A Bill In Support of Divestment from Some Companies
Authored By: Someone
Sponsored By: Some Senators
1. WHEREAS, the ASUC notes the mind-boggling complexity of international relations in all cases, and recognizes the inability of a body such as the ASUC to adjudicate matters of international law and human rights law, or to take sides on any issue throughout the world. Yet, we do note the following findings from some organizations regarding some conflict, and use it as a case study; and,
1. WHEREAS, prior and subsequent to some bombing, some government has engaged in collective punishment of some population, in the view of some organization,[1] as exemplified by the ongoing 32 month blockade on some region, of which some organization has written, “the prolonged siege imposed by [some] government on [some region], the closing of its borders, the tightening of policies regarding permission to exit [said region] for medical purposes, and the severe shortage of medications and other medical supplies all severely damage [some] health system and endanger the lives and health of thousands of [some] patients,”[2] and of which some organization has said “[some region] is being strangled, economically speaking” making life in [said region] “a nightmare” for the civilian population, with essential supplies, including electricity, water, and fuel, being denied to [some] inhabitants, [some percentage] of whom depend on aid to survive;[3] and
1. WHEREAS, somewhere, some government continues a policy of settlement expansion that, in the opinion some organizations concerned with enforcement of international law, constitutes a direct violation of some Paragraph in some Article of some Convention, which declares “an occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into territories it occupies.”; and
1. WHEREAS, in the context of this bill, “occupation” refers to the current state of some people under some kind of military control in some region; a definition that is consistent to commonly-held international law; and
1. WHEREAS, student research has revealed that, according to the most recent UC investment report, within some funds there exist direct investments in some companies materially and militarily supporting some government”s occupation of some territories,; and
1. WHEREAS, some company holds service contracts with some country”s military, and supplies the said government with the propulsion systems for some helicopter fleet, which, as documented by some organization, has been used in attacks on some civilians, including killings of some medical aid workers[4]; and
1. WHEREAS, some other company supplies some government with helicopters and with some aircraft engines and holds an ongoing fleet management contract for these engines, and, some organization has documented the said government”s use of these aircraft in the bombing of some school in some region, the killing of some civilians, and the destruction of hundreds of some people”s homes;[5] therefore, be it
* RESOLVED, that the ASUC will ensure that its assets, and will advocate that UC assets, do not include holdings in some companies because of their military support of the occupation of some territories; be it further
* RESOLVED, that the ASUC will further examine its assets and UC assets for funds being invested in some companies that a) provide military support for or weaponry to support the occupation of some territories or b) facilitate the building or maintenance of some wall or the demolition of some people”s homes, or c) facilitate the building, maintenance, or economic development of some settlements on some territories; be it further
* RESOLVED, that if it is found that ASUC and/or the UC funds are being invested in any of the abovementioned ways, the ASUC will divest, and will advocate that the UC divests, all stocks, securities, or other obligations from such sources with the goal of maintaining the divestment, in the case of said companies, until they cease such practices. Moreover, the ASUC will not make further investments, and will advocate that the UC not make further investments, in any companies materially supporting or profiting from some occupation in some ways; be it further
* RESOLVED, that this ASUC resolution not be interpreted as the taking of sides in some conflict, but instead as a principled expression of support for universal human rights and equality; be it further
* RESOLVED, that the ASUC Senate engage in education campaigns to publicize the divestment efforts and violation of some international human rights laws, and that furthermore, a committee of 5 members, 2 senators selected by the senate body as a whole, 2 members of or students selected by the UC Berkeley Divestment Task Force, and the ASUC President or a representative from his/her office, form at the end of this semester to monitor and promote university progress in regards to the above-mentioned ethical divestment goals; and,
* BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this Committee will recommend additional divestment policies to keep university investments out of companies aiding some crimes throughout the world, such as those taking place in some other places as determined by the resolutions of some international organizations
[1] A report by a credible international human rights organization calling military action against some region “collective punishment”
[2] Based on a report by the largest international body in the world referencing an investigation by another major international human rights group
[3] Based on findings by a widely-respected international humanitarian organization
[4] Based on a report by another human rights organization, perhaps among the most famous and most-cited organization on the planet.
[5] Based on the same groundbreaking report by the above-mentioned human rights organization.
