ACTION ALERT:
Tell Universities to Stop Investing in Weapons!
Greta Zarro / World BEYOND War & ActionStorm
LONDON (January 25, 2023) — Did you know that universities in the UK alone have partnerships worth over $1.3 billion with arms companies? We’re working with Demilitarise Education (dED) on a new campaign to put international pressure on UK universities to divest from weapons, with the aim of inspiring other countries to do the same: Join us in support and sign the petition here!
ACTION ALERT: UK Universities: Cut Your Ties with the Global Arms Trade and Champion Peace!
THE PETITION
We want to see a world where universities end their partnerships with the global arms trade and invest in peaceful innovation instead. Add your voice to this call by signing this petition!
https://actionstorm.org/petitions/demilitarise-education/
Demilitarise Education (dED) are calling for UK Universities to publicly commit to demilitarisation by signing the Demilitarise Education Treaty, stating that they will divest from arms companies, end their academic and research partnerships with the arms industry, and reinvest in sustainable and peace-seeking.
Demilitarising UK Universities Could Have
A Global Ripple-effect on the Arms Industry
The UK is the second-largest exporter of weapons, including the second-biggest exporter to Saudi Arabia. This is in spite of evidence of Saudi war crimes committed with UK weapons, such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, both of which have funded tens of millions of dollars in UK university research.
Further, the UK is staunchly blocking an international ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems or “killer robots”, which is no surprise given the massive investments that arms companies are pouring into university-based research in the UK for these weapons systems.
Universities’ partnerships with the arms trade also jeopardise their potential position as agenda-setters in responding to the climate emergency. The UK’s military and its arms companies produce 6.5 million tons of CO2 a year — more emissions than 60 individual countries!
Universities Hold the Power to Shape Society
Instead of profiting off of resource exploitation, conflict, and the build-up of weapons stockpiles, universities can shape a new understanding of higher education that supports ethical and sustainable partnerships to resolve our real world challenges, like climate change and poverty.
The military-industrial complex has allowed our universities to be overrun by arms trade interests, and students have had enough. That’s why we’re teaming up with Demilitarise Education (dED) to bring international attention to UK universities’ complicity with the arms trade and to put global pressure on these universities to divest.
ACTION: Let’s demilitarise and transform education:
Sign & share the petition here!
For a world beyond war,
Greta Zarro, Organizing Director for World BEYOND War
greta@worldbeyondwar.org
Comments
Peter J — From OCAD University in Toronto – and our school, and many of our grad schools are not reliant on the military complex for research. This funding avenue is defuturing the world for our children. We can end this relationship for the good of the world.
Dr.Shobana N — Educational Institutions are supposed to teach wisdom which focus on goodness and peace. So these university departments can modify their title as Peace and Non Violence Department and can orient the traders and countries towards a World Beyond War. They should work with WBW initiatives.
Joy J — I teach students from University of Alabama in Huntsville, Oakwood University, Calhoun Community College . . . and that’s just local!! Now all over the country and sometimes the world. Please — we need to cooperate — time for peace and a peace dividend.
Cymry G — “Show me who makes a profit from war, and I’ll show you how to stop the war.” — Henry Ford
P.S. Want to start a campaign to divest your university? Reply to this email to get in touch with World BEYOND War (WBW) and Demilitarise Education (dED).
