrie and representatives from numerous organizations that advocate for a just peace in the Middle East delivered a petition signed by more than 7,000 individuals and over 140 regional, national and international groups to the National Building Museum in Washington, DC asking it to rescind its designation of Caterpillar Inc. for its prestigious Henry C. Turner Prize on Sept. 14. Due to pressure from social justice groups across the country, the museum cancelled its Turner Prize public award ceremony scheduled for that night.
The campaign to urge the National Building Museum to rescind its award to Caterpillar Inc. was spearheaded by the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice based in Olympia, WA. The organization was founded to continue the work of Rachel Corrie, an American civilian killed in 2003 when she was crushed to death by a weaponized Caterpillar D9-R bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier as she tried to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing a family's home in Rafah, Gaza. Caterpillar has a long history of designing and supplying equipment used by the Israeli military to demolish Palestinian homes, olive trees and farmlands. Caterpillar equipment also has been used in the killing and injury of Palestinian and international civilians.
Craig Corrie, Rachel's father, said, "We hope to help the National Building Museum better understand the role of Caterpillar Inc. in the Israeli occupation, and how CAT continues to supply the Israeli military knowing their equipment is being used to commit human rights violations. We hope, too, to encourage the museum to use this opportunity to explore issues related to construction and destruction in areas of conflict and specifically in areas of occupation."
Sydney Levy with Jewish Voice for Peace stated, "The National Building Museum has canceled its event honoring Caterpillar—and this is a good first step—but the museum should be consistent in its decision and cancel the award altogether. Rewarding Caterpillar privately is like opposing Palestinian home demolitions by daylight, but supporting them under cover of night."
In a related development, the Presbyterian Church's Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) recommended on Sept. 9 that Caterpillar Inc. be added to the divestment list of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). In its announcement, MRTI stated, "Caterpillar has profited from sales of its products to Israeli military and civilian authorities, including its D-9 bulldozers which are used to demolish Palestinian homes and construct settlements and Israeli-only roads on Palestinian land, acts deemed illegal under international law. The company has never accepted responsibility for how its products are used and has not responded to requests for dialogue since 2009 from MRTI or other religious groups."
—Delinda C. Hanley
