Mitchell: Thank you for your efforts. As I'm sure you are already aware, those efforts were successful. The the University of St Thomas has decided to reverse the decision. Father Dease has issued a letter announcing this. Some excerpts:

One of the strengths of a university is the opportunity that it provides to speak freely and to be open to other points of view on a wide variety of issues. And, I might add, to change our minds.

Therefore, I feel both humbled and proud to extend an invitation to Archbishop Desmond Tutu to speak at the University of St. Thomas.

I have wrestled with what is the right thing to do in this situation, and I have concluded that I made the wrong decision earlier this year not to invite the archbishop. Although well-intentioned, I did not have all of the facts and points of view, but now I do.

...St. Thomas will extend an invitation to Archbishop Tutu to participate in a forum to foster constructive dialogue on the issues that have been raised. I hope he accepts my invitation. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas has agreed to serve as a co-sponsor of the forum, and I expect other organizations also to join as co-sponsors.

...I sincerely hope Archbishop Tutu will accept our invitation. I continue to have nothing but the utmost respect for his witness of faith, for his humanitarian accomplishments and especially for his leadership in helping to end apartheid in South Africa.

This is indeed good news and everyone involved in achieving this excellent outcome is owed a debt of gratitude by us all.

And thank you as well for your efforts with Jewish Voice for Peace. It's an organization I've admired for a long time.

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." ~~ Abraham Maslow