Divest from Boeing Resolution

Sponsored by Senators Natalia Leon Diaz, Saara Engineer, Sonal Churiwal, and Emaan Sayied and Vice President of Engagement Andrew de las Alas | 29 January 2024

WHEREAS, major international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have consistently categorized Israeli policies as apartheid, and

WHEREAS, over 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7 in the genocide in Palestine, and

WHEREAS, Boeing supplies arms sold to Israel linked to civilian casualties in Gaza, and

WHEREAS, the Associated Press reports an increasing number of retired Israeli military oﬃcials endorsing the idea that Israel is engaging in apartheid practices, and

WHEREAS, Boeing supplies arms sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates linked to civilian casualties in Yemen, and

WHEREAS, Boeing supplies arms sold to India linked to the occupation of Kashmir and warfare at borders with China and Pakistan, and

WHEREAS, UMass Amherstʼs Political Economy Research Institute, in 2021, found Boeing to be among the top 10 companies in terms of potential for chronic human health risk due to air and water pollution, and

WHEREAS, Representative Cori Bush has supported a resolution blocking the export of Boeing arms to Israel, and

WHEREAS, 28-year Boeing veteran Kristin Robertson at a WashU-hosted event in 2010 noted that Boeing, a 34 billion dollar operation headquartered in St. Louis, employs over 1,800 WashU alumni, and

WHEREAS, WashU oﬀers monetary corporate member beneﬁts to Boeing employees,

and

WHEREAS, hundreds of WashU students have protested WashUʼs close ties to Boeing, asserting that WashUʼs investment and proﬁt from the military-industrial complex entails complicity to the apartheid, and

WHEREAS, WUIMC claims to “not seek to proﬁt from the violation of basic human rights and dignity, [or] abusive or oppressive labor practices,” and

WHEREAS, the divestment of university endowments is an eﬀective tactic in environmental justice and anti-apartheid campaigns supported by students at Boston University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Michigan State University, Stanford University, and the University of California system, and

WHEREAS, there is modern precedent in student government support for divestment, evidenced through the University of California-Davisʼ recent vote, and

WHEREAS, according to Green Action WashU, the WashU administration agreed to release an endowment transparency report in March of 2020 and failed to do so, therefore be it

RESOLVED, WashU ought to stop hosting Boeing at career opportunity and recruitment events, and further

RESOLVED, WashU ought to divest fully from Boeing, and further

RESOLVED, WUIMC ought to identify new ethically responsible investment areas after divestment, ensuring that it continues its mission of supporting FGLI students, and further

RESOLVED, WUIMC should eﬀectively and immediately release a yearly endowment transparency report about investment practices, and further

RESOLVED, this Senate will petition the Naming Review Board to investigate the “Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation,” given the organization’s engagement in violence abroad, and further

RESOLVED, this Senate urges students to peacefully organize and contact relevant administrators until all ties with Boeing are cut.

Natalia Leon Diaz
Cosponsor, Senator

Emaan Sayied
Cosponsor, Senator

Saara Engineer
Cosponsor, Senator

Sonal Churiwal
Cosponsor, Speaker of the Senate

Andrew de las Alas
Co-sponsor, Vice President of Engagement