Faculty members within the Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER) are issuing the following statement against scholasticide in Palestine. The statement does not represent the views of UBC, or any of its departments or other constituent units and the faculty members issuing this statement recognize that there are or may be dissenting viewpoints within the Institute for Community Engaged Research.
May 27, 2024
Re: Motion to endorse the Joint Statement on Canadian Universities and Palestine
The Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER) held its AGM on Friday, May 24, 2024. The following motion was presented and discussed by the membership. Following a unanimous vote by the ICER voting members in attendance, ICER passed the following motion against scholasticide in Palestine.
Motion:
Be it resolved that the ICER membership endorse the Joint Statement on Canadian Universities and Palestine authored by the Palestinian-Canadian Academics and Artists Network (PCAAN) in February 2024 against the ongoing scholasticide in Palestine.
Accordingly:
ICER calls on The University of British Columbia to:
- Condemn Israel’s destruction of the education system in the Gaza Strip and call for an immediate ceasefire.
- Express support for Gaza’s universities, staff and students.
- Review all partnerships, including research cooperation, student exchange and study abroad programs, and funding relations, with Israeli educational and other institutions. End any relation that might be connected to ‘plausibly genocidal acts’ within the terms of the ICJ ruling.
- Publicly condemn discriminatory and recriminatory actions taken by Israeli universities against Palestinians and Israelis who have criticized the war in Gaza.
- Commit to setting up placements, fellowships, and scholarships for new students from Palestine, as well as hardship funds for students affected by the war and enhance provision of placements for existing Palestinian academics and students.
- Actively support Palestine’s universities through inter-institutional cooperation, including virtual exchanges, library sharing, and infrastructural support.
