Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Suppression of Palestine Solidarity Activism in Ontario Universities
Israeli Apartheid Week Beats Back Attacks on Free Speech By John Riddell
http://www.rabble.ca/news/israeli-apartheid-week-beats-back-attacks-free-speech
'Academic Freedom Threatened in Ontario Universities' By Margaret Aziza Pappano
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet187.html
Faculty 4 Palestine Open Letter defending free speech
http://www.caiaweb.org/faculty (and CLICK on the red "Open Letter" icon)
'Why We Should All Support Israeli Apartheid Week' By Shourideh Molavi
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet190.html
'Israeli apartheid week no 'hate-fest'' By Judy Rebick and Alan Sears
http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/3249
Jewish Canadians Concerned About Suppression of Criticism of Israel
http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/344
'Exposed: University of Toronto suppresses pro-Palestinian activism' By Liisa Schofield
http://www.rabble.ca/news/exposed-university-toronto-suppressed-pro-palestinian-activism
The Israel Advocacy Push to 'Reclaim' York University: Putting Current Events in Context By Dan Freeman-Maloy
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet191.html
SAIA York condemns smears, harassment and administrative repression: York admin should reverse course, distance itself from intimidation tactics
March 13, 2009
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at York University condemns the intensifying efforts to shut down Palestine solidarity activism on campus. In recent weeks, SAIA and its allies have organized numerous successful events, many coordinated with the international Israeli Apartheid Week 2009 (March 1-8), which took place in over forty cities across the world. In the process, we have faced defamation, physical intimidation and harassment. The decision by the York University administration (finalized on March 5) to fine and suspend our organization is disgraceful, part of a pattern of administrative repression faced by Palestine solidarity groups on university campuses.
SAIA Condemns Violations of Human Rights
In its recent attack on the population of Gaza Israel killed 1300 people, including some 430 children. Israel continues to besiege and starve the population of Gaza, to imprison thousands of Palestinians without trial, to subject Palestinians to torture, and to commit a host of other violations of international law, all with the support of all too many Canadian politicians and institutions.
SAIA agrees with the majority of world opinion, expressed through repeated United Nations resolutions, in opposition to these atrocities. We endorse with the call from 2005 by a broad coalition of Palestinian civil society groups and more recently by UN General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, for a campaign of boycott, divestments and sanctions (BDS) against Israel to force it to comply with international law. We join many from academic institutions around the world, including the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), in condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinian educational institutions in Gaza.
The February 12, 2009 Rally
On February 12, 2009, we organized a rally and march at York University to demand that York University president Mamdouh Shoukri issue a statement condemning targeted Israeli attacks on Palestinian schools. Since York University, like many other Canadian universities, condemned the call for an academic boycott as a violation of academic freedom, we felt that the outright blowing up of universities and schools with students still in them would constitute a greater violation of academic freedom, worthy of perhaps even stronger condemnation. Rather than respond thoughtfully to this reasonable demand, the Shoukri administration chose to suspend our organization for a month and fine us $1,250. Note: this is approximately $1,250 more than our volunteer organization presently has.
At our February 12 demonstration, we were confronted with an aggressive counter demonstration organized by York-based “Israel advocacy” groups and off-campus political figures and groups who have been harassing us at our tables and circulating defamatory lies about us in the media. The counter-demonstration explicitly sought to drown out our speeches with chants, megaphones and drums. We tried to have our speeches heard, and as this became difficult, we terminated the stand-off by proceeding on our march. It was not until after they began drowning our speeches out that we used “sound amplification” equipment. The fact that we are now being punished for this is a preposterous insult.
A coordinated Sabotage of our Activities
Our membership, in trying to distribute critical political literature on our campus, has faced persistent harassment, slurs and abuse. At our tables, campus clubs including Hillel and the Hasbara Fellowships, backed by their parent organizations, have harassed us in direct conjunction with middle-aged thugs from such off-campus hate groups as the Jewish Defense League (JDL).
On Wednesday, March 4th, One female organizer was physically attacked (pushed by a JDL member). Another member was called ‘a filthy Arab’ and told: ‘Your womb is only good for producing suicide bombers.’ Another participant was told: ‘If I were one of your parents, I would
f**cking kill you.’ Many have been called ‘terrorists’ and told ‘to go blow yourself up.’ Members have been persistently harassed on campus day-to-day even when not participating in any political activity. Though it is not our strategy to file complaints with security and police services, when police were notified of these incidents, no action was taken.
Israel advocates and the York administration are working hand-in-glove to try to sabotage our rallies and activities, making them disruptive through aggressive counter-demonstrations and then using the disruption as a justification to shut us down.
False Smears Against our Activists
The York administration and Israel advocacy push to shut us down includes attempts to smear us with baseless, unsubstantiated charges of ‘anti-Semitism’ through a campaign of distortion, innuendo and outright lies.
We oppose Israel’s policies of occupation, denial of the right of return, and denial of equality to its Palestinian citizens. To suggest that this is ‘anti-Semitic’ is false and reprehensible. To fabricate false statements and attribute them to our organization without evidence, as has been done by some of our political opponents, is still worse. Some of those responsible, especially those who have published the most extreme smears (e.g., the Calgary Herald), have opened themselves to litigation and we are considering our legal options.
We continue to demand:
1. That President Shoukri uphold basic principles of academic freedom and political decency by condemning the Israeli bombing of Palestinian educational facilities.
2. That York University publicly distance itself from claims that SAIA and IAW activities constitute ‘hate’ or ‘incitement’
3. That York University make a public statement that SAIA’s activities are protected on grounds of free expression and condemning disruptions and harassment of SAIA activists.
Students have the right to political assembly on campus. We also have the right to speak freely at rallies, and where our voices are being drowned out, to try our best to allow participants in our rally to hear our speakers. We will continue to assert our rights to organize, distribute political literature and demonstrate on campus as our work requires.
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) at York University condemns the intensifying efforts to shut down Palestine solidarity activism on campus. In recent weeks, SAIA and its allies have organized numerous successful events, many coordinated with the international Israeli Apartheid Week 2009 (March 1-8), which took place in over forty cities across the world. In the process, we have faced defamation, physical intimidation and harassment. The decision by the York University administration (finalized on March 5) to fine and suspend our organization is disgraceful, part of a pattern of administrative repression faced by Palestine solidarity groups on university campuses.
