Solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Members of Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union present at last week’s annual conference voted overwhelmingly to pass a remit in solidarity with union members, workