Source: Palestinian BDS Movement
The “D” in BDS
Divestment, or the “D” in BDS, is shorthand for institutional pressure against complicit corporations that are knowingly and persistently implicated in Israel’s crimes and grave human rights violations, particularly genocide, apartheid, and occupation.
To make institutions apply this institutional pressure on complicit corporations, grassroots solidarity movements and civil society groups must apply pressure on pension and investment funds and other institutions (such as city councils, universities, trade unions, etc.) to, in turn, cut back or end contracts, investments, and/or other financial ties to such complicit corporations. Institutional pressure includes most prominently, and whenever feasible, the following forms:
- Strategic litigation
- Exclusion from sourcing/procurement contracts (whenever viable alternatives exist)
- Divestment (for funds/institutions that invest in the global stock markets)
- Shareholder activism
ACTIONS TO DO:
- Learn more about Economic Boycotts
- Who’s Complicit? A visual database of the UN List of complicit companies, by Visualising Palestine
CURRENT CAMPAIGNS
DIVEST FROM OCCUPATION
SUPERANNUATION CAMPAIGN
Phase 2 of APAN’s Divest From Occupation campaign is now underway:
Calling on Australian super funds to divest from the UN List of complicit companies.
Email your super fund to demand divestment. Be sure to have your membership number ready.