SAIA Condemns Violations of Human Rights
In its recent attack on the population of Gaza Israel killed 1300 people, including some 430 children. Israel continues to besiege and starve the population of Gaza, to imprison thousands of Palestinians without trial, to subject Palestinians to torture, and to commit a host of other violations of international law, all with the support of all too many Canadian politicians and institutions.
SAIA agrees with the majority of world opinion, expressed through repeated United Nations resolutions, in opposition to these atrocities. We endorse with the call from 2005 by a broad coalition of Palestinian civil society groups and more recently by UN General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, for a campaign of boycott, divestments and sanctions (BDS) against Israel to force it to comply with international law. We join many from academic institutions around the world, including the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), in condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinian educational institutions in Gaza.
The February 12, 2009 Rally
On February 12, 2009, we organized a rally and march at York University to demand that York University president Mamdouh Shoukri issue a statement condemning targeted Israeli attacks on Palestinian schools. Since York University, like many other Canadian universities, condemned the call for an academic boycott as a violation of academic freedom, we felt that the outright blowing up of universities and schools with students still in them would constitute a greater violation of academic freedom, worthy of perhaps even stronger condemnation. Rather than respond thoughtfully to this reasonable demand, the Shoukri administration chose to suspend our organization for a month and fine us $1,250. Note: this is approximately $1,250 more than our volunteer organization presently has.
At our February 12 demonstration, we were confronted with an aggressive counter demonstration organized by York-based “Israel advocacy” groups and off-campus political figures and groups who have been harassing us at our tables and circulating defamatory lies about us in the media. The counter-demonstration explicitly sought to drown out our speeches with chants, megaphones and drums. We tried to have our speeches heard, and as this became difficult, we terminated the stand-off by proceeding on our march. It was not until after they began drowning our speeches out that we used “sound amplification” equipment. The fact that we are now being punished for this is a preposterous insult.
A coordinated Sabotage of our Activities
Our membership, in trying to distribute critical political literature on our campus, has faced persistent harassment, slurs and abuse. At our tables, campus clubs including Hillel and the Hasbara Fellowships, backed by their parent organizations, have harassed us in direct conjunction with middle-aged thugs from such off-campus hate groups as the Jewish Defense League (JDL).
On Wednesday, March 4th, One female organizer was physically attacked (pushed by a JDL member). Another member was called ‘a filthy Arab’ and told: ‘Your womb is only good for producing suicide bombers.’ Another participant was told: ‘If I were one of your parents, I would
f**cking kill you.’ Many have been called ‘terrorists’ and told ‘to go blow yourself up.’ Members have been persistently harassed on campus day-to-day even when not participating in any political activity. Though it is not our strategy to file complaints with security and police services, when police were notified of these incidents, no action was taken.
Israel advocates and the York administration are working hand-in-glove to try to sabotage our rallies and activities, making them disruptive through aggressive counter-demonstrations and then using the disruption as a justification to shut us down.
False Smears Against our Activists
The York administration and Israel advocacy push to shut us down includes attempts to smear us with baseless, unsubstantiated charges of ‘anti-Semitism’ through a campaign of distortion, innuendo and outright lies.
We oppose Israel’s policies of occupation, denial of the right of return, and denial of equality to its Palestinian citizens. To suggest that this is ‘anti-Semitic’ is false and reprehensible. To fabricate false statements and attribute them to our organization without evidence, as has been done by some of our political opponents, is still worse. Some of those responsible, especially those who have published the most extreme smears (e.g., the Calgary Herald), have opened themselves to litigation and we are considering our legal options.
We continue to demand:
1. That President Shoukri uphold basic principles of academic freedom and political decency by condemning the Israeli bombing of Palestinian educational facilities.
2. That York University publicly distance itself from claims that SAIA and IAW activities constitute ‘hate’ or ‘incitement’
3. That York University make a public statement that SAIA’s activities are protected on grounds of free expression and condemning disruptions and harassment of SAIA activists.
Students have the right to political assembly on campus. We also have the right to speak freely at rallies, and where our voices are being drowned out, to try our best to allow participants in our rally to hear our speakers. We will continue to assert our rights to organize, distribute political literature and demonstrate on campus as our work requires.
Students Against Israeli Apartheid (York) Suspended and Fined
February 26, 2009
On 24 February, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University (SAIA York) received notice of a 30-day suspension, a $1000 fine and an individual fine of $250 for the student signatory for the group. In explaining these measures, York University administration cites a demonstration organized in solidarity with students in Gaza, stating that “your club actively
participated in a rally in Vari Hall on February 12, using various sound amplification devices and other noise making instruments.”
The University alleges that 'sound amplification' disrupted classes but fails to note that SAIA York quickly moved the rally away from Vari Hall in order to deliver a letter to the University administration. It should also be noted that the maximum monetary penalty has been imposed by the administration without following the verification process outlined in the university’s “Student Code of Conduct”. In doing so, the administration has violated its own procedures. Furthermore, the university has repeatedly failed to respond numerous complaints filed by SAIA members and their community allies over racist and sexist commentary directed at them by members of pro-Israel advocacy organizations present on that day
These discriminatory and punitive measures come a week prior to the scheduled launch of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) at York University on March 3-8 (www.apartheidweek.org). Pro-Israel organizations have applied immense, coordinated and nation-wide pressure to shut down IAW, including placing full-page advertisements in national newspapers calling on universities to prevent IAW from occurring. The repressive activities of the York
administration must be clearly seen in this light.
It is shocking to see university administrations respond to these racist calls to stifle free speech and student organizing around Israeli Apartheid. At Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, university administrations have banned the IAW poster. At the University of Toronto, University President David Naylor has recently been exposed through a Freedom of Information Request to have personally been involved in shutting down a Palestine solidarity event on campus.
The attempt by the pro Israel organizations to prevent IAW from occurring is full confirmation that the debate against Israeli Apartheid has been won. In the wake of Israel’s massacres in Gaza, student and public opinion is clearly on the side of justice. Israel is now understood as an apartheid state and the only response of pro-Israel organizations is to harass and repress student organizing. They will fail.
