Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East
Statement on the Proposed Business Resolution Regarding Fossil Fuel Divestment & Reparations
June 19, 2023
UUJME national leadership supports the proposed resolution “Complete Divestment from the Fossil Fuel Industry and Subsequent Reparations.”
Our values lead us to support the resolution. We respect the democratic process in which delegates are the voice of UUA business resolutions. Delegates in past General Assemblies have taken a side with the concepts of divestment and reparations and we believe their votes must be honored. We also embrace the UU values of justice, equity, and respect for people as well as an awareness of how we are all connected. Fossil fuel companies are complicit in climate change which disproportionately affects BIPOC and poor communities. Major banks have financed this impact and profited from it. In effect, bank funds have been used for violent, militarized actions against pipeline protestors. UUJME supports the proposed 8th UU principle and sees the divestment and subsequent reparations as living out the call to dismantle racism and other oppressions.
We also favor the resolution recognizing that we live in a time of increasingly obvious climate crisis which calls for increasingly determined actions. Youth and young adults are facing this climate emergency as their immediate future.
We recognize that the resolution if passed will have an economic impact on the UUA budget and would require budget adjustments that could lead to job or program cuts. We would wish to preserve employment for staff and the excellent programs provided by the UUA, especially around justice organizing. We recall with hope the fact that UUs raised almost $6 million to fund Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism in just a few years and believe that a fundraising effort could be launched to make up the funds removed by the potential divestment.
UUJME has been advocating for stronger engagement with the UUA investing activities and committees since 2015, and we have appreciated guidance from UUA investing teams in shaping our proposals. In 2016, we proposed a business resolution calling for divesting from five companies complicit in supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. It is noteworthy that this resolution received a 53% favorable vote while failing to achieve the needed two-thirds majority. In 2020, we proposed a joint business resolution with other UU social justice groups calling for planned communication with UU social justice groups around human rights in the UUA’s investment decisions. The resolution passed overwhelmingly. We supported the 2021 Responsive Resolution on investing and involvement of young adults in investment discussions that also called for divestment from banks as funders of fossil fuel extraction. This was endorsed by the votes of more than 80% of the GA delegates.
The UUA leadership has released statements listing concerns about the impact on income if the proposed divestment and reparations resolution passes. The resolution proposers and other supporters of the resolution have released statements responding to these concerns.
The schedule for the presentation and discussion of the resolution can be found in the UUA GA Program Book at GA 2023 Final Business Agenda. Two amendments by the proposers were accepted and have been incorporated. The amended text can be read at the UUA General Assembly Discussion site along with pro and concern comments. More background from the resolution authors is available in their Slideshow from the Presentation and their Annotated Statement in Response to the UUA Board Memorandum.
UUJME has confidence in the ongoing process of discernment and discussion and looks forward to seeing what creative and forward-thinking solutions are developed.
