Daphne Guinness, FIT and BCRF: Distance yourselves from Leviev.

Dr. Joyce F. Brown
President
FIT
New York, NY

Valerie Steele
Director
The Museum at FIT
New York, NY

November 21, 2011

Dear Dr. Brown and Ms. Steele,

As groups committed to human rights in the Middle East we were concerned to read reports[1] and find confirmation on your website that the Fashion Institute of Technology recently accepted a grant from the LVD Foundation, which is headed by businessman Lev Leviev. Evidently, Leviev’s funding is being used to finance an exhibition of British designer Daphne Guinness’ clothing at the Museum at FIT.[2]

Myra Biblowit, President

Margaret Mastrianni, Deputy Director
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
New York, NY

November 21, 2011

Dear Ms. Biblowit and Ms. Mastrianni,

As groups committed to human rights in the Middle East we were concerned to read reports[1] that the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) recently accepted a grant from the LVD Foundation, which is headed by businessman Lev Leviev. We also found confirmation that Leviev has sponsored BCRF events in Manhattan and London.[2]

We expect that you were not aware that Lev Leviev’s companies have become notorious for their involvement in Israeli settlement construction in violation of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and for human rights violations and questionable business practices in the diamond industry in southern Africa. Because of this many respected organizations - including Oxfam America,[3] CARE[4] and UNICEF;[5] governments - including Norway[6] and the United Kingdom;[7] major investment firms and Hollywood stars[8] have all sought distance from Leviev’s companies.

Dr. Joyce F. Brown
President
FIT
227 West 27 St. room C908
New York, NY 10001-5992

Valerie Steele
Director
The Museum at FIT
227 West 27 St. room E304
New York, NY 10001-5992

December 8, 2011

Dear Dr. Brown and Ms. Steele,

We were pleased to learn by phone from FIT General Counsel Steve Tuttle and from media reports that you are actively pursuing the issues raised in our November 21 letter to you in which we called on FIT to sever ties with Lev Leviev, a funder of the Daphne Guinness exhibition at the Museum at FIT. As we documented, Leviev’s companies are involved in settlement construction in violation of international law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories and in human rights violations and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.

We are writing to follow up on our original letter, and to offer more details about Leviev’s illegal and unethical practices in order to aid you in your decision.

January 6, 2012

Jayyous has some of the most fertile agricultural lands in Palestine, providing 75% of Jayyous' income and fruits and vegetables to people throughout the West Bank. Furthermore, this area is significant because it contains artesian water wells which irrigate more than 8000 dunams (approx. 1977 acres) of land planted with all types of citruses and other fruits. These wells also irrigate 120 dunams (approx. 30 acres) of greenhouses which, throughout the year, are planted with tomatoes and cucumbers. These lands and those in Qalqilya and the village of Falamya are situated on the western drainage basin, which is this biggest of drainage basins in the West Bank, containing 362 million square meters of water per year. With this taken into account, Israel’s annexation wall was built and settlements were expanded to isolate 75% of these fertile lands as well as the drainage basin, thus depriving the citizens of their lands and water. In addition to this, the settlement of Zufim was built on parts of Jayyous’s lands. Initially, 200 dunams (approx. 49 acres) of these lands were confiscated by the Israeli army under the pretext of building a military camp, but, in 1991, they were used as a site for constructing the settlement of Zufim, which itself began to expand at the expense of Jayyous' neighbouring farmland.