Divestment, Student Movements, and Fiscal Dynamics at the University
Divestment, although touted as an unattainable goal by university administrators, has historically and is currently being achieved at institutions across the globe. Whether it be divestment from South African apartheid in the 1980s or the state of Israel and its military and political proxies, the demand for cutting fiscal ties with governments and companies committing war crimes and crimes against humanity is a realistic one, and one that has been fulfilled before.
It is important to note that divestment is not just linked to military and occupational apparatuses. In the past two decades in the United States, there have been pushes to divest from weapons manufacturers contributing to the gun crisis, as well as initiatives to divest from fossil fuel companies and institutions, initiatives, and organizations contributing to global warming and environmental destruction.
Although it is a long-term demand, divestment is one that Bryn Mawr and its board can commit to if it wanted to, as shown at many other institutions. Read below to learn about why divestment is so important, and how it has been achieved at other colleges, universities, and movements.
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