Last Monday, Divest DU released a statement regarding the current events in Palestine and on college campuses across the United States.
Divest DU, a student activism organization that has been pushing for the university’s divestment of fossil fuels and re-investment in renewable energy, stated on its Instagram the support for the people in Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian nation, as well as the pro-Palestine protesters on college campuses across the country.
The organization demands that the University of Denver disclose and divest from any financial and institutional ties to the government of Israel. The group also stated that the intersections of environmental justice and other forms of social justice are intrinsic to the divestment approach.
“I don’t believe that one can be environmentalist and not anti-war. The military-industrial complex is responsible for a large proportion of global emissions and environmental destruction,” said Aidan Phillips, Co-President of Divest DU and third-year international studies major.
Connected to their mission, climate change awareness and anti-war efforts are the same, according to the group.
“The industry of war has an inherent connection to climate change. Nearly 6% of greenhouse gas emissions come from militaries around the world. So, in addition to the social justice implications of this moment, the basic ties between military activity and climate change via greenhouse gas emissions make the war in Gaza intrinsically connected to climate change and fossil fuel divestment,” Iris Stanfill, Co-President of Divest DU and second-year political science major, shared.
Their goal, the leadership stated, is to raise awareness of the criticality of the current Middle East conflict between Israel and Hamas and to advocate for divestment from it.
“It is very important to us to explicitly and unequivocally condemn anti-semitism and emphasize the importance of building an inclusive space for our activism. Anti-semitism, Islamophobia, hate, and bigotry in all forms are unacceptable and undermine our collective struggle for peace. We call for the release of the people still being held hostage in Gaza, and we unequivocally condemn the horrific acts of violence and murder committed by Hamas terrorists,” said Stanfill.
“We also simply want people to take away that the plight of Palestinians cannot be ignored and that everyone everywhere must try to create the political pressure necessary for justice and peace, because it’s evident that our government and our university are not willing to do what is right,” added Phillips.
Read the full statement here.
