[SDCPJ] Associated Students at UC San Diego Passes Divestment Resolution 20-12-1

SJP Press Releases- 14 March 2013

Associated Students at UC San Diego Passes Divestment Resolution 20-12-1
1:30 am 14 March 2013
Students for Justice in Palestine, UC San Diegohttp://www.sjpucsd.com/14-march-2013.html

Dedicated to Alireza Moaddel, beloved member of the SJP community.

On March 14th, 2013 at 1:30 am the Associated Students at UC San Diego (ASUCSD) passed a resolution in support of divesting from corporations such as Northrop Grumman, Alliant Techsystems, General Electric, and others whose technology is used by the Israeli Defense Forces to violate the human rights of Palestinians.

The original document, which can be found here, was submitted by Students for Justice in Palestine to the ASUCSD on February 24th, 2013. After many attempts to delay and filibuster SJP's presentation of this resolution, stretching the debate to three weeks, the vote was finally taken on an amended version of this document. Despite vocal opposition from the ASUCSD President to fail the resolution, despite underhanded attempts by senators to introduce new bills that were "less divisive" and denied basic fact, despite threats made to student representatives by parties and individuals opposed to the bill, and despite the massive adulteration of SJP's original resolution, divestment at UC San Diego has finally passed.

Students for Justice in Palestine commends the decision of ASUCSD to uphold university standards of sustainability and responsible investments. Companies who profit from the deaths of Palestinians should be singled out and condemned for their actions. This is a tactic of the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement called upon by Palestinian civil society to draw attention to human rights violations perpetrated by Israel.

Nelson Mandela credited the pressure UC divestment measures exerted upon the government of South Africa as integral to the collapse of apartheid. Similarly, SJP UCSD believes that divestment is a powerful tool with which to work towards true social justice for the Palestinians and for all peoples fighting occupation, apartheid, and other injustices. As Nelson Mandela also said, "We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians." We at SJP UCSD, in conjunction with with other UC schools including UC Irvine and UC Riverside, seek to recreate that pressure in our struggle in solidarity with Palestinians seeking freedom and justice.

In the words of Suheir Hammad, a Palestinian poet from Brooklyn, "Affirm life. Affirm life. We got to carry each other now. You are either with life, or against it. Affirm life."