Christopher Ramirez
Template:TOCnestleft Christopher Ramirez
Divestment resolution
On Saturday, April 26, 2014 the University of New Mexico’s Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) passed a divestment resolution targeting Israeli corporations that commit human rights violations against Palestinians and undocumented populations in the U.S.
An historic showing of more than 50 people attended the meeting, many to show support for the resolution. A diverse coalition of student organizations sponsored the bill; these organizations included: Students for Justice in Palestine; Students Organizing for Peace; MEChA; UNM Dream Team; Men of Color Alliance; Muslim Student Association; Fair Trade Initiative; Black Student Union; and UNM Arabic Language Club.
Before Saturday’s meeting began, about 10 students and community members spoke in support of the resolution for thirty minutes of public commentary.
Communications and Journalism PhD student Santhosh Chandrashekar told the GPSA council: "As a member of the third world, I believe that we won't be free until Palestine is free."
Community and Regional Planning graduate student Christopher Ramirez spoke in favor of the divestment resolution, stating investments in Israeli corporations that profit from the militarization of Palestine also profit in the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.
UNM alum and Jewish Voice for Peace of Albuquerque member Stan Hoztes spoke in favor of the divestment resolution's non-violent strategy for peaceful solutions in the Israel-Palestine conflict. His speech was met with a standing ovation from the crowd and GPSA representatives.
Although unable to attend Saturday’s GPSA meeting, Dean of Students Tomas Aguirre was slotted ten minutes to speak about the resolution.
GPSA President Priscila Poliana noted the unprecedented attendance and student participation at the meeting in light of the divestment resolution and the #OURUNM campaign. Highlighting recent campus demonstrations and calls from the regents, faculty, staff, and students for increased transparency from the UNM administration, she asked, “Do you feel it? I feel like there’s something going on!”
When the divestment resolution came up on the agenda, Students for Justice in Palestine members Lizzie Perkel and Julie Jaynes presented the resolution. During debate several GPSA representatives yielded time to undergraduate and graduate students.
Graduate students, several of whom were scholars of Israel-Palestine history and politics, spoke about the historic importance of the divestment resolution and the responsibility of academic professional organizations to address human rights violations. Specificity of language that named Israeli corporations mattered, they said. American Studies PhD candidate Rachel Levitt cited non-violent protests by scholars against Apartheid South Africa and Arizona’s SB1070 as examples of how effective it is to name specific states. Human rights, Levitt stated, “has to be applied to specific contexts and situations.”[1]