Faculty, staff, and students united in advocating for divestment and solidarity.
Queen’s University Faculty and Staff for Palestine (QFS4P) hosted a “Case for Divestment” event on Nov. 7 at Mackintosh-Corry Hall, calling on staff, faculty, and students to present their submitted statements to the University’s divestment committee. The event aimed to educate the broader community about the case for divestment, according to QFS4P.
Following a 12-day encampment on Queen’s campus in May, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane established a Review Committee as part of the University’s Responsible Investing Policy, to evaluate a special request submitted by a campus community group asking the University to divest its pooled endowment and divest funds from specific companies conducting business in or with the State of Israel.
As part of a public consultation period, the committee was requesting community submit their perspectives to help inform the committee’s decision.
QFS4P is a group of Queen’s faculty and staff who students in their demands for divestment and is part of the larger coalition of Queen’s University Apartheid Divestment (QUAD).
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine walkout demands Queen’s divest from companies and corporations connected to Israel
Organizers of the event emphasized the importance of transparency in discussions about University investments, arguing that closed-door meetings prevent marginalized communities from being included.
One facilitator stated the gathering aimed “to give space for an opportunity for these letters to be heard,” highlighting the efforts by students and faculty to raise awareness on the matter.
Although the letters weren’t published or made publicly available, The Journal attended the event and gained insight into the content of several of the letters.
The first letter read referenced a 2009 article from The Guardian, which introduced the term “scholasticide” to describe the systemic destruction of educational institutions in Gaza by Israeli forces. The letter cited data from multiple sources, including the United Nations and University of Cambridge, highlighting the severe impact on the Palestinian education system. The letter stated 12 universities in Gaza were destroyed, and over 40,000 Palestinians, including 10,627 children, were killed since the start of the most recent conflict.
The letter condemned Queen’s for its financial involvement in companies contributing to what its authors described as the “total annihilation of education.”
A faculty member presenting their letter expressed their dismay at the University’s investments, arguing they contradict Queen’s commitment to equity, decolonization, and the promotion of a positive societal impact as outlined in its 2023 Strategic Framework.
The speaker challenged the audience to consider the meaning of statements about decolonization when investments are made in actions that destroy the transmission of cultural knowledge. They questioned how one can be horrified by Canada’s history of residential schools, which aimed to erase Indigenous Peoples, while simultaneously ing the destruction of another groups and learning institutions.
Each speaker read letters related to their research and teachings. Lisa Guenther, professor and Queen’s National Scholar in Political Philosophy and Critical Prison studies, in the Department of Philosophy, examined the istrative detention of Palestinian people, which allows for the indefinite detention—without formal charges—of individuals, including children.
“We looked at the investments Queen’s is making, and the particular impact they have on people who are rounded up for detention, especially for istrative detention, which is a form of indefinite detention where people are arrested without adequate evidence and held for six months at a time without knowing what charges were made against them,” Guenther said at the event.
“One of the things I learned when I was researching for this was that so many of the people held in istrative detention are children under the age of 18,” she added.
Guenther referenced reports from Save the Children, a global organization dedicated to protecting children’s rights, safety, and well-being which shed light on the conditions faced by detained Palestinian minors.
Describing her findings as “devastating,” Guenther noted the data reported shows that 42 per cent of detained children sustained injuries like gunshot wounds, with 65 per cent of arrests occurring at night, often in their homes. With 86 per cent facing threats, 70 per cent beaten with sticks or guns, and 69 per cent strip-searched. Additionally, 60 per cent experienced solitary confinement for up to 48 days.
From the Department of Public Health Sciences, Associate Professor Dr. Imaan Bayoumi, read the letter she wrote to the divestment committee herself, where she highlighted the humanitarian crisis occurring in Gaza following Oct. 7 of last year and the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) subsequent response. Dr. Bayoumi referenced the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, saying, “This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future.”
Dr. Bayoumi, who studies child health inequities, detailed the health crisis, pointing out critical shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
“Israel’s committing collective punishment against the civilian population, and the starvation of civilians is a method of warfare, both of which are war crimes […] Since the genocide, lack of clean water, severe crowding, and the destruction of sanitation systems, together have created the ideal conditions for the rapid spread of infectious diseases,” Dr. Bayoumi said.
Dr. Bayoumi attributed these issues to the longstanding blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, resulting in widespread malnutrition, preventable diseases, and inadequate medical care. Bayoumi recounted stories of pregnant women and children facing dire health outcomes, underscoring the dire conditions in hospitals and shelters.
The event continued with additional letters presented by students, staff, and faculty , all calling for Queen’s to divest. The letters highlighted the active of staff and faculty for the Palestinian movement on campus and the drive for divestment.
Corrections
A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that Labour 4 Palestine was the host of the event. In fact, the event was hosted by Queen’s University Faculty and Staff for Palestine (QFS4P).
Incorrect information appeared in the Nov. 15 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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Queen’s University Faculty and Staff for Palestine (QFS4P)
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