** Please email and phone the following individuals in protest against these repressive measures.
Robert J. Tiffin (Vice President Students)
rjtiffin@yorku.ca
416 736 5955
Mamdouh Shoukri (University President)
mshoukri@yorku.ca
416 736 5200
*********
Sample letter to send to York University administration (mshoukri@yorku.ca,
rjtiffin@yorku.ca):
President Mamdouh Shoukri,
Vice President Robert Tiffin,
I was shocked and appalled to learn that the student group, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) was penalized for holding a demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students in Gaza. One would expect that an academic institution like York University would condemn the destruction of Palestinian academic institutions by the Israeli army. Instead, York University is banning protest, and penalizing students for demonstrating against such crimes.
It is a shame that an institution which is built on the principle of freedom of expression, and that the senior administration which is entrusted with upholding freedom of speech, are restricting speech and penalizing students engaged in legitimate protest. This reflects badly on York University’s reputation.
It seems that York University is bowing under the pressure by external pro-Israel advocacy groups who are working hard to silence any voice that supports the Palestinian cause. It is sad to see that the administration is not providing protection to the students expressing their views and feelings against Israel’s crimes.
I strongly urge you to reconsider your problematic position and cancel the fines. I also strongly urge you to uphold the principles of freedom of expression and academic freedom, and to allow students to express themselves freely without the influence of external pro-Israel lobbying groups. This is your duty even if you do not agree with views expressed.
Sincerely yours,
On 24 February, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University (SAIA York) received notice of a 30-day suspension, a $1000 fine and an individual fine of $250 for the student signatory for the group. In explaining these measures, York University administration cites a demonstration organized in solidarity with students in Gaza, stating that “your club actively
participated in a rally in Vari Hall on February 12, using various sound amplification devices and other noise making instruments.”
The University alleges that 'sound amplification' disrupted classes but fails to note that SAIA York quickly moved the rally away from Vari Hall in order to deliver a letter to the University administration. It should also be noted that the maximum monetary penalty has been imposed by the administration without following the verification process outlined in the university’s “Student Code of Conduct”. In doing so, the administration has violated its own procedures. Furthermore, the university has repeatedly failed to respond numerous complaints filed by SAIA members and their community allies over racist and sexist commentary directed at them by members of pro-Israel advocacy organizations present on that day
These discriminatory and punitive measures come a week prior to the scheduled launch of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) at York University on March 3-8 (www.apartheidweek.org). Pro-Israel organizations have applied immense, coordinated and nation-wide pressure to shut down IAW, including placing full-page advertisements in national newspapers calling on universities to prevent IAW from occurring. The repressive activities of the York
administration must be clearly seen in this light.
It is shocking to see university administrations respond to these racist calls to stifle free speech and student organizing around Israeli Apartheid. At Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, university administrations have banned the IAW poster. At the University of Toronto, University President David Naylor has recently been exposed through a Freedom of Information Request to have personally been involved in shutting down a Palestine solidarity event on campus.
The attempt by the pro Israel organizations to prevent IAW from occurring is full confirmation that the debate against Israeli Apartheid has been won. In the wake of Israel’s massacres in Gaza, student and public opinion is clearly on the side of justice. Israel is now understood as an apartheid state and the only response of pro-Israel organizations is to harass and repress student organizing. They will fail.
** Please email and phone the following individuals in protest against these repressive measures.
Robert J. Tiffin (Vice President Students)
rjtiffin@yorku.ca
416 736 5955
Mamdouh Shoukri (University President)
mshoukri@yorku.ca
416 736 5200
*********
Sample letter to send to York University administration (mshoukri@yorku.ca,
rjtiffin@yorku.ca):
President Mamdouh Shoukri,
Vice President Robert Tiffin,
I was shocked and appalled to learn that the student group, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) was penalized for holding a demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students in Gaza. One would expect that an academic institution like York University would condemn the destruction of Palestinian academic institutions by the Israeli army. Instead, York University is banning protest, and penalizing students for demonstrating against such crimes.
It is a shame that an institution which is built on the principle of freedom of expression, and that the senior administration which is entrusted with upholding freedom of speech, are restricting speech and penalizing students engaged in legitimate protest. This reflects badly on York University’s reputation.
It seems that York University is bowing under the pressure by external pro-Israel advocacy groups who are working hard to silence any voice that supports the Palestinian cause. It is sad to see that the administration is not providing protection to the students expressing their views and feelings against Israel’s crimes.
I strongly urge you to reconsider your problematic position and cancel the fines. I also strongly urge you to uphold the principles of freedom of expression and academic freedom, and to allow students to express themselves freely without the influence of external pro-Israel lobbying groups. This is your duty even if you do not agree with views expressed.
Sincerely yours,
University of Ottawa Bans Israeli Apartheid Week Poster - Call to Action
February 21, 2009
On February 20, 2009, the University of Ottawa became the second Ottawa administration to ban the posters of Israeli Apartheid Week 2009, following the lead of Carleton University in a blatant violation of free expression for students speaking out on human rights. Like Carleton
University's administration, the University of Ottawa's Communications Office used spurious "human rights" claims to ban the poster. The Communications Office's short communique to Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights reads:
"A poster from the campus group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has recently come to the attention of the Communications Office. All posters approved by the Communications Office must promote a campus culture where all members of the community can play a part in a
declaration of human rights recognizing the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students. Consequently, we will not place this particular poster on our campus billboards."
Please view the poster here:
http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg
This curt note notably fails to explain how the poster by noted cartoonist Carlos Latuff, depicting an Israeli attack helicopter (labeled "Israel") firing a missile at a Palestinian child (labeled
"Gaza"), does not "recognize the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students". In fact, the banning of the poster is a failure to recognize the dignity and equal rights of Palestinian students and those who seek to expose the violations of human rights of Palestinians.
The poster is symbolic but it also depicts a factual situation. 430 children were killed by the Israeli military in its latest attack on Gaza. It seems that according to a growing number of campus administrations, depicting these killings on a poster is some kind of human rights violation, while the killings themselves, or the bombing of a University in Gaza, are not (neither campus administration condemned the killings of civilians or the bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza).
In contrast to these campus administrations, the movement for Palestinian human rights is at the forefront of the struggle to recognize the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students, and indeed, all people. As the students at Carleton wrote when the poster was banned on their campus, "the campaign is proudly anti-racist, and founded on the principles of opposition to all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It draws its inspiration from the global
campaign to end South African apartheid and is led by many of the same individuals who were at the forefront of that earlier struggle."
