Student activism in the BDS movement: Difference between revisions
m Dating maintenance tags: {{Cn}} |
→California BDS initiative: removed non-RS, rewrote more concisely |
||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
==California BDS initiative== |
==California BDS initiative== |
||
SJP at Berkeley |
SJP at UC Berkeley and [[Stanford University]] failed to have a resolution pass for divestment from companies which do business with Israel.<ref> {{cite news | first = Amanda | last = Pazornik | title = UPDATE: U.C.Berkeley student president vetoes divest-from-Israel resolution | date = 12 Feb 2009 | publisher = [[j.]] | url = http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/57582/divest-from-israel-vote-at-u.c.-berkeley-draws-swift-reaction/ | work = Jweekly | accessdate = 2013-03-13}}</ref><ref> {{cite news | first = Justine | last = Moore | title = Undergraduate Senate votes against divestment bill | date = 8 Mar 2013 | publisher = [[The Stanford Daily]] | url = http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/03/05/undergraduate-senate-votes-against-divestment-bill/ | work = The Stanford Daily | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | On November 13, 2012, the [[University of California, Irvine]] Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution 16-0 to call on University of California to divest from companies that assist or directly profit from Israeli human rights abuses including [[Caterpillar]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], General Electric, [[Sodastream]], [[Raytheon]] and [[L-3 Communications]].<ref> {{cite news | first = Stephen | last = Ceasar | coauthors = Rick Rojas | title = UC Irvine student leaders urge UC to divest from some companies | date = 14 Nov 2012 | publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]] | url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/uc-irvine-student-leaders-urge-uc-to-divest-in-some-companies.html | work = Los Angeles Times | accessdate = 2013-03-13}}</ref><ref> {{cite news | first = Uzma | last = Kolsy | title = UC Irvine Students Vote to Divest From Israel | date = 27 Nov 2012 | publisher = [[The Nation]] | url = http://www.thenation.com/blog/171471/uc-irvine-students-vote-divest-israel# | work = The Nation | accessdate = 2013-03-13}}</ref> SJP chapters throughout the country lauded the Irvine Divest campaign.<ref> {{cite news | first = Sarah | last = Moon | title = UCI Passes Unanimous Divestment Resolution | date = 19 Nov 2012 | url = http://www.ucsdguardian.org/news-and-features/california/item/26115-uci-passes-unanimous-divestment-resolution#.UUDHkIZeumQ | work = University of California San Diego The Guardian | accessdate = 2013-03-13}}</ref> |
||
===Irvine domino effect=== |
|||
| ⚫ | On November 13, 2012, the [[University of California, Irvine]] Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution 16-0 to call on University of California to divest from companies that assist or directly profit from Israeli human rights abuses including [[Caterpillar]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], General Electric, [[Sodastream]], [[Raytheon]] and [[L-3 Communications]].<ref> {{cite news | first = Stephen | last = Ceasar | coauthors = Rick Rojas | title = UC Irvine student leaders urge UC to divest from some companies | date = 14 Nov 2012 | publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]] | url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/11/uc-irvine-student-leaders-urge-uc-to-divest-in-some-companies.html | work = Los Angeles Times | accessdate = 2013-03-13}}</ref> |
||
[[Stanford University]]'s SJP chapter led a coalition of student organizations after two years of campaigning.<ref name="mondo"> {{cite news | first = Alex | last = Kane | title = California BDS debate heats up: Riverside campus passes divestment measure as Stanford rejects the same | date = 7 March 2013 | publisher = ''[[Mondoweiss]]'' | url = http://mondoweiss.net/2013/03/california-riverside-divestment.html | work = Mondowiess | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref> On February 19, 2013, they presented a draft bill to the Undergraduate Senate for a recommendation to the university's Board of Trustees to divest from companies with known affiliations of human rights violations in Palestine. On March 5, Senate voted 7-1 against the bill with 5 abstains. After the meeting, a former Stanford Student Body President wrote a letter to SPER mailing list expressing his disappointment in the Senate's failure to pass the bill.<ref> {{cite news | first = Justine | last = Moore | title = Undergraduate Senate votes against divestment bill | date = 8 Mar 2013 | publisher = [[The Stanford Daily]] | url = http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/03/05/undergraduate-senate-votes-against-divestment-bill/ | work = The Stanford Daily | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref> The SJP chapter at Stanford noted that although their resolution did not pass, the Senate passed a separate resolution that expressed the Senate's firm stance against investment in companies that cause "substantial social injury” and called for "the Advisory Panel on Investment Responsibility and Licensing to review the University’s investments to ensure compliance with the University’s Statement on Investment Responsibility."<ref name="mondo"/> |
|||
Stanford's BDS defeat was notably followed by two quick BDS victories at [[University of California, Riverside]] and [[University of California, San Diego]]. On March 8, 2013, substantial campaigning by SJP at [[University of California, Riverside]] (UCR) produced a victory when the Senate voted 11-5 to endorse BDS and divest from Caterpillar and Hewlett Packard.<ref name="mondo"/> The vote in support of BDS at UCR was large enough to avoid a veto by the undergraduate student body president who opposed the resolution.<ref> {{cite news | first = Larry | last = Gordon | title = UC Riverside student Senate urges divestment from firms working in West Bank | date = 8 March 2013 | publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]] | url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/03/uc-riverside-student-senate-urges-divestment-from-firms-working-in-west-bank.html | work = Los Angeles Times | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref> |
