What is the SDS Demilitarization Movement?
It is a student-led, university-wide campaign to transform UCF into a campus funded by peace, so as to no longer be economically reliant on the proliferation of war.

Why are you doing this?
UCF's lifeline is dependent on the militarization of our campus, receiving millions of dollars a month for military research. A glimpse at a monthly funding report for UCF's Engineering Department will show over $2 million in military grants (http://research.cecs.ucf.edu/funding.html).

SDS seeks the removal of these military institutions because this research hinders the possibility of a peaceful world. When war is profitable, peace is impossible, and our education system's hijacking by these institutions ensures years to come of military research, the proliferation of weaponry and wars for their showcase.

With the military's removal from our campus SDS demands funding from entities that can benefit our community's vitality with peaceful ingenuity.

UCF supports illegal wiretapping?
Unfortunately, they do through their ties with the international communications company, Harris. The Harris Corporation recently penned a $43 million dollar deal with the NSA, providing the government agency with even more advanced tools to unconstitutionally spy on Americans.

What does the Harris Corporation have to do with UCF?
Harris has recently donated $6 million, including a state matching grant. This is the largest donation ever received by UCF's College of Engineering and Computer Science, and consequently, the new Engineering III building has been christened the "Harris Corporation Engineering Center."

In addition, in 2004 UCF signed a Research Development Agreement with the Harris Corporation. It's possible that the technologies being developed at UCF through this agreement could be the same tools used to illegally spy on American citizens. Even if these claims amount to nothing, UCF's willingness to work with Harris undermines the First and Fourth Amendments of the US Constitution.

What other military ties does UCF have?
>> Northrop Grumman has given UCF $2 million in intellectual property including patents and patent applications, plus $2 million in equipment. They also manufacture planes and bombers dropping munitions on Afghanistan, including the B-2 bomber, the F-14 fighter.

>> Lockheed Martin has given UCF $480,000 and some adjunct professors work there. The same company was recently awarded the world's largest weapons contract ever, a $200 billion deal to build the Joint Strike Fighter.

>> DARPA is another presence on UCF. Not only has this Defense Department agency been known for ridiculously wasteful research (DARPA spent millions of taxpayers' dollars for research on telepathy and yielding no positive results) but many of the products of DARPA's research are in place in Iraq today.

What's wrong with accepting these grants?
These companies stand to profit from the existence of war. For example, Lockheed Martin's revenues rose 41% last quarter, with $8.4 billion in profits, and it's no coincidence that this occurs as the Iraq conflict continues to escalate. When it becomes so lucrative to propagate war, there never can be peace.

By accepting essentially blood stained money obtained through the sale of warfare, UCF becomes as guilty of war profiteering as the companies we accept grants and donations from.

How can I help?

Spread the Message
The easiest way to help is to educate your friends and fellow-students.

Join the SDS
We will be happy to add you to our contact list, emailing you about upcoming meetings and events.

Contact the UCF Administration and SGA
Inform the UCF administration and your SGA representatives. Tell them you don't want money from these companies on your campus.

President Hitt
www.ucf.edu/president/hittmessage.php

Board of Trustees
bot.ucf.edu/contact.html

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