NUS has a proud history of constructive engagement. From our campaign against Coors beer and their links to homophobic organisations to our work lobbying GSK on access to antiretrovirals, we believe that putting pressure on big corporations is a key way to effect change.
There are two companies operating on UK campuses that we are concerned may impact negatively on attempts to foster a peaceful settlement between Israel and Palestine:
Eden Springs*
A water company also known as "Mayanot Eden" is based and sources water from a contested Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights called Katzrin.
This land was captured by Israel in 1967, displacing over 100,000 of its inhabitants. Since this time Israel has not allowed the inhabitants to return to their villages, moving Israeli settlers into the region instead, which constitutes a breach of the Geneva Conventions.
The settlements are internationally recognised as illegal, and key obstacles to peace in the region.
Eden Springs has a parent company in the UK (Eden Springs UK) that provides many campuses with water coolers.
We are therefore working with NUS Services to constructively engage with Eden Springs, but also supporting students to lobby their universities to cancel (or buy-out, or allow to expire) contracts from this company until they withdraw their operations from the settlement.
Campaigns have already started across UK campuses, so please contact us for resources and support that NUS can offer. This is not yet active policy, but is being recommended by the Society and Citizenship Zone Committee for discussion at National Conference 2012.
Veolia*
A French company who mainly deal in waste management and recycling, and who operate in many local councils across Britain. This includes services for universities' and colleges' waste management.
The key reason for targeting this company is their major investment in the Jerusalem Light Rail. This is a tram network that, when completed, will link dozens of Israeli settlements in the West Bank to mainland Israel.
In April 2010, the United Nations Human Rights Council specifically declared the Jerusalem Light Railway to be “in clear breach of international law".
Veolia also provide bus services for the settlements, yet most Palestinians can only use the buses for two stops - after which they are no longer allowed on the bus due to their ethnicity.
A recent protest, inspired by Martin Luther King's 'Freedom Rides', attempted to challenge this practice. You can see a brief report of their protest here.
Many campus campaigns about the practices of Veolia are already spreading, if you would like to organise your own campaign please get in touch.
* Source: http://whoprofits.org/
Last modified: 10 January 2012