This collaborative letter has been composed by students and faculty representing a spectrum of religious and ethnic diversity, encompassing Palestinian, First Nations, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and various other backgrounds at the University of Alberta. We request the Students’ Union make a statement supporting the following demands, and that they be sent to the Policy Committee to create a Global Affairs policy, with the following resolutions: 

 

1. The Students’ Union shall publish a public statement in support of an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Palestinian genocide carried out by the Israeli government; unequivocally supporting Palestinian liberation and self-determination by advocating for:

i. Complete dismantlement of the apartheid and occupation systems;

• Takedown of all apartheid and segregation walls, fences, or barriers, including checkpoints;
• Dismantling segregated roads, neighbourhoods, or cities and granting Palestinians freedom of movement in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jerusalem, and the rest of historic Palestine (modern-day “Israel”);
• The returning of the occupied Golan Heights territories to Syria;

ii. Equal political and civil rights for all regardless of faith or ethnicity, which guarantees basic human rights and safety for Palestinians;

iii. The right for Palestinian refugees to return to all of Palestine, including the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jerusalem, and the rest of historic Palestine (modern-day “Israel”).

iv. The call to end the 16-year-long siege and blockade of Gaza and a release of all Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.

 

2. The Students’ Union shall acknowledge and provide public resources regarding the historical context of the aggression, displacement, and massacres that have occurred over the past month.

i. The Students’ Union shall recognize and provide resources on the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe), and the 75+ years of genocide, settler colonialism, apartheid and segregation, siege and blockade, illegal settlements, and illegal occupation in Palestine by the Israeli government. 

ii. The Students’ Union shall recognize and provide resources on the UN’s legitimization of the Palestinian struggle and the right to resist the occupation by any means necessary within the thresholds of international law.

iii. The Students’ Union shall acknowledge and provide resources on the difference between Zionism and Judaism, and assure that Palestine advocacy does not equate to antisemitism. 

 

3. The Students’ Union shall protect Palestinian students against censorship, hate, and violence and add the following resolutions to their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity policy:

i. The Students’ Union shall commit to the enhancement of protective measures for Palestinian and/or Arab, Muslim, and Jewish students who are confronted with challenges such as Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism, and censorship. The Students’ Union shall call on the University of Alberta to protect and foster students’ intellectual freedom on campus. The Students’ Union shall consult with students affected by harassment to decide on adequate safety efforts. 

ii. The Students’ Union shall call on the University of Alberta to provide enhanced supports to students affected by the genocide in Palestine, specifically in terms of finances, mental health, and generous academic accommodations. 

iii. The Students’ Union Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity policy shall advocate equitably for all incoming refugees regardless of race, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, ability, social class, etc. The Students’ Union shall also hold the University of Alberta accountable for ensuring equitable treatment of all refugees, particularly student refugees.

 

4. The Students’ Union policy committee shall commit to ending the University of Alberta’s institutional complicity in human rights violations and equally support students:

i. The Students’ Union shall advocate for students displaced due to global conflict and disaster and call on the university to provide financial coverage, including assistance in tuition, cost of living, academic success, and mental wellness.

ii. The Students’ Union shall use appropriate and accurate language regarding Palestine (apartheid, occupation, oppression, siege, and genocide, rather than conflict or war).

iii. The Students’ Union shall call on the University of Alberta to end any possible complicity in this genocide by publicly condemning Israeli war crimes, and pledging to boycott, divest, and sanction any companies or organizations that support them.

iv. The Students’ Union shall reaffirm their operating policy 1.5 for Ethical Business Partners to not partner with any organisation that supports the Israeli occupation, apartheid, and overall undermining of Palestinian human rights.

 

Full Document