Stanford's BDS defeat was notably followed by two quick BDS victories at [[University of California, Riverside]] and [[University of California, San Diego]]. On March 8, 2013, substantial campaigning by SJP at [[University of California, Riverside]] (UCR) produced a victory when the Senate voted 11-5 to endorse BDS and divest from Caterpillar and Hewlett Packard.<ref name="mondo"/> The vote in support of BDS at UCR was large enough to avoid a veto by the undergraduate student body president who opposed the resolution.<ref> {{cite news | first = Larry | last = Gordon | title = UC Riverside student Senate urges divestment from firms working in West Bank | date = 8 March 2013 | publisher = [[Los Angeles Times]] | url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/03/uc-riverside-student-senate-urges-divestment-from-firms-working-in-west-bank.html | work = Los Angeles Times | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref> |
||
Revision as of 10:30, 14 April 2013
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement have merged together in their effort to lead the struggle to ending Israeli occupation of Palestine.[citation needed]
Hampshire College
SJP claimed that Hampshire College decided to divest from holdings in Israeli companies. In response, Alan Dershowitz called for a divestment from Hampshire College. However, Hampshire College president, Ralph Hexter, said that decision to divest from certain companies was not aimed at Israel and criticized the pro-Palestinian students for suggesting otherwise, saying "I think they crossed the line of appropriate behavior.”[1][2]
Princeton and DePaul campaign to boycott Sabra
In 2010, the SJP at both Princeton University and DePaul University tried unsuccessfully to ban the Israeli brand of hummus Sabra on campus.[3][4] [5][6][7][8]
California BDS initiative
SJP at UC Berkeley and Stanford University failed to have a resolution pass for divestment from companies which do business with Israel.[9][10]
On November 13, 2012, the University of California, Irvine Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution 16-0 to call on University of California to divest from companies that assist or directly profit from Israeli human rights abuses including Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, Sodastream, Raytheon and L-3 Communications.[11][12] SJP chapters throughout the country lauded the Irvine Divest campaign.[13]
Stanford's BDS defeat was notably followed by two quick BDS victories at University of California, Riverside and University of California, San Diego. On March 8, 2013, substantial campaigning by SJP at University of California, Riverside (UCR) produced a victory when the Senate voted 11-5 to endorse BDS and divest from Caterpillar and Hewlett Packard.[14] The vote in support of BDS at UCR was large enough to avoid a veto by the undergraduate student body president who opposed the resolution.[15]
South Florida divest
Placing BDS on the ballot
In mid-January 2013, University of South Florida SJP presented a divestment resolution which was rebuffed by the Senate President who refused to place it on the Senate floor despite several Senate sponsors. Student Government informed SJP that it had to gather 1,540 signatures to have the referendum placed on the ballot for general elections. SJP submitted petition of a non-binding resolution on February 8 with over 2,500 signatures gathered in three days which endorsed BDS and called for the divestment of corporations affiliated with human rights violations against Palestinians.
On February 21 — the Thursday before Election Week — SJP was notified that the referendum would not be on the ballot because of advise from a legal counsel representative. The legal counsel representative claimed USF can not take political stances and the referendum violated state statue because it was illegal for student employees to "directly or indirectly advice where a government entity spends its commodities." She also claimed it was illegal to discriminate against corporations.
SJP clarified that the non-binding referendum was strictly humanitarian not political. SJP also stated that student body is not composed of government employees, therefore the state statue does not apply to the non-binding student referendum. SJP made it clear it was illegal to restrict a referendum based on its content, regardless of whether it is political or not. SJP pointed out that student government had previous political referendums on the ballot including the Real Food referendum and the Health Care referendum. SJP stressed that the referendum was legal and simply an outlet to exercise their first amendment right as Americans to “freedom of speech.” Despite being pressed by SJP, the legal counsel representative did not provide where it was written that USF does not take political stances. SJP consulted American Civil Liberties Union and First Amendment lawyers from around the country who made it clear that the referendum was legal.
Student government ultimately decided to place the referendum on the election ballot for Election Week from February 25 to February 28.
Discounting the referendum
On March 1, the student body president sent out a mass email to the entire student body minutes before the announcement of election results. He stated the referendum could not be recorded as an official student government referendum because student government violated its own bylaws in not making the referendum public and accessible 1 week before elections. But the results of the referendum were publicly announced with 2111 students in favor and 609 students opposed.
