In early October the Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Ãtudiante (ASSÃ) passed an important motion joining in the global movement for BDS. In their motion they commit to an education campaign on Israeli apartheid and support for BDS, joining efforts with other Canadian organizations to stop their countryâs cooperation and support to Israel.
The ASSE represents around 60,000 CEGEP students in Quebec. CEGEP is a network of colleges in Quebec and ASSE is the union of their student councils.
This motion follows other boycott resolution in Canada, notably the resolution of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), Ontario that has helped to spearhead wider trade union boycott motions.
Full text of the Resolution:
In light of ASSÃâs commitment to social justice locally and internationally and previous ASSÃ resolutions in support of Palestinian human rights;
In the context of a growing international campaign rooted in a 2005 appeal from over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations to launch an international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against
Israeli apartheid;
1: ASSÃ in collaboration with Palestine solidarity and human rights organizations, develop an education campaign focused on the student movement about the apartheid nature of the Israeli state and the political and economic support of Canada for these practices.
2. ASSÃ will support the international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law including the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution194.
3. ASSÃ will commit to supporting popular actions and education efforts focused on the Canadian and Quebec governmentâs involvement in the Israeli occupation and call on other Quebec and Canadian student unions to join us in lobbying against the apartheid-like practices of the Israeli state and call for the immediate dismantling of the wall.
ASSÃ is supporting this resolution for the following reasons:
The Israeli Apartheid Wall has been condemned and determined illegal under international law, according to the International Court of Justice (IJC);
Over 170 Palestinian political parties, unions and other organizations including the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions issued a call in July 2005 for a global campaign of boycotts and divestment
against Israel similar to those imposed against South African Apartheid;
Other labor unions such as CUPE Ontario, the Congress of South African Unions (COSATU), the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) in Ireland, the Norwegian Electrician and IT workers’ union, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Transport and General Workers Union (UK), UNISON (UK), have firmly supported the international boycott campaign and answered the Palestinian call for solidarity.