We present the same demands to the University of Ottawa as the students at Carleton University demanded of their administration:
1. Immediately lift the ban on the Israeli Apartheid Week poster and publicly apologize for the banning.
2. Explain, publicly and precisely, how the profound error of banning the poster was made and address how to prevent such violations from occurring in future.
3. Sponsor a full public debate--ensuring generous access to the entire university community--on the University of Ottawa's position on the proposed institutional boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
4. Appoint a university/community Commission to investigate the record of the University in relation to democratic discourse and equity around issues of Palestine solidarity.
We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals around the world to support students at the University of Ottawa and the broader fight for freedom of expression.
Please take the following actions:
* Email/Fax/Call the President of the University of Ottawa, Allan Rock, demanding that he immediately restore the Charter rights of students and send a copy of your message of support to the Director of the Communications Office, Andree Dumulon. Please send a copy of your letter to sphr.uofo@gmail.com
Allan Rock: email president@uOttawa.ca, fax (613)562-5103, phone (613)562-5809
Director of communications: email adumulon@uOttawa.ca, phone
(613)562-5800 ext. 3150
On February 20, 2009, the University of Ottawa became the second Ottawa administration to ban the posters of Israeli Apartheid Week 2009, following the lead of Carleton University in a blatant violation of free expression for students speaking out on human rights. Like Carleton
University's administration, the University of Ottawa's Communications Office used spurious "human rights" claims to ban the poster. The Communications Office's short communique to Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights reads:
"A poster from the campus group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has recently come to the attention of the Communications Office. All posters approved by the Communications Office must promote a campus culture where all members of the community can play a part in a
declaration of human rights recognizing the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students. Consequently, we will not place this particular poster on our campus billboards."
Please view the poster here:
http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg
This curt note notably fails to explain how the poster by noted cartoonist Carlos Latuff, depicting an Israeli attack helicopter (labeled "Israel") firing a missile at a Palestinian child (labeled
"Gaza"), does not "recognize the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students". In fact, the banning of the poster is a failure to recognize the dignity and equal rights of Palestinian students and those who seek to expose the violations of human rights of Palestinians.
The poster is symbolic but it also depicts a factual situation. 430 children were killed by the Israeli military in its latest attack on Gaza. It seems that according to a growing number of campus administrations, depicting these killings on a poster is some kind of human rights violation, while the killings themselves, or the bombing of a University in Gaza, are not (neither campus administration condemned the killings of civilians or the bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza).
In contrast to these campus administrations, the movement for Palestinian human rights is at the forefront of the struggle to recognize the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students, and indeed, all people. As the students at Carleton wrote when the poster was banned on their campus, "the campaign is proudly anti-racist, and founded on the principles of opposition to all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It draws its inspiration from the global
campaign to end South African apartheid and is led by many of the same individuals who were at the forefront of that earlier struggle."
We present the same demands to the University of Ottawa as the students at Carleton University demanded of their administration:
1. Immediately lift the ban on the Israeli Apartheid Week poster and publicly apologize for the banning.
2. Explain, publicly and precisely, how the profound error of banning the poster was made and address how to prevent such violations from occurring in future.
3. Sponsor a full public debate--ensuring generous access to the entire university community--on the University of Ottawa's position on the proposed institutional boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
4. Appoint a university/community Commission to investigate the record of the University in relation to democratic discourse and equity around issues of Palestine solidarity.
We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals around the world to support students at the University of Ottawa and the broader fight for freedom of expression.
Please take the following actions:
* Email/Fax/Call the President of the University of Ottawa, Allan Rock, demanding that he immediately restore the Charter rights of students and send a copy of your message of support to the Director of the Communications Office, Andree Dumulon. Please send a copy of your letter to sphr.uofo@gmail.com
Allan Rock: email president@uOttawa.ca, fax (613)562-5103, phone (613)562-5809
Director of communications: email adumulon@uOttawa.ca, phone
(613)562-5800 ext. 3150
Carleton U Administration Bans IAW Posters
* Carleton University Administration violates free expression - bans and confiscates posters
* Write to Carleton University president to demand the restoration of student rights
February 18, 2009
On February 8, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University put up 100 posters for "Israeli Apartheid Week", a series of lectures and public events that will occur on campuses in over 40 cities around the world. On February 9, these posters were taken down at the request of Carleton's Equity Services, under the rationale that the posters "could be seen to incite others
to infringe rights protected in the Ontario Human Rights code" and are "insensitive to the norms of civil discourse in a free and democratic society"
The poster was created by noted cartoonist Carlos Latuff and depicts a situation - a child being killed by aerial bombardment – that occurred over 430 times in Israel's latest attack on Gaza according to United Nations reports. We encourage everyone to view the poster: http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg.
Since it depicts a situation that has a factual basis and its intention is clearly to invite people to a lecture series, the notion that it is an incitement or a violation to norms of civil discourse is preposterous.
This is part of a wider pattern of repression of academic freedom and rights to free expression, especially on Israel/Palestine, on Canadian campuses, including Carleton University. It is accompanied by double standards. When 56 Carleton professors asked President Roseanne Runte to condemn Israel's bombardment of the Islamic University of Gaza, the President refused. Neither the direct killing of hundreds of children nor the direct bombing of a campus
are enough to elicit condemnation, but her administration has decided that a poster inviting people to discuss the conflict ought to be banned. Instead of being lauded by their university, students affirming the humanity of all peoples and the universality of international law have been threatened by Carleton University's Provost with expulsion.
The Carleton administration had already taken a biased political stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and is now violating free expression to prevent alternative views. Both the current and former Carleton Presidents have taken very clear positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict by condemning the academic boycott of Israel out of hand, offering no alternative to this justice-oriented civil-society initiative. Students and faculty at Carleton have requested that the administration hold a public debate on the issue, to allow the Carleton community to determine the most responsible course of action, yet have been repeatedly rebuffed.
Far from defending human rights, the Carleton administration is treating them with contempt. In a memo to students on February 12, the Provost wrote that "all reported incidents of racial or religious intolerance will be investigated vigorously and addressed regardless of the persons or groups involved." The administration should begin a vigorous investigation of its own behaviour,
including its discrimination against students who seek an open debate on a political issue but are being silenced because they happen to disagree with the president's stand.
