Fallen in protesters trap; Ontario varsity reaches divestment deal

A university in Ontario has become the first major casualty of Canadian educational institutions to get down on their knees with on-campus pro-Palestine protesters, pledging not to invest in companies benefitting from the war in Gaza.

Administrators and protest organisers at the Ontario Tech University in Oshawa say they have reached an agreement, bringing campus encampments and demonstrations against investments connected to Israel’s military to an end.

A copy of the agreement circulated to students shows it was signed on Monday and includes a number of commitments from the university if the encampment was taken down within 24 hours.

Among the commitments listed in the agreement is the university’s affirmation that it is engaged in “responsible investment practices”, adding that it is not “aware of investments in any companies that are benefitting from the current alleged Palestinian Humanitarian Crisis”.

Under the agreement, the university will establish ‘a responsible investment working group that will review best practices and make recommendations’ in its investments

Additionally, university administrations have said that they will publicly post a report this fall outlining all of the varsity’s investments and financial holdings.

Under the agreement, the university will establish “a responsible investment working group that will review best practices and make recommendations” as to how the varsity approaches environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in its investments, “with particular attention to companies involved in arms manufacturing and delivery and/or benefitting from military action/operation in Palestine or elsewhere”.

Also under the agreement, the university has said it will implement “an admissions process from an inclusive lens to ensure Palestinian or other similarly displaced students can equally access education”.

The university has committed to fund three undergraduate scholarships for Palestinians displaced by the war, beginning in the fall semester.

Meanwhile, administrators have also promised that students and faculty who partook in the encampment will be protected from “academic and/or employment-based retaliation”.

The agreement between protesters and the Ontario Tech University comes weeks into the encampments that have sprung up on varsity campuses across Canada in response to the Israeli operation in Gaza against Hamas militants.

However one thing which is very intriguing that why their no clause in the agreement which condemns Hamas for its continued terror attacks on the soil of Israel or against its citizens, also there is no mention for release of Israeli hostages whose captivity continues for the last seven months.