AllDivestmentResolutionSuggestionsfromFeedbackForm&Townhall

(CondensedandSummarized)

Thefollowingisacompiledandcondensedlistofcommendations,concerns,andsuggestionsregardingthe
DivestmentresolutionsubmittedviaSJPsonlinefeedbackformduringthefeedbackperiodinthemakingof
thisresolution.Theonlinefeedbackformandsubsequenttownhallmeetingtodiscusssaidfeedbackwas
madeavailableforthesakeoftransparencyanddiscussionconcerningtheresolutioninanefforttomakethe
draftingprocessconducivetoinclusivity,communalparticipation,andsensitivitytotheconcernsof
communitymembersatUCLA.Witheachlistedfeedbackisfurtherinformationonhowparticipantsinthe
townhallmeetingfeltregardingaparticularsuggestionandwhatstepsSJPtooktoaddressorincorporate
saidsuggestion.

Sincerely,
DivestmentOrganizersatUCLA

(STUDENTCONSENTFORINVESTMENT)
1.Talkabouthowwe,thestudents,havehadnoinputastohowOURmoneyisbeinginvested.Itisourrightand
responsibilitytodecidehowourfeesarebeingused.(mentionedfivetimes)(Group2likedmore)(Group3
liked)(mightnotactuallybearightfigureouttheirlanguage)(Group5liked)(Group7likedalsodistrust
regents)(Group9liked,alsotiesintotuitionincrease)(Group10liked)
Studentconsentwasincorporatedintoresolutioninclause4

2.WhileUCLAdoeshavetherighttogeneraterevenue,itmustdosoinanobjectivemannerandmustnot
compromiseethicalvaluesforprofitmaximization.(ethicalisagreyarea)(Group4liked)(Group6doesUCLA
haveastatementaboutitsowninvestmentsanditsvaluesonthoseinvestments?)
Thisseemstobeimpliedintheresolution,alsocoveredintheclausesabouttheUCsrecentadoptionof
PRI

(CONTEXT)
3.Focusonhowthesecompaniesareenablingtheconflict,andsteerconversationawayfromprevious
IsraeliPalestinianwars.
Tookthisintoaccountthroughoutresolution,notmentioninganyspecificwars

4.Alsomentionthefailedpeacetalks,andthesummerattackonGazaandthesubsequentbuildingofnew
settlementsintheWestBank.
Didnotincorporatethisintotheresolutionbecausemoststudentsatthetownhalldidnotlikethis
suggestion.Studentssaidthatthisstrayedfromthecompaniesandthatweshouldsteerawayfromspecific
events.

5.TheresolutionshouldmentionthattherearePalestinianstudentsonthecampuswhosetuitionfundsthe
oppressionoftheirfamiliesbackhome.
Incorporatedthismoregenerallyinclause3,asstudentsatthetownhallsaidthisistoospecificandapplies
tomultiplegroups.Studentsalsosuggestedthatthisbecontextualized,sowespokeofPalestinianstudents
inclause17.

6.Talkaboutgroundconditions:homelessness,water,healthcare,checkpointsthatlimitmovement,etc.

Addressedmostoftheseissueswhendiscussingtheactionsofthetargetedcompanies,specificallyinthe
caseofCaterpillarinclause8.

(INTERSECTIONALSTRUGGLES/OPPRESSION)
7.PerhapsbrieflymentionthatAfrikanimmigrantsarealsoaffectednegativelybythesecheckpoints,aswellas
studentsfromotheroppressedbackgrounds.
Didnotincorporatethisintotheresolution.Thissuggestionreceivedmixedfeedbackatthetownhall.It
ultimatelywasnotincludedbecausestudentsfeltitmaybepolarizingandthatitwasoverlyfocusedon
Israel.However,manystudentsexpressedsupportforthestrugglesofcommunitiessuchasAfrikan
immigrants.

8.EmphasizethattheseareAmericancompaniesthatareinvestedinmanyotherhumanrightsatrocitiesoutsideof
Palestine.
Somewhatincorporatedthisintotheresolution,withreferencetoHPsactionsontheUSMexicoborder
andinICEdetentioncentersinclause13.Thiswasdiscussedatgreaterlengthduringourcampaign.

9.Focusonsettingaprecedentforstudentpoliticalagencythatwillempowerstudentstodivestfrom
humansrightsviolatingcompaniesinthefutureandwillpushfordemocratizingtheUC.
Incorporatedstudentpowerandpoliticalagencyinclause5.

10.Endorsedivestmentasatacticagainstrightsviolationsdirectedtowardsothercommunitiesandgiveexamplesof
howthistactichasbeenpreviouslyusedtoaidothersocialgroupsrepresentedbystudentorganizations.
Incorporatedthissuggestioninclause5,listingconcreteexamplesofthehistoryofdivestmentattheUC.