That Carleton's administration is using human rights grounds to violate free expression on its campus is a double insult. Internationally, the movement against Israeli apartheid has been endorsed by hundreds of universities, unions, religious groups and social justice organizations. This campaign is proudly anti-racist, and founded on the principles of opposition to all forms
of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It draws its inspiration from the global campaign to end South African apartheid and is led by many of the same individuals who were at the forefront of that earlier struggle. By contrast, the administration that banned the poster could not summon enough concern for human rights or the right to education to speak against the bombing of a Gazan university.
SAIA Carleton demands that the Carleton University administration:
1. Immediately lift the ban on the Israeli Apartheid Week poster and publicly apologize for the banning.
2. Explain, publicly and precisely, how the profound error of banning the poster was made and address how to prevent such violations from occurring in future.
3. Sponsor a full public debate-- ensuring generous access to the entire university community-- on Carleton's position on the proposed institutional boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
4. Appoint a university/community Commission to investigate the record of the University in relation to democratic discourse and equity around issues of Palestine solidarity.
This attempt to repress free expression will ultimately fail. The Carleton University administration should understand that debates on campuses on some of the most important human rights questions of our times cannot be silenced by administrative rulings.
We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals around the world to support students at Carleton and the broader fight for freedom of expression.
Please take the following actions:
* Immediately email the Carleton University President, Roseanne Runte, at presidents_office@carleton.ca demanding that she immediately restore the Charter rights of Carleton students and send a copy of your message of support to Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA Carleton) at saia.carleton@gmail.com
* Call or fax Carleton University President, Roseanne Runte, at 613 520-3801(phone) or 613 520-4474 (fax) demanding that she immediately restore the Charter rights of Carleton students.
* Write to Carleton University president to demand the restoration of student rights
February 18, 2009
On February 8, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University put up 100 posters for "Israeli Apartheid Week", a series of lectures and public events that will occur on campuses in over 40 cities around the world. On February 9, these posters were taken down at the request of Carleton's Equity Services, under the rationale that the posters "could be seen to incite others
to infringe rights protected in the Ontario Human Rights code" and are "insensitive to the norms of civil discourse in a free and democratic society"
The poster was created by noted cartoonist Carlos Latuff and depicts a situation - a child being killed by aerial bombardment – that occurred over 430 times in Israel's latest attack on Gaza according to United Nations reports. We encourage everyone to view the poster: http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg.
Since it depicts a situation that has a factual basis and its intention is clearly to invite people to a lecture series, the notion that it is an incitement or a violation to norms of civil discourse is preposterous.
This is part of a wider pattern of repression of academic freedom and rights to free expression, especially on Israel/Palestine, on Canadian campuses, including Carleton University. It is accompanied by double standards. When 56 Carleton professors asked President Roseanne Runte to condemn Israel's bombardment of the Islamic University of Gaza, the President refused. Neither the direct killing of hundreds of children nor the direct bombing of a campus
are enough to elicit condemnation, but her administration has decided that a poster inviting people to discuss the conflict ought to be banned. Instead of being lauded by their university, students affirming the humanity of all peoples and the universality of international law have been threatened by Carleton University's Provost with expulsion.
The Carleton administration had already taken a biased political stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and is now violating free expression to prevent alternative views. Both the current and former Carleton Presidents have taken very clear positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict by condemning the academic boycott of Israel out of hand, offering no alternative to this justice-oriented civil-society initiative. Students and faculty at Carleton have requested that the administration hold a public debate on the issue, to allow the Carleton community to determine the most responsible course of action, yet have been repeatedly rebuffed.
Far from defending human rights, the Carleton administration is treating them with contempt. In a memo to students on February 12, the Provost wrote that "all reported incidents of racial or religious intolerance will be investigated vigorously and addressed regardless of the persons or groups involved." The administration should begin a vigorous investigation of its own behaviour,
including its discrimination against students who seek an open debate on a political issue but are being silenced because they happen to disagree with the president's stand.
That Carleton's administration is using human rights grounds to violate free expression on its campus is a double insult. Internationally, the movement against Israeli apartheid has been endorsed by hundreds of universities, unions, religious groups and social justice organizations. This campaign is proudly anti-racist, and founded on the principles of opposition to all forms
of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It draws its inspiration from the global campaign to end South African apartheid and is led by many of the same individuals who were at the forefront of that earlier struggle. By contrast, the administration that banned the poster could not summon enough concern for human rights or the right to education to speak against the bombing of a Gazan university.
SAIA Carleton demands that the Carleton University administration:
1. Immediately lift the ban on the Israeli Apartheid Week poster and publicly apologize for the banning.
2. Explain, publicly and precisely, how the profound error of banning the poster was made and address how to prevent such violations from occurring in future.
3. Sponsor a full public debate-- ensuring generous access to the entire university community-- on Carleton's position on the proposed institutional boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
4. Appoint a university/community Commission to investigate the record of the University in relation to democratic discourse and equity around issues of Palestine solidarity.
This attempt to repress free expression will ultimately fail. The Carleton University administration should understand that debates on campuses on some of the most important human rights questions of our times cannot be silenced by administrative rulings.
We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals around the world to support students at Carleton and the broader fight for freedom of expression.
Please take the following actions:
* Immediately email the Carleton University President, Roseanne Runte, at presidents_office@carleton.ca demanding that she immediately restore the Charter rights of Carleton students and send a copy of your message of support to Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA Carleton) at saia.carleton@gmail.com
* Call or fax Carleton University President, Roseanne Runte, at 613 520-3801(phone) or 613 520-4474 (fax) demanding that she immediately restore the Charter rights of Carleton students.
Arab Canadians Call Upon Prime Minister Harper to Restrain Minister Jason Kenney
Delegates of Arab organizations from across Canada meeting in Toronto on Sunday March 8 2009 stand in solidarity with, and express their support for, the Canadian Arab Federation and its leadership. The delegates categorically reject the baseless accusations against the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) made by the Canadian Jewish Congress, B’nai Birth, the National Post and Jason Kenney; Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Arab Canadians are Semites and hail from various faiths, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other faiths. We oppose all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and enjoy strong allies in both the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities. We are apprehensive about the threats made by Minister Kenney to withhold funds from CAF’s settlement services. We are deeply concerned that the inflammatory remarks made by Mr. Jason Kenney, both in Canada and overseas, are creating a wedge in Canadian society and have inflamed a campaign to marginalize and demonize the already targeted Arab and Muslim Canadian communities. These stereotypes against the Arab and Muslim communities is being propagated on several websites and through countless media outlets on a daily basis.
