SSA Gets a ‘NO’ on Divestment
“What do we want? Divestment! When do we want it? Now!”
On Monday, April 14, the passionate members of Sustainable Student Action (SSA) hosted the For a Just and Humane World: Community Rally for Fossil Fuel Divestment. After a 15-month campaign to urge the importance of the university’s divestment from fossil fuels, SSA met with the administration and received an official ‘no’ on divestment. According to the administration, “Using endowment funds entrusted to us by our donors for a purpose other than their original intent is an extraordinary step.”
Hope is Not Lost
However, regardless of the results of their meeting, SSA and many of the campaign’s supporters still see the urgency of this issue. The amount of support for this campaign has grown significantly, with over 600 students and faculty who have signed the petition and the Seattle University Student Government (SGSU) backing this movement.
“Divestment as a movement is important in acting as a catalyst for real political and economic action in the fight against climate change,” said Delaney Piper, a devoted member of SSA.
“There are a lot of reasons why we should divest, especially at Seattle University, but I think the most imperative one is our mission statement, which uses language that implies that we should care a lot about social justice,” said Ashlan Runyan, an active member of SSA. “So the fact that we are not willing to divest and take a stand goes directly against what we intend to do as a university.”
Divestment Rally Proves to Be Successful
Over 125 students, faculty, and community members alike gathered in solidarity at the SU quad to support divestment. Supporters spray-painted their shirts with slogans like ‘Protect the Sacred, Divest Now’ and ‘No is not OK.’ There was also a booth in which students who were interested in divestment could learn more about the movement from fellow SSA members.
Ian Carrick of the local band Sarah and the Scallywags, created a song about divestment and performed it, with the rest of the crowd singing along with them. Best of all, speakers from both the community and the school, including Bill Moyer, Carlo Voli, Alex Lenferna, Professor Jason Wirth, John Helmiere, and Ashlan Runyan educated the crowd on the importance of divestment in a university that focuses on creating a just and humane world.
“We thought this rally was really vital to remind the administration, faculty, and anyone who might have been responsible for the ‘no’ that we are not done. We are very much still an active presence,” said Runyan.
“First, we as a campus needed to come together in solidarity to our commitment to continue campaigning for divestment,” said Piper. “Second, it was a rejuvenating and even celebratory event for the work thus done, the work to come, and the vision we hold for our future.”
SSA was very pleased with the support and the turnout they received at the rally. It was especially important after receiving the difficult news from the administration. Rather than being frustrated with the ‘no,’ SSA chooses to stay committed to fighting for environmental justice, regardless of how long it will take.
Next Steps
The organization will continue to work on their next steps for the divestment campaign. They plan to expand the knowledge of divestment on campus, continue the awareness within the communities, and reach out to the donors and alumni who could possibly support this movement.
“To the people who support [divestment] and to the people who are behind us: thank you. And thank you for not taking ‘no’ for an answer. Knowing that people also deeply care about this is always very encouraging and I just want to remind them how important they are to the movement,” Runyan said.
“I want people to know that divestment is only a small part in climate justice. It is a tool for disassembling an unjust system, and it is necessary work. However, there must also be vision for what the future looks like in a positive sense. I want our generation to look towards hope, but we must come together to make that hope a reality,” said Piper.
Let The Conversation Continue
The conversation is far from over. In fact, according to these passionate students, it has just begun. If you would like to learn about how to get more involved with SSA and the divestment campaign, you can sign their petition or check out their Facebook page.