(SPECIFYINGTHEIMPORTANCEOFTHESEISSUESTOPEOPLESLIVES)
11.Emphasizethatthesecompaniesaffectactualpeoplewhoselivesarevaluable.Listspecificstrugglesof
Palestiniansandwhomeverelseisnegativelyaffectedbythethingsthesecompaniesaredoinginorderto
personalizethesituation.Forinstance,youcouldincludethatwomenhavebeenforcedtogivebirthatcheckpoints
becausetheycouldn'taccesshospitals.(mentionedtwice)(Group2liked)
Unabletoincludefulllistsofspecificharms,thoughmanyofthesecanbefoundbyreadingcitations

12.Mentionhowtheinternationalcommunityandhumanrightsorganizationshaverepeatedlycondemnedthe
IsraeliOccupationofPalestinianTerritory.
Incorporatedthisinclause15,buttiedthesuggestionmorecloselytotheactualtargetcompanies.

13.ExplainthatwehavePalestinianstudentswhoarefundingviolenceagainsttheirownfamilies.(mentionedtwice)
Similartosuggestionabove(#5).Incorporatedinclause17bydiscussinghowPalestinianstudentsand
theirfamiliesaredirectlyaffectedbythesecompaniesactions.

(DEFINITION,HISTORY,POTENTIALOFDIVESTMENT)
14.Donotassumepriorknowledgefromreaders,andgiveaclear,explicitdefinitionofdivestmenttoavoid
confusionormisinterpretation.
Everyoneatthetownhallagreedclearlydefiningdivestmentisveryimportant,soweaddedfootnote3with
thedefinitionofdivesting.

15.Statethatthesecompaniescanbeinvestedinagainoncetheirhumanrightsabusesareover.

Studentsthoughtthiswasagoodideaasitclarifiesthegoalsofdivestment.Somestudentsraisedthe
concernthatcorporationsmayceasehumanrightsviolationsinPalestinebutmaycontinuehumanrights
violationsinotherpartsoftheworld.Weincorporatedthissuggestionandaddedlanguagetoaddressthe
concerninclause21.

16.Describehowdivestmenthasbeenusedasatooltocreatechangeinmanyotherprevioussituations(e.g.South
Africafossilfueldivestment,Prisonindustrialcomplex).
Incorporatedinclause5.Thissuggestionwasraisedmanytimes.

17.Mentionthat5/9UCshavedivestedfromoccupation.
Didnotincorporatethisintotheresolutionbecausethisresolutionisseparatefromotheruniversitiesand
campaigns.WhatotheruniversitiesdoshouldnotdeterminewhatUCLAdoesordoesnotdo.

(COMPLICITY/NEUTRALITY)
18.Alsosayhowwe'renotneutralrightnowbecauseourmoneyisinvested,sodivestmentactuallymakesusmore
neutral.
Discussingneutralitywasveryimportanttomanystudents,soweincorporatedthissuggestioninclause18.
Werecognizethatneutralitymayappearambiguousandthatdifferentpeoplemayhavedifferent
understandingsofwhatisneutral,sowefocusedspecificallyonfinancialneutralitybecauseitismore
objectivelydefined.

19.EmphasizingthatweshouldbeagainstoppressionofANYethniccommunityisveryimportantandIfeelthat
focusingonthatwillallowpeopletokeeptheirownopinionsabouttheconflicttothemselvesandunderstandthat
thisisanissueofnotbeingcomplicitintheoppressionofPalestinians.
Incorporatedthisbyopeningtheresolutionwithgeneralclausesdefiningourvalues,applicabletoall
communities.

20.Makethemoralbasisthefollowing:UCLAisapublicuniversity,andapublicuniversityshouldnottake
politicalstancesinforeignconflicts.Divestingfrom[x,yz]companieswillputUCLAinaneutralstanceregarding
theIsraeliPalestinianconflict.
Sameasabove.Weincorporatedthissuggestioninclause18.

(STUDENTVOICE)
21.Alsomentionthatthisbillisastudentmotivatedstudentinitiatedcampaignandshouldbereadassuch.(Group2
liked)(Group9liked)
Shouldbereflectedinthelistingofcosponsoringorganizations,whichwillbeupdatedasitgrows

22.CallontheRegentstorespectourvoicesasstudentsandintegralmembersoftheU.C.institution.
Incorporatedgreaterstudentoversightinclause24.

23.Emphasizeneedforadditionalstudentoversightofinvestmentaffairs.Also,bemoreclearaboutwhatstudent
investmentoversightwouldlooklike.
StudentsstressedthatthereshouldmemorestudentinputandmorestudentoversightovertheRegentsand
ourinvestments,soweincorporatedthisinclause24.