These escalating campaigns cannot be simply in response to an unfortunate use of language by CAF’s President who quoted Jewish American author Dr. Norman Finkelstein and described the Minister as a “professional whore who supports war.” The campaign of intimidation launched by the Israeli lobby and their supporters is seeking to delegitimize Arab Canadian institutions, services, access to public funds and to silence all critics of Israel - following its war on Gaza that resulted in the death of 418 children and 108 women - by equating such criticism with anti-Semitism being anti-Semitic. Besides CAF, the campaign has targeted prominent Jewish Canadians such as Naomi Klein and Judy Rebick, and CUPE Ontario, CUPW, the Canadian Federation of Students of Ontario and student organizations on campuses across Canada. We are dismayed by:
• attacks against unions who have a history of democratic practice;
• threats to withhold private donor funds from those academic institutions that uphold the principles of open political debate and freedom of expression for all their students
• the rise in racist attacks against Arab and Muslim students and other racialized groups on campuses.
We call upon Prime Minister Harper to restrain his Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and to put an end to his dangerous campaign of attacking CAF with slanderous and damaging accusations for which he has provided no evidence. It is time that we put this incident behind us and unite in serving those in need, which CAF has done and continues to do, and safeguarding the rights of all communities to live in a safe and non-discriminatory environment.
• Ahlul Bayt Centre – Ottawa
• Al-Huda Lebanese Muslim Society
• Al-Nahda Social and Cultural Club
• Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians – Ottawa
• Canada Palestine Association – Vancouver
• Canadian Algerian Foundation of Quebec
• Canadian Arab Society of London
• Canadian Druze Society – Toronto
• Canadian Lebanese for Dialogue
• Canadian Muslim Forum – Montreal
• Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec
• Centre R D International Blossom
• Coalition of Canadian Arab Professional and Community Associations - Ottawa
• El-Hidaya Association – Montreal
• Hamilton Palestinian Association
• Iraqi Canadian Society of Ontario
• Moroccan Association of Ontario
• Moroccan Association of Toronto
• Niagara Palestinian Association
• Palestine House
• Palestinian Association of Brantford
• Palestinian Solidarity – Montreal
• Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance
For more information, please contact:
Mohamed Boudjenane at 416-889-6764
Click HERE for a CAF Backgrounder on Jason Kenney
Click HERE for 'Memo to Minister Kenney: Criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism'
By Judy Rebick and Alan Sears
Arab Canadians are Semites and hail from various faiths, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism and other faiths. We oppose all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and enjoy strong allies in both the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities. We are apprehensive about the threats made by Minister Kenney to withhold funds from CAF’s settlement services. We are deeply concerned that the inflammatory remarks made by Mr. Jason Kenney, both in Canada and overseas, are creating a wedge in Canadian society and have inflamed a campaign to marginalize and demonize the already targeted Arab and Muslim Canadian communities. These stereotypes against the Arab and Muslim communities is being propagated on several websites and through countless media outlets on a daily basis.
These escalating campaigns cannot be simply in response to an unfortunate use of language by CAF’s President who quoted Jewish American author Dr. Norman Finkelstein and described the Minister as a “professional whore who supports war.” The campaign of intimidation launched by the Israeli lobby and their supporters is seeking to delegitimize Arab Canadian institutions, services, access to public funds and to silence all critics of Israel - following its war on Gaza that resulted in the death of 418 children and 108 women - by equating such criticism with anti-Semitism being anti-Semitic. Besides CAF, the campaign has targeted prominent Jewish Canadians such as Naomi Klein and Judy Rebick, and CUPE Ontario, CUPW, the Canadian Federation of Students of Ontario and student organizations on campuses across Canada. We are dismayed by:
• attacks against unions who have a history of democratic practice;
• threats to withhold private donor funds from those academic institutions that uphold the principles of open political debate and freedom of expression for all their students
• the rise in racist attacks against Arab and Muslim students and other racialized groups on campuses.
We call upon Prime Minister Harper to restrain his Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and to put an end to his dangerous campaign of attacking CAF with slanderous and damaging accusations for which he has provided no evidence. It is time that we put this incident behind us and unite in serving those in need, which CAF has done and continues to do, and safeguarding the rights of all communities to live in a safe and non-discriminatory environment.
• Ahlul Bayt Centre – Ottawa
• Al-Huda Lebanese Muslim Society
• Al-Nahda Social and Cultural Club
• Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians – Ottawa
• Canada Palestine Association – Vancouver
• Canadian Algerian Foundation of Quebec
• Canadian Arab Society of London
• Canadian Druze Society – Toronto
• Canadian Lebanese for Dialogue
• Canadian Muslim Forum – Montreal
• Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec
• Centre R D International Blossom
• Coalition of Canadian Arab Professional and Community Associations - Ottawa
• El-Hidaya Association – Montreal
• Hamilton Palestinian Association
• Iraqi Canadian Society of Ontario
• Moroccan Association of Ontario
• Moroccan Association of Toronto
• Niagara Palestinian Association
• Palestine House
• Palestinian Association of Brantford
• Palestinian Solidarity – Montreal
• Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance
For more information, please contact:
Mohamed Boudjenane at 416-889-6764
Click HERE for a CAF Backgrounder on Jason Kenney
Click HERE for 'Memo to Minister Kenney: Criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitism'
By Judy Rebick and Alan Sears
CUPE Ontario Passes Historic Academic Boycott Resolution
Subject: *URGENT* CUPE ON needs your support!
CUPE Needs Your Solidarity for Bravely Standing in Support of Palestinian Academics
Find below:
* Text of the two historic resolutions;
* Concrete ways to show your support.
Toronto, February 23, 2009 - The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) congratulates CUPE-Ontario’s University Workers Coordinating Committee (OUWCC) conference in Windsor for passing a historic resolution in support of the Palestinian civil society call for an academic institutional boycott of Israel. The resolution calls for education and research into institutional
links between Israeli and Canadian Universities that serve to perpetuate apartheid.
