Action Alerts! May 2025
Save the U.S. Institute of Peace
We, as Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere (P.E.A.C.E.), support all organizations that promote peace. The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) is being dismantled by the White House. The USIP is an independent, non-partisan institution that has worked for global peace agreements and conflict resolution since 1984. It also provides training to individuals in “diplomacy, mediation and other peace-building measures.” We urge everyone to take action to uphold the mission of peace by demanding that Congress and the White House restore the leadership and programs of the US Institute of Peace. Learn more at the Peace Alliance website and fill out their online form to contact your federal elected officials.
Support Child Development Scholar Imprisoned at Deportation Center
By Craig Simpson of P.E.A.C.E. Newsletter
On March 25, 2025 Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old graduate student in Child Development Studies at Tufts University, was walking to meet friends and break her Ramadan fast in Somerville, MA, only a few blocks away from where I used to live. She was immediately approached by six unidentified men and women, surrounded and handcuffed. They took her backpack and phone and placed her in an unmarked black SUV. She was taken to a detention center in Vermont and then flown to a Louisiana deportation center.
Rümeysa is a PhD student, a Rhodes scholar from Turkey at the prestigious Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development. She is one of us. One colleague noted, “Rümeysa is a kind, gentle, and service-minded person”. The Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development also wrote:
Rümeysa has served as a Teaching Assistant for numerous courses, and her commitment to supporting and mentoring undergraduate students is notable. As one fellow faculty member describes, “It has been an honor and privilege to work with Rümeysa. She goes above and beyond to help create an inspiring and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued and empowered. Rümeysa’s motivation, patience, empathy, and ability to engage with students is inspiring. She consistently offers creative and innovative ideas while remaining open to others’ perspectives, serving as a role model to our learning community. Her collaborative spirit, intellectual curiosity, positive attitude, and remarkable ability to foster a genuine passion for learning have left an indelible mark on all of our lives.”
Tama Leventhal, professor and Department Chair and Sara Johnson, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development — Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences Eliot Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development March 28, 2025 “Rümeysa Öztürk: Our Student, Teacher, Colleague, and Friend”
Rümeysa co-wrote an editorial on her views and experience about the ongoing war in Gaza and was targeted by ICE as a result. The current administration has cancelled over a 1000 scholars’ visas, and revoked the green cards of at least two students. Thousands have begun to speak out about this violation of human rights.
Rümeysa is a member of our early childhood community. We should speak out against this kidnapping, incarceration, and attempted deportation. While in detention in Louisiana, she was visited by several members of Congress including Senator Ed Markey and Congressional Representative Jim McGovern as well as Ayanna Presley.
