We the undersigned stand in solidarity with the journal Third World Quarterly and its editor-in-chief. Those of us not already involved with the journal stand ready to support it, including potentially to replace colleagues who recently resigned from the editorial board in protest over an article arguing in favour of colonialism ( “Pro-colonialism paper outcry prompts author to ‘request withdrawal’” , News, 22 September 2017).
We offer this support in defence of the principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom, the collective interests of the profession as a whole and the right of editors, journals and presses to publish any work – however controversial – that, in their view, merits exposure and debate.
We are alarmed by the censorious attitudes and campaigns directed at Third World Quarterly and its editor-in-chief. We see this as part of a wider and increasingly serious problem: a rising tide of intolerance on campuses and in the academic profession, with certain scholars and students seeking to close down perspectives with which they disagree, rather than debating them openly. In this instance, the campaign culminated in “serious and credible threats of personal violence”, leading to the article being “withdrawn at the request of the academic journal editor, and in agreement with the author” (Taylor & Francis statement). Threats of violence have no place in the academy and we condemn such actions unequivocally.
In an era of collective challenges, the academy – and through it, wider society – needs open, frank and vigorous debate more than ever. Third World Quarterly has been at the leading edge of debates on the developing world for nearly 40 years. We are determined that it shall continue to be.
Lee Jones, Queen Mary University of London
Philip Cunliffe, University of Kent and editor of International Peacekeeping
Prof Thomas G. Weiss, City University of New York and TWQ editorial board member
Prof David S.G. Goodman, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Peter Uvin, Claremont McKenna College and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Anthony Payne, University of Sheffield and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Arturo Valenzuela, Georgetown University and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Barry Gills, University of Helsinki and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Christopher Clapham, University of Cambridge and TWQ editorial board member
Prof Michael Klare, Hampshire College and TWQ editorial board member
Dr Nicolas Lemay-Hébert, University of Birmingham and editor, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding
Prof Ami Pedahzur, University of Texas at Austin and associate editor, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
Prof M.L.R. Smith, King's College London and editorial board member, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
Prof James Dreier, Brown University and associate editor, Ethics
Prof Randall Schweller, Ohio State University and Editor-in-Chief, Security Studies
Prof Leigh Jenco, LSE and Associate Editor, American Political Science Review
Prof Anand Menon, Kings College London and Co-Editor, West European Politics
Prof Ken Booth, Aberystwyth University, co-editor, International Relations
Prof David Farrell, University College Dublin and co-editor, Party Politics
Prof Emeritus Eldon J. Eisenach, University of Tulsa and editorial board member, Studies in American Political Development and Consulting Editor, History of Political Thought
Prof Ramesh Thakur, Australian National University and Editor-in-Chief, Global Governance
Prof William J. FitzPatrick, University of Rochester and Associate Editor, Ethics
Prof Jeffrey Haynes, London Metropolitan University and Co-editor, Democratization
Prof Richard Bellamy, European University Institute and Editor, Contemporary Review of International Social and Political Philosophy
Prof Fabio Franchino, Università degli Studi di Milano and Editor, Italian Political Science Review
Prof Emeritus Conal Condren, University of Queensland and consulting editor, History of Political Thought and International Editorial Board member, Parergon
Prof Shaun Breslin, University of Warwick and Co-Editor, The Pacific Review
Prof Adam Fagan, Queen Mary University of London and co-editor, East European Politics
Prof Petr Kopecky, Leiden University and co-editor, East European Politics
Prof Christopher Kam, University of British Columbia and Co-Editor, Legislative Studies Quarterly
Prof Daniel H. Nexon, Georgetown University
Dr James Heartfield, independent scholar
Prof Erik Voeten, Georgetown University
Prof Dennis Hayes, University of Derby and Director, Academics For Academic Freedom
Dr Richard Heffernan, Open University
Dr Kevin Gray, University of Sussex
Dr Suke Wolton, University of Oxford
Dr. Samuele Dominioni, FIW Bonn
Dr Ruth Mieschbuehler, University of Derby
Dr Joanna Williams, University of Kent
Prof Peter Ramsay, London School of Economics
Dr Timothy Bradshaw, University of Oxford
Dr Tara McCormack, University of Leicester
Dr Vanessa Pupavac, University of Nottingham
Richard Harris, formerly Director of Teacher Education, University of Hull
Dr Fabio Scarpello, independent scholar
Ralph Leighton, Canterbury Christ Church University
Courtney Hamilton, writer on race and anti-racism
Robin Oberg, PhD student, Exeter University
Prof William Bain, National University of Singapore and co-editor, International Relations
Prof Carole Pateman UCLA and Associate Editor, Journal of Political Philosophy
Dr Shahar Hameiri, University of Queensland
Dr Nikos Sotirakopoulos, Loughborough University
Prof Charles Antaki, Loughborough University
Dr Eleni Tracada, University of Derby
Dr Tom Chodor, Monash University
Emeritus Professor Barry Carr, La Trobe University
Prof Stig Jarle Hansen, NMBU
Dr Enzo Rossi, University of Amsterdam and co-editor, European Journal of Political Theory
Prof Philip Hammond, London South Bank University
Christopher Lynch, University of Warwick and associate editor, Convocamus
Natalie Dinham, Student MSc. Global Studies, The University of Gothenburg
Dr Christopher Bickerton, Cambridge University
Prof David Richards, University of Manchester
Robert A.E. Wilson, PhD Student, University of Kent
Dr Pak K. Lee, University of Kent
Dr Andrew Calcutt, University of East London
Prof Ismene Gizelis, University of Essex
Prof Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, University of Essex and co-editor, Research and Politics
Prof Matthew Goodwin, University of Kent
Emeritus Professor Chris Brown, London School of Economics
Emeritus Prof Frank Furedi, University of Kent
Prof Patrick James, USC
Dr Maren Thom, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Christine Cheng, King's College London
Dr David Maher, University of Salford
Prof Andrea Ruggeri, University of Oxford
Prof Maria Grasso, University of Sheffield
Camille Merlen, PhD Candidate, University of Kent
Prof Alex Gourevitch, Brown University
Prof John Tomasi, Brown University
Prof Jeffrey C. Isaac, Indiana University, Bloomington
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