Historically, divestment has been used as an instrument to discourage unethical behavior, as in the cases of South African Apartheid, the prison-industrial complex and the fossil fuel industry. Over the past three years, this tool has re-emerged across the UC system as well as at private universities throughout the nation. Specifically, UCLA’s involvement with divestment this past year has included divesting from companies that profit from the occupation of Palestine, as well as the more recent campaign to divest from Turkey for its genocide denial.
This past week, on Jan. 29, UC Davis became the sixth UC to pass a resolution divesting from American-based corporations, such as Raytheon, Caterpillar Inc., Veolia Environment, G4S and others that profit from the occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The UC Davis decision is consistent with the pro-divestment position that a majority of UC student bodies, including those from UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside and UC San Diego, have now adopted. In addition, UC Santa Cruz also took a majority vote in favor of divestment last spring, although the bill has not yet been implemented.
This weekend on Sunday, Feb. 8, the University of California Student Association will also be voting on a resolution to divest from companies that profit from the occupation of Palestine. As a coalition of students and student governments that aims to provide a collective voice for all students through advocacy and direct action, UCSA serves as the primary avenue for students to direct their voice toward the UC Regents and also plays a considerable role in UC system governance. It is important that UCSA delegates make decisions that are in accordance with views held by the respective student body that they represent. To better reflect the opinions of their constituent students, UCSA members should use bills passed by their student councils as their primary resource, since these bills are intended to embody the views of their student body as a collective.
The aim of this bill, as with all previous bills regarding divestment, is not to target one community, people or social group. Rather, the primary aim of divestment is to exert economic pressure on companies, countries and entities that engage in socially irresponsible and harmful practices, including but not limited to human rights violations. Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, as one of the primary sponsors of the resolution that passed on our own campus, believes that this stance of non-discrimination is crucial in maintaining a safe campus environment for all students. We stand in solidarity with the victims of hate crimes at UC Davis, and reaffirm our opposition to all forms of bigotry and oppression. We believe that a UC that isn’t invested in human rights violations is a safer and better place for all students.
Tahir is a fifth-year biochemistry and gender studies student and the education and resources director of SJP. Puri is a graduate student in physics and a member of SJP