Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) is calling for Carleton to withdraw its pension plan funds from companies the group says support Israeli occupation and the manufacture of weapons and hellfire missiles used by Israel against Palestine.
“SAIA stands for equality, human rights, dignity. Our specificity is to oppose Israeli apartheid and their violations of human rights against the Palestinian people,” explained Yafa Jarrar, a SAIA member.
Jarrar stressed that regardless of the side people stand on conflict, the investing in weapons manufacturing is an “ethical issue.”
“We don’t want Carleton to be invested in war and violations of human rights,” Jarrar said.
SAIA has recently completed research into Carleton’s pension plan and said it discovered that there is investment within five companies that contravene international law and human rights by manufacturing weapons.
“Carleton stands for great values, but [the investments] do not,” Jarrar said. “We want to hold Carleton accountable for their investment.”
SAIA’s divestment campaign recommends the university’s Board of Governors immediately divest their stock in BAE Systems, L-3 Communications, Motorola, Northrop Grumman and Tesco. SAIA is advocating for the board to work with the Carleton community to create a “socially responsible pension plan” and avoid investment in companies that violate international law.
Carleton sociology professor Nahla Abdo said, “[Divestment] would give me more confidence in this institution.”
Carleton’s pension plan is managed by a pension committee, made up of representatives from employee groups on campus as well as the Board of Governors, according to an e-mail from Betsy Springer, director of Carleton’s pension fund management.
“The pension committee is already looking at the issue of socially responsible investing as part of its ongoing investment policy work,” Springer said.
The committee acts “with a high standard of care and in accordance with legislation, and recognizing the needs of all stakeholders in the retirement plan,” according toJason MacDonald, Carleton’s director of communications.
Carleton president Roseann Runte said the university administration has no say in the operations of the pension committee.
“They would not appreciate it if I told them what to do,” Runte said.
Jarrar said the influence of Carleton students, faculty and staff is vital in achieving a socially responsible plan.
“Students and faculty are shocked and appalled that their tuition fees are invested in manufacturing weapons and human rights violations,” Jarrar said.
She explained that Carleton’s South Africa divestment campaign in 1987 was successful because of the powerful force students placed on the administration in advocating for change.
The divestment campaign is not SAIA’s first dispute with Carleton’s administration. Last year SAIA’s Israeli Apartheid Week posters were banned by Carleton Equity Services, igniting a controversy over free speech, which is going before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
However, this campaign is a “fresh start,” Jarrar said. “We expect that there will be no problem, and expect them to be supportive. We want to work with them on this.”
Carleton’s divestment campaign is part of a “larger movement,” according to Jaffar. In Massachusetts, Hampshire College has already taken a step forward in divesting from companies supporting Israel, she said.
“How beautiful would it be to become Canada’s first university to divest from apartheid and companies that manufacture weapons?” Jarrar said.
SAIA is officially launching the divestment campaign Jan. 28.