Canada divestment movement
University of Regina student government became the first student government in Canada to endorse BDS after it unanimously passed a resolution presented by the SAIA chapter to endorse the BDS movement on February 1, 2012.[16] In March 2012, SAIA presented a referendum on the Carleton University Graduate Student Association ballot. On March 21st and March 22, the graduate students voted 204-77 to support the initiative to divest.[17]
On mid-November 2012, York University SAIA brought forth a resolution to divest from from Hewlett Packard, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin. The York University Graduate Student Union voted 29-7 to endorse the resolution.[6]
After an extended campaign by SAIA initiated in March 2011, University of Toronto's Graduate Student Union endorsed BDS on December 10, 2012 with a vote of 97%.[18][19] On March 1, 2013, SAIA succeeded at University of Toronto Mississauga when its student government voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution endorsing BDS.[20]
List of universities that have passed BDS
Universities that have passed BDS legislation at student government in United States:
- September 2006 – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- June 2010 – Evergreen State College
- April 2012 - University of Massachusetts Boston
- June 2012 – Arizona State University
- November 2012 – University of California, Irvine
- March 2013 – University of California, Riverside
- March 2013 – University of California, San Diego
Universities that have passed BDS legislation at student government in Canada:
- February 2012 – University of Regina
- November 2012 – York University
- March 2013 – University of Toronto Mississauga
On February 2009, Hampshire College became the first and only university to divest from Israel.
See also
- To Know is Not Enough - Documentary film about divestment at Hampshire College.
- DePaul student referendum - DePaul University student referendum to ban Sabra
- Why we refuse to buy Sabra - Video by DePaul students to ban Sabra
- SJP’s Sabra campaign was indeed a victory, deserves administrative recognition - DePaul student calls SJP campaign to ban Sabra victorious
- Facebook page of "Boycott Sabra Hummus" at Princeton University - Princeton Committee for Palestine research on Sabra's links to human rights violations
- UC Berkeley SB 118A - UC Berkeley divestment bill from war crimes
- University of Massachusetts Boston divestment bill
- UC Irvine R48-15 - UC Irvine resolution to divest from companies that profit from apartheid
- University of Regina BDS resolution
- Carleton University Graduate Student Association 2012 Ballot - Carleton University divestment referendum
- Carleton University SIAA press release regarding referendum
- Holding Stanford Accountable Part 1 and Holding Stanford Accountable Part 2 - Article by SPER member explaining the criteria for divestment
- UC Riverside BDS resolution and interview with SJP at UCR
References
- ^ Pro-Palestinian students, college debate divestment claim
- ^ Schworm, Peter (12 Feb 2009). "Hampshire College cuts ties with fund invested in Israel". Boston.com. Boston.com. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
- ^ Halder, Alaka (19 Nov 2010). "Students campaign for alternative hummus". The Daily Princetonian. The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Greene, Abby (22 Nov 2010). "Dipping in controversy: A look at Princeton's hummus debate". The Ink. University Press Club. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Jackson, Rachel (29 Nov 2010). "After week's delay, voting on Sabra hummus referendum opens". The Daily Princetonian. The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ a b Lewin, Tamar (3 Dec 2010). "New Subject of Debate on Mideast: Hummus". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-13. Cite error: The named reference "nythummus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Schanz, Jenn (17 May 2011). "SGA holds referendum on Sabra hummus". The DePaulia. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ McCraney, Lacey (17 May 2011). "Hummus Vote More Than Dip Debate at DePaul". NBC Chicago. NBC News. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Pazornik, Amanda (12 Feb 2009). "UPDATE: U.C.Berkeley student president vetoes divest-from-Israel resolution". Jweekly. j. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
- ^ Moore, Justine (8 Mar 2013). "Undergraduate Senate votes against divestment bill". The Stanford Daily. The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Ceasar, Stephen (14 Nov 2012). "UC Irvine student leaders urge UC to divest from some companies". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Kolsy, Uzma (27 Nov 2012). "UC Irvine Students Vote to Divest From Israel". The Nation. The Nation. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
- ^ Moon, Sarah (19 Nov 2012). "UCI Passes Unanimous Divestment Resolution". University of California San Diego The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
mondowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gordon, Larry (8 March 2013). "UC Riverside student Senate urges divestment from firms working in West Bank". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Barrows-Friedman, Nora (17 Feb 2012). "BDS roundup: The victories of 2012". The Electronic Intifada. The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Abunimah, Ali (23 Mar 2012). "In Canadian first, Carleton University students pass Israel occupation divestment resolution by large margin". The Electronic Intifada. The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Barrows-Friedman, Nora (12 Dec 2012). "University of Toronto graduate students endorse BDS, call on administration to divest". The Electronic Intifada. The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Oldynski, Erin (20 Feb 2013). "UofT Graduate Students Demand that University of Toronto Divest From Israeli Companies that Violate Human Rights". Yahoo! Finance Canada. Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
- ^ Benari, Elad (5 March 2013). "Students at Toronto University Pass BDS Motion". Arutz Sheva. Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 2013-03-14.