An additional emergency resolution was adopted by the OUWCC to protest the violation of free speech and forms of bureaucratic repression that are increasingly targeting Palestine-solidarity organizations and student advocates at several University campuses in Ontario.
Both motions are enormously important as they offer concrete support for academic freedom in Palestine and in Canada. As expected, supporters of Israeli apartheid and militarism are incensed by these resolutions.
Despite the mounting campaign of intimidation launched by pro-apartheid organizations and individuals against CUPE Ontario as a response to these resolutions - including death threats against CUPE Ontario members and their families - the union has stood firm in its commitment to freedom of expression and international solidarity.
Now it is time to show your support for CUPE! Here’s how:
(1) Please send letters of support to CUPE ON president Sid Ryan and the OUWCC committee Chair, Janice Folk-Dawson to cupeont@web.net or fax to 416 299 3480 thanking them for their strong stand in support of Palestinian Human rights (see form letter below for a template you can use to write these letters, though we always like to see people use their creativity and write
their own!).
(2) Write to your local paper in support of CUPE-Ontario’s position. You can use Google News to track the story: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=CUPE+boycott&btnG=Search+News. Also be sure to post online comments in support of CUPE-Ontario wherever the opportunity arises.
(3) Familiarize yourself with the resolutions pasted below and with CUPE-Ontario’s positions. Forward this message and the following link to co-workers, colleagues, friends, allies, partners, relatives, family, and community members: http://www.cupe.on.ca/doc.php?subject_id=152&lang=en and urge them to write in support of CUPE-Ontario.
(4) Write to the administrations of Carleton University (contact information at bottom of
http://www2.carleton.ca/about/administrative/president.php), York University (http://vpacademic.yorku.ca/directory/findadm.php?id=1001) and the University of Toronto
(http://www.president.utoronto.ca/officeofthepresident.htm) to register your disagreement with their systematic silencing of pro-Palestinian, pro-human-rights and anti-apartheid voices in Ontario. For specific information on the Free Speech Campaign, visit: http://www.caiaweb.org/.
SAMPLE LETTER TO CUPE-ONTARIO:
Dear Sid and Janice:
I am writing to express my gratitude to the both of you for the incredibly important position you’ve taken in support of human rights in the Middle East. I am especially thankful that you have done so in support of academic freedom for Palestinians and their supporters in both Israel/Palestine and here in Canada as well.
As you know, the Palestinian people are facing an unprecedented attack on their ability to learn and teach. In short, their fundamental rights to education are being violated on a daily basis by Israel’s racist apartheid regime. By affiliating to the Right to Education Campaign, CUPE-Ontario has taken an important step forward in ensuring that Palestinian children have hope for the future – that perhaps someday soon they will be able to go to school without
fear of checkpoints, arrests, beatings, or worse.
Furthermore, Israeli academic institutions are often complicit in the oppression of Palestinians. They are deeply integrated into Israel’s military-industrial complex and in the production of studies central to the perpetuation of apartheid over Palestinians. It is important to recognize that brave voices within Israel –both Jewish and Palestinian – have supported the call for a boycott. This is because these voices, those most committed to peace in the region, understand that war and occupation will not end until the institutions complicit in violations of international law are held to account.
Once again, I would like to applaud you for taking the lead in promoting a peaceful way forward in ensuring that justice in the region is achieved. CUPE-Ontario does not stand alone, as the recent global wave of actions in support of the Palestinian campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid demonstrates. Keep up the amazing work. Millions are
standing with you.
Regards,
______________________
*** TEXT OF THE TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT PASSED ***
MOTION 1
The OUWCC will:
1. Affiliate to the RIGHT TO EDUCATION campaign at Birzeit University to defend the right of Palestinian students to have access to education and educational institutions in the Palestinian territory, and seek to raise awareness about the issues facing Palestinian education, students and
teachers under Israeli military occupation, and further that it will encourage member locals to affiliate to the Right to Education campaign
2. Encourage its member locals to hold public forums to discuss an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions, and
3. Ask campus representatives to work with locals to investigate both research and investment links between Ontario Universities and the state of Israel's military, and
4. Mobilize campus allies to pressure universities from engaging in acts of cooperation that assist and aid military research at the institutional level with Israeli universities;
5. Work with campus and community allies to pressure Ontario universities to refuse collaborations, corporate partnerships and investments that would benefit, either directly or indirectly, military research or the Israeli state military;
6. Request funding and support from CUPE Ontario to conduct an education campaign on the academic boycott, coordinate education sessions and assist in the implementation of resolution 50 as passed in 2006
Because, in response to a call from Palestinian civil society and trade unions, CUPE Ontario's Resolution 50 (in 2006) calls upon the Union and its locals to support boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) of the state of Israel, so long as that state continues to occupy Palestinian
territory and refuses to respect and uphold international law and covenants, and
Because the latest Israeli attack on Gaza killed over 1300 people, wounded thousands, and destroyed hospitals, schools, roads, power plants, sewage and water infrastructure, and thousands of civilian homes, and as a direct consequence of the attacks by the Israeli military, the Gazan education system has been unable to function, and
Because Israel's direct bombing of universities and schools and its years-long blockade forbidding educational supplies, fuel and other basic necessities, or movement of people including students and teachers, has brought about the collapse of the education system in Gaza, and Because all three major Palestinian trade union federations are signatories of the Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions call including: The General Union of Palestinian Workers, PGFTU, and the Federation of Independent Unions.
MOTION 2
Because campus administrators have taken actions that seek to limit free speech and repress public discussions and campus dialogue about the occupation of Palestine.
Because students, staff and faculty members have been threatened with punitive measures for speaking out or organizing events against the state of Israel and have placed obstacles that prevent/limit public debate on campus.
The OUWCC shall;
1. Issue a public statement about our support for free speech on campus and the right of students and campus workers to speak out and organize events that support Palestine and bring awareness to the occupation.
2. Locals of the OUWCC be encouraged to write letters to the administrations of Carleton, Ottawa, York and the University of Toronto to protest the silencing and repression of public debate on campus.
CUPE Needs Your Solidarity for Bravely Standing in Support of Palestinian Academics
Find below:
* Text of the two historic resolutions;
* Concrete ways to show your support.
