OSU Divest: Buckeyes for Human Rights, established in 2015, is coalition of Ohio State students, faculty, and staff concerned about the university's investments in entities complicit in human rights violations. Our commitment arises from the ongoing deterioration of human rights in Occupied Palestine, and we are dedicated to addressing these challenges through collective action. We envision a free Palestine and a world liberated from colonialism, imperialism, and interconnected systems of oppression.
WHAT IS DIVESTMENT?
Divestment is the opposite of investment. In this case, it refers to the removal of funds from businesses in which the university is currently invested. Through its endowment and other funds, Ohio State holds investments in many companies, some of which profit from human rights abuses.
The goal of this campaign is to target the companies that are complicit in human rights violations and ensuring that university funds are not used to finance their crimes. For OSU Divest: Buckeyes for Human Rights, the goals of divestment include:
The goal of this campaign is to target the companies that are complicit in human rights violations and ensuring that university funds are not used to finance their crimes. For OSU Divest: Buckeyes for Human Rights, the goals of divestment include:
- Recognizing that our university profits from violence and human rights abuses through its investments.
- Challenging the exclusive power of the OSU Office of Investments to make decisions without any input from students, faculty, or staff.
- Declaring that we do not support investing in or profiting from unethical, violent, or illegal practices that violate the rights and dignity of other people.
WHY WE SUPPORT DIVESTMENT, AND WHY EVERY BUCKEYE SHOULD:
We support divestment from a position of solidarity—the wrongdoings of the companies we are asking the Ohio State community to divest from disproportionately affect people of color. Students working on this campaign know that our struggles are not the same, but we strive to understand each other's struggles and know that we are stronger together. As part of the Ohio State community, we call on our fellow Buckeyes to stand for justice and equality.
While we wish that every student would join this position of solidarity, we understand that students have a range of political beliefs, and do not all agree with our views. Nevertheless, we believe that there are many reasons for students to support divestment, and that divestment can be an idea with consensus support on our campus.
If you find yourself agreeing with even some of the positions below, you should consider the merits of supporting divestment:
1. You support ethical investments.
When OSU invests in companies that profit from violence, our university engages in unethical investment practices. In Occupied Palestine, they run prisons holding Palestinians (including children and political prisoners) without due process. Additionally, some of these companies provide technology used to segregate, surveil, and restrict the movement of Palestinians, as well as tools used to destroy Palestinian homes. If you believe that our university should only invest in companies that practice corporate social responsibility and do not profit from violence, you should support this divestment campaign as well.
2. You believe that students should have a say in how University funds are invested.
The OSU Office of Investments does not consult with students, faculty, or staff before it chooses how to invest university funds. However, as the largest part of the OSU community, and as people affected by these decisions, students should have a say in our university's investment policies. By supporting divestment, we are declaring that students should not be shut out of a decision making process that involves our shared Ohio State community.
3. You believe that OSU's investments should be politically neutral.
You may think that by calling to divest our funds from these corporations, we are taking a political stance. In fact, the opposite is true. By investing in corporations with politically controversial practices, the university is endorsing their actions. Only by divesting from these companies can Ohio State assert a truly neutral position on these issues.
4. You would take action if it happened to your community.
Imagine for a moment that our university invested in companies that enacted violent, illegal, or unfair practices against your family and community. How would you feel? How would you react? Would you ask that those investments stop? If your answer is yes, then you understand why this issue is so important to students whose families suffer imprisonment, injury, deprivation and death because of military occupation, systematic discrimination, and mass incarceration. These students should not be forced to invest in the suffering of their own communities and families.
While we wish that every student would join this position of solidarity, we understand that students have a range of political beliefs, and do not all agree with our views. Nevertheless, we believe that there are many reasons for students to support divestment, and that divestment can be an idea with consensus support on our campus.
If you find yourself agreeing with even some of the positions below, you should consider the merits of supporting divestment:
1. You support ethical investments.
When OSU invests in companies that profit from violence, our university engages in unethical investment practices. In Occupied Palestine, they run prisons holding Palestinians (including children and political prisoners) without due process. Additionally, some of these companies provide technology used to segregate, surveil, and restrict the movement of Palestinians, as well as tools used to destroy Palestinian homes. If you believe that our university should only invest in companies that practice corporate social responsibility and do not profit from violence, you should support this divestment campaign as well.
2. You believe that students should have a say in how University funds are invested.
The OSU Office of Investments does not consult with students, faculty, or staff before it chooses how to invest university funds. However, as the largest part of the OSU community, and as people affected by these decisions, students should have a say in our university's investment policies. By supporting divestment, we are declaring that students should not be shut out of a decision making process that involves our shared Ohio State community.
3. You believe that OSU's investments should be politically neutral.
You may think that by calling to divest our funds from these corporations, we are taking a political stance. In fact, the opposite is true. By investing in corporations with politically controversial practices, the university is endorsing their actions. Only by divesting from these companies can Ohio State assert a truly neutral position on these issues.
4. You would take action if it happened to your community.
Imagine for a moment that our university invested in companies that enacted violent, illegal, or unfair practices against your family and community. How would you feel? How would you react? Would you ask that those investments stop? If your answer is yes, then you understand why this issue is so important to students whose families suffer imprisonment, injury, deprivation and death because of military occupation, systematic discrimination, and mass incarceration. These students should not be forced to invest in the suffering of their own communities and families.