Mission Statement:
We are Wesleyan students who refuse to be complicit in climate change and the occupation of Palestine. We demand that our university immediately cancel its investments in fossil fuel companies and companies that profit from human rights violations in Palestine. We call on the Board of Trustees and President Roth to divest immediately and create a transparent and socially responsible investment policy.
OUr history:
WesDivest intially formed in the fall of 2012 and spent our first year developing a report to send to the our Student Assembly, known as the WSA. In the Fall of 2013, the WSA passed a resolution calling for divestment from fossil fuels in direct holdings and a plan to divest from externally managed funds within a reasonable time frame. This was in important step in establishing ourselves on campus but did not result in anything from the Board of Trustees.
Since then, the WSA has formerly divested its endowment from fossil fuels... Now its time for Wesleyan to divest.
In February of 2015, the Committee for Investment Responsibility presented a joint plan with WesDivest for divestment from coal to the Board of Trustees, from which the Board decided to officially incorporate social and environmental awareness into decision making. While this is a step in the right direction, by deferring the vote on coal divestment the BoT has shown that it does not take seriously the injustices caused by the coal and fossil fuel industry at large.
Following our sit in in April, WesDivest and Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as other students on campus, formed the Wesleyan Coalition for Divestment and Transparency as a commitment to incorporating the wider student body into the movement against fossil fuels.
WesDivest reformed in 2018 following the divestment of many other academic institutions and the release of the IPCC report. In light of these events we believe that it is not only important but necessary that Wesleyan University divests from fossil fuels.
Since then, the WSA has formerly divested its endowment from fossil fuels... Now its time for Wesleyan to divest.
In February of 2015, the Committee for Investment Responsibility presented a joint plan with WesDivest for divestment from coal to the Board of Trustees, from which the Board decided to officially incorporate social and environmental awareness into decision making. While this is a step in the right direction, by deferring the vote on coal divestment the BoT has shown that it does not take seriously the injustices caused by the coal and fossil fuel industry at large.
Following our sit in in April, WesDivest and Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as other students on campus, formed the Wesleyan Coalition for Divestment and Transparency as a commitment to incorporating the wider student body into the movement against fossil fuels.
WesDivest reformed in 2018 following the divestment of many other academic institutions and the release of the IPCC report. In light of these events we believe that it is not only important but necessary that Wesleyan University divests from fossil fuels.