Therefore Be It Resolved: RU WILL DIVEST! Full Text of RUSA Resolution Being Voted on – VOTE YES TO DIVEST! March 25 – 29

March 25, 2024April 3, 2024 bwitanek 613 Views

RUSA Resolution 17S24-20

Authors: RUSA Academic Affairs Committee, RUSA Rep. from Livingston Campus, Rutgers Undergraduate Students – Rutgers Endowment Justice Collective

Introduced: RUSA Academic Affairs Committee and RUSA Rep. from Livingston Campus

Sponsors: RUSA Academic Affairs Committee, Endowment Justice Collective, Students for Justice in Palestine

Co-Sponsors: Muslim Public Relations Council, Rutgers Ghazali Club, Rutgers Muslim Student Association, Rutgers Jumu’ah, Ahlul Bayt Student Association

Resolution to Approve Divestment Referendum

WHEREAS, Economic Divestment stands as an instrument for justice and liberation, historically employed in the resistance against the South African Apartheid regime, the fight against environmental deterioration, and the opposition to private prisons, and presently deployed in the pursuit of freedom for Palestine;

WHEREAS, the Endowment Justice Collective has advocated for the establishment of an ethically grounded endowment fund at Rutgers University, one that aligns with principles of progress, devoid of human rights violations and environmental destruction;

WHEREAS, Rutgers University’s endowment, driven by tuition and donations, ought to represent a source of honor, rather than a collection of investments benefiting from humanitarian calamity. Rutgers’ $100 million investment in the PGIM-quantitative solutions (US) fund capitalizes on Palestinian suffering to maximize its returns;

WHEREAS, the endowment fund, defined as a university’s investment pool primarily fueled by alumni donations, reached $1.88 billion across more than 180 funds at Rutgers University as of 2023, yet poses ethical concerns when its investments endorse contentious causes such as Israeli treasury bonds and corporations deeply implicated in Israeli government’s settler-colonialism, apartheid, and persecution of Palestinians, including Lockheed Martin, Motorola Solutions, Boeing, and General Electric Co.;

WHEREAS, the investment made by Rutgers University in Boeing exemplifies a notable conflict of interest within the institution. The implicit support for the arming of the Israeli government’s actions in Palestine through such investments raises significant concerns regarding the safety of Palestinian students and the broader Rutgers community. It is evident that the university’s financial backing of corporations linked to profiting of violence and the military-industrial complex undermines the notion of safety and security for affected communities. The imperative for justice necessitates a strategic course of action, specifically, divestment from these harmful corporations to rectify the ethical dilemmas inherent in Rutgers’ endowment practices and to advocate for the rights of oppressed communities globally. This is not an issue related to a particular ethnic group, but rather the importance of remaining morally consistent;

WHEREAS, the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) is a global initiative that advocates for a range of non-violent measures aimed at pressuring Israel’s government to adhere to international law and human rights standards until it ceases its oppression of Palestinians. Drawing inspiration from the successful anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, BDS seeks to cease international financial support for the Israeli government’s destructive actions and compel its compliance with established international legal frameworks;

WHEREAS, the university’s approach to endowment management has overlooked ethical considerations, resulting in significant investments in corporations implicated in the perpetuation of apartheid and the genocide of Palestinians;

WHEREAS, Rutgers University should remain morally consistent as it seeks to continue its legacy of justice and hope, to choose love for the community over greed, and to divest once and for all.

WHEREAS, the Rutgers administration had once funded the South African Apartheid State, and it was the students, through collective action, who demanded divestment.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) of Rutgers – New Brunswick by a 2/3rds assembly vote suspends the RUSA Standing Rules and approves the following referendum for the Spring 2024 elections:

1. The referendum question shall be formulated as follows: “Should Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, divest its endowment fund from companies and organizations that profit from, engage in, or contribute to the government of Israel’s human rights violations?”;

a. Divestment from any firm or corporation materially participating in, benefitting from, or otherwise supporting the government of Israel’s settler colonialism,

apartheid, and genocide of Palestine and the Palestinian people, in accordance with the principles for divestment listed in university policy 40.2.14.

2. The second referendum question shall be formulated as follows: Should Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey terminate its partnership with Tel Aviv University, including in the New Jersey Innovation and Technology Hub.

3. Each eligible voter shall be able to answer “YES” or “NO” to the above-stated questions, or they may not vote for the question;

4. If a majority of students voting cast their ballots in the affirmative and at least one-tenth of the undergraduate students vote on the first referendum question, the official position of the Assembly will be to advocate for:

a. Divestment from any firm or corporation materially participating in, benefitting from, or otherwise supporting the government of Israel’s settler colonialism, apartheid, and genocide of Palestine and the Palestinian people, in accordance with the principles for divestment listed in university policy 40.2.14.

5. If a majority of students voting cast their ballots in the affirmative and at least one-tenth of the undergraduate students vote on the second referendum question, the official position of the Assembly will be to advocate for:

a. Termination of Rutgers’ partnership with Tel Aviv University, including in the New Jersey Innovation and Technology Hub.

6. The following explanatory text will be included as part of the referendum questions in order to provide relevant information and context to voting students:

a. The referendum before you asks whether Rutgers University should divest its endowment fund from companies associated with human rights violations committed by the government of Israel against the Palestinian people. If the referendum passes with at least 10 percent of the student body and the majority of the voters voting in the affirmative, the official position of the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA), the official voice of the student body of Rutgers University New Brunswick/Piscataway, will be:

i. (1) divestment from any firm or corporation materially participating in, benefitting from, or otherwise supporting the government of Israel’s

settler colonialism, apartheid, and genocide of Palestine and the

Palestinian people, in accordance with the principles for divestment listed in university policy 40.2.14

ii. (2) termination of Rutgers’ partnership with Tel Aviv University, including in the New Jersey Innovation and Technology Hub.

Dates:

Creation: 03/07/2024 Passing the Academic Affairs Committee: 03/07/2024 Vote Count:

Presented to the Assembly: 03/07/2024 Passed the Assembly: 03/07/2024 Vote Count: Unanimous Consent

Appendix.

Sources:

1. COMMENTARY: Ending their war on our world Jan 25 – Endowment Justice Collective 2. COMMENTARY: Legacy of divestment effort at Rutgers

3. Amnesty International

4. Who Profits