24.ThisissueisnotonlylimitedtoIsraelPalestine.Weareinvestedinsociallyirresponsiblecompaniesthataffect
othercommunitiesaswell.Assuch,studentsshouldbegivenoversightoverourinvestmentpoliciestoensurethat
futurestudentsdon'talsofundtheoppressionoftheirfamiliesandcommunities.

 Sameasabove.Weincorporatedgreaterstudentoversightintoclause24.

25.Iftheuniversitywishestomakeallofitsstudentsfeelcomfortableitneedstodivestfromtheaforementioned
companies.Otherwise,aclearmessageissent:onlycertainlivesmatters.Andifthatisthecase,thisinstitution
whichhasmadeanameforitselfbycreatingoneofthemostintelligentanddiversestudentbodiesstandson
nothingmorethansuperficialprinciples.(Group5didntlike,notgreatwording.Comfortable)
Didnotincorporateintoresolutionbecausestudentsatthetownhalldidnotlikethewordingofthe
suggestion,andcomfortableisveryambiguousandsubjective.

26.PointoutthatthemessagethattheRegentsaresendingbyprioritizingmoneyoverhumanrightsisnotthe
messagewewanttobesending,andexplainthatthismentalitymaylenditselftofurtherhumanrightsviolationsin
thefuture.(mentionedtwice)(group1liked)
Alsoseemstobecoveredthroughothersuggestions,canbediscussedseparately.

(WHATISENDGOAL/CONTEXT)
27.Makeitclearthatthisbillneithercondemnsacountry,apeople,oracommunitynortakesastanceonasolution
totheIsraeliPalestinianconflict,butissolelyaimedatimprovingthequalityoflifeforPalestiniansandnot
supportingcompaniesthatenablehumanrightsviolations.
Studentswereveryreceptivetothissuggestionandreallylikedstatingthisexplicitly,soclause19was
added.

28.ExplainthattheliberationofthePalestinianswillbringpeaceforbothIsraelisandPalestinians.(Group9didnt
like)
Didnotincludebecausestudentswerentveryreceptivetothissuggestion,anditisnotveryrelevanttothe
resolution.Thisresolutionmightormightnotliberateanypeoples,butitwillendourcomplicityin
violenceagainstpeople.

29.AcknowledgethatboththeIsraelisandPalestinianshavearighttoselfdeterminationrespectively.
Studentsthoughtthiscouldbeadigressionandmaybeheadedtowardsimposingasolution,whichthis
resolutiondoesnotaimtodo.Didnotincludeintheresolutionbecauseofstudentreactiontothesuggestion
andourguidelinestostayawayfrompoliticalsolutions.

30.IfgivingPalestinianstheirhumanrights,asstipulatedbytheUNDHR,isathreattoIsrael,thenwhatdoesthat
sayabouttheStateofIsrael?
DidnotincorporatebecausethisresolutionisnotaboutthestateofIsrael,itisaboutcompanies.

31.Makeitexplicitthatyouareaimingtodivestfromwhatishurtingandopentoinvestinginwhathelps,and
definedivestmentveryclearlytoavoidmisinterpretation.
Incorporatedouropennesstoinvestinwhathelpsinclause25anddefineddivestmentinfootnote3.

32.Makeastatementthateveryonecanagreeonastheclosingsentence(eventhepeoplethatareagainstthe
resolution).Givetheendoftheresolutionanoptimistictone.(thisisdoable,efficient,withinourpower)
Incorporatedbyclosingthewhereasclauseswithapositivestatementaboutunitingthecampus(clause20)
andendingtheresolutionwithaclauseagainstalldiscrimination(clause26).

33.Encouragedialogueafterthisresolution.Ultimately,SJPwantstodivestandoncethatisachievedand
complicityhasbeensymbolicallyremoveditshouldbeeasiertoengageinconversationsoncampusinamore
organizedwaywithoutfeelinganobviouspowerstruggle.

 Groupsdidnotexpressinterestinthissuggestion,soithasnotbeenaddedatthemoment

34.Alsomakesuretoavoidtriggeringbuzzwordsintheresolutionandpubliccomments.Beassensitiveaspossible
whilestillmakingapoint.Trynottoseemlikeyoureattackingpeoplesidentitiesortheirrightto
selfdetermination.Beclearthatwhilethereisacommunitythatdiffersfromyouinopiniontheystillhaveevery
righttoholdtheopinionstheyhave.
Incorporatedbyaddingclause19,abouthowthisresolutiondoesnotaimtocondemnacountry,apeople,
oracommunity.Alsogenerallyincorporatedbybeingcarefulaboutwordinginoverallresolution.

35.Thecitationsareexcellent.Canyouprintaninformationpacketforeachcouncilmemberwiththecitationsfor
theirreferenceatthetable?Sotheydon'thavetosearchontheinternetandtheywillberightthereforthem.
Createdpacketofallcitationscompiledandpublishedonwebsite.