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Academic and Community Activism Caucus

Nearly 80 people attending the American Studies Association annual meeting in San Juan took part in a Caucus on Academic and Community Activism session calling for the American Studies Association to support the call for boycott of Israeli universities in protest of the illegal occupation of Palestine, the infringements of the right to education of Palestinian students, and the academic freedom of Palestinian scholars and students in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel.

The Caucus gathered nearly 150 signatures from conference attendees supporting a resolution asking ASA to “honor the call of Palestinian civil society for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions” and to support the “protected rights of students and scholars everywhere to engage in research and public speaking about Israel-Palestine and in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.”

The ASA resolution is modeled on PACBI, the 2004 call by Palestinian academics and intellectuals for an academic and cultural boycott which took inspiration from the Boycott campaign against South African apartheid. The resolution is based in part on a United Nations report that the current Israeli occupation of Palestine has adversely impacted students “whose development is deformed by pervasive deprivations affecting health, education and overall security.” The resolution cites ASA¹s stated support for academic freedom and exchange in calling for a boycott of Israeli universities which “are deeply complicit in Israel’s violations of international law and human rights and in its denial of the right to education and academic freedom to Palestinians, in addition to their basic rights as guaranteed by international law.”

Among others, signatories to the resolution thus far include ASA scholars Angela Davis, Jose David Saldivar, Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi, Andrew Ross, Gina Dent, John Carlos Rowe, David Eng, Inderpal Grewal, Laura Pulido and 2013-2014 ASA President Curtis Marez.

ASA members seeking more information about the effects of the Israeli Occupation and on the boycott campaign may review the links below.

Members seeking to support the resolution in favor of an ASA boycott may indicate their support here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/members-of-the-asa-support-resolution-to-boycott-israeli-academic-institutions

ASA Members seeking to involve themselves in activities in support of the Caucus on Academic and Community Activism or the resolution campaign may contact Caucus co-Chairs Sunaina Maira at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Malini Schueller at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Links to Material on the Academic and Cultural Boycott Campaign:

1. USACBI Mission Statement:
http://www.usacbi.org/mission-statement/

2. PACBI Guidelines:
http://pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1108

3. Frequently Asked Questions about Academic Boycott:
http://www.usacbi.org/faqs/

4. Cancellation of Gaza Student Scholarships:
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/under-israeli-pressure-us-cancels-gaza-scholarships-showing-need-academic-boycott

5. South African Union of Students on BDS:
http://www.bdssouthafrica.com/2011/08/blog-post.html

See also: University of Witwatersrand student council unanimously adopts bds
http://www.bdssouthafrica.com/2011/08/university-of-witwatersrand-student_29.html

6. Palestinian Queers for BDS:
http://www.pqbds.com/about/

7. Salim Vally on South Africa, Israel, and academic boycott:
http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2006/SO/Boycott/The+SouthAfricanBo
ycott.htm#salim

8. Lisa Taraki and Omar Barghouti’s essay opposing AAUP’s rejection of academic boycott:
http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2006/SO/Boycott/Critics.htm

9. California Scholars for Academic Freedom¹s statement on the Irvine 11
http://www.usacbi.org/2010/08/california-scholars-for-academic-freedom-statement-on-the-uci-11/

10. Angela Davis on Palestine and Jim Crow
http://www.bdsmovement.net/2012/angela-davis-dismissal-of-palestinians-is-reminiscent-of-jim-crow-days-9753

11. UC Student Association Resolution in Support of Academic Boycott:
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/09/resolution-uc-student-association-opposes-all-racism-whether-anti-semitism-on-campus-or-racism-of-israeli-human-rights-violations.html

12. Social Text/Periscope dossier on Palestine by US scholars’ delegation
http://www.socialtextjournal.org/periscope/palestine/

13. Demanding equality - how is that illegal?
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/12/2012121493851318854.html

By Bill Mullen, Wed, December 05, 2012 - 6:18 pm
Categories:

Comments

I have been a member of ASA for more than 40 years. Were ASA to adopt this resolution, I would drop my membership.

Comment by David R. Merkowitz on Sat, December 15, 2012 at 12:55 pm
I am very pleased to see that members of the ASA are supporting the call from 170 Palestinian civil society organizations for a boycott of Israeli institutions. I hope the ASA will adopt the resolution and confirm its commitment to Palestinians’ right to education.
Malini Johar Schueller

Comment by Malini Schueller on Mon, January 07, 2013 at 9:08 am