Toronto, February 23, 2009 - The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) congratulates CUPE-Ontario’s University Workers Coordinating Committee (OUWCC) conference in Windsor for passing a historic resolution in support of the Palestinian civil society call for an academic institutional boycott of Israel. The resolution calls for education and research into institutional
links between Israeli and Canadian Universities that serve to perpetuate apartheid.
An additional emergency resolution was adopted by the OUWCC to protest the violation of free speech and forms of bureaucratic repression that are increasingly targeting Palestine-solidarity organizations and student advocates at several University campuses in Ontario.
Both motions are enormously important as they offer concrete support for academic freedom in Palestine and in Canada. As expected, supporters of Israeli apartheid and militarism are incensed by these resolutions.
Despite the mounting campaign of intimidation launched by pro-apartheid organizations and individuals against CUPE Ontario as a response to these resolutions - including death threats against CUPE Ontario members and their families - the union has stood firm in its commitment to freedom of expression and international solidarity.
Now it is time to show your support for CUPE! Here’s how:
(1) Please send letters of support to CUPE ON president Sid Ryan and the OUWCC committee Chair, Janice Folk-Dawson to cupeont@web.net or fax to 416 299 3480 thanking them for their strong stand in support of Palestinian Human rights (see form letter below for a template you can use to write these letters, though we always like to see people use their creativity and write
their own!).
(2) Write to your local paper in support of CUPE-Ontario’s position. You can use Google News to track the story: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=CUPE+boycott&btnG=Search+News. Also be sure to post online comments in support of CUPE-Ontario wherever the opportunity arises.
(3) Familiarize yourself with the resolutions pasted below and with CUPE-Ontario’s positions. Forward this message and the following link to co-workers, colleagues, friends, allies, partners, relatives, family, and community members: http://www.cupe.on.ca/doc.php?subject_id=152&lang=en and urge them to write in support of CUPE-Ontario.
(4) Write to the administrations of Carleton University (contact information at bottom of
http://www2.carleton.ca/about/administrative/president.php), York University (http://vpacademic.yorku.ca/directory/findadm.php?id=1001) and the University of Toronto
(http://www.president.utoronto.ca/officeofthepresident.htm) to register your disagreement with their systematic silencing of pro-Palestinian, pro-human-rights and anti-apartheid voices in Ontario. For specific information on the Free Speech Campaign, visit: http://www.caiaweb.org/.
SAMPLE LETTER TO CUPE-ONTARIO:
Dear Sid and Janice:
I am writing to express my gratitude to the both of you for the incredibly important position you’ve taken in support of human rights in the Middle East. I am especially thankful that you have done so in support of academic freedom for Palestinians and their supporters in both Israel/Palestine and here in Canada as well.
As you know, the Palestinian people are facing an unprecedented attack on their ability to learn and teach. In short, their fundamental rights to education are being violated on a daily basis by Israel’s racist apartheid regime. By affiliating to the Right to Education Campaign, CUPE-Ontario has taken an important step forward in ensuring that Palestinian children have hope for the future – that perhaps someday soon they will be able to go to school without
fear of checkpoints, arrests, beatings, or worse.
Furthermore, Israeli academic institutions are often complicit in the oppression of Palestinians. They are deeply integrated into Israel’s military-industrial complex and in the production of studies central to the perpetuation of apartheid over Palestinians. It is important to recognize that brave voices within Israel –both Jewish and Palestinian – have supported the call for a boycott. This is because these voices, those most committed to peace in the region, understand that war and occupation will not end until the institutions complicit in violations of international law are held to account.
Once again, I would like to applaud you for taking the lead in promoting a peaceful way forward in ensuring that justice in the region is achieved. CUPE-Ontario does not stand alone, as the recent global wave of actions in support of the Palestinian campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid demonstrates. Keep up the amazing work. Millions are
standing with you.
Regards,
______________________
*** TEXT OF THE TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT PASSED ***
MOTION 1
The OUWCC will:
1. Affiliate to the RIGHT TO EDUCATION campaign at Birzeit University to defend the right of Palestinian students to have access to education and educational institutions in the Palestinian territory, and seek to raise awareness about the issues facing Palestinian education, students and
teachers under Israeli military occupation, and further that it will encourage member locals to affiliate to the Right to Education campaign
2. Encourage its member locals to hold public forums to discuss an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions, and
3. Ask campus representatives to work with locals to investigate both research and investment links between Ontario Universities and the state of Israel's military, and
4. Mobilize campus allies to pressure universities from engaging in acts of cooperation that assist and aid military research at the institutional level with Israeli universities;
5. Work with campus and community allies to pressure Ontario universities to refuse collaborations, corporate partnerships and investments that would benefit, either directly or indirectly, military research or the Israeli state military;
6. Request funding and support from CUPE Ontario to conduct an education campaign on the academic boycott, coordinate education sessions and assist in the implementation of resolution 50 as passed in 2006
Because, in response to a call from Palestinian civil society and trade unions, CUPE Ontario's Resolution 50 (in 2006) calls upon the Union and its locals to support boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) of the state of Israel, so long as that state continues to occupy Palestinian
territory and refuses to respect and uphold international law and covenants, and
Because the latest Israeli attack on Gaza killed over 1300 people, wounded thousands, and destroyed hospitals, schools, roads, power plants, sewage and water infrastructure, and thousands of civilian homes, and as a direct consequence of the attacks by the Israeli military, the Gazan education system has been unable to function, and
Because Israel's direct bombing of universities and schools and its years-long blockade forbidding educational supplies, fuel and other basic necessities, or movement of people including students and teachers, has brought about the collapse of the education system in Gaza, and Because all three major Palestinian trade union federations are signatories of the Palestinian Civil Society for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions call including: The General Union of Palestinian Workers, PGFTU, and the Federation of Independent Unions.
MOTION 2
Because campus administrators have taken actions that seek to limit free speech and repress public discussions and campus dialogue about the occupation of Palestine.
Because students, staff and faculty members have been threatened with punitive measures for speaking out or organizing events against the state of Israel and have placed obstacles that prevent/limit public debate on campus.
The OUWCC shall;
1. Issue a public statement about our support for free speech on campus and the right of students and campus workers to speak out and organize events that support Palestine and bring awareness to the occupation.
2. Locals of the OUWCC be encouraged to write letters to the administrations of Carleton, Ottawa, York and the University of Toronto to protest the silencing and repression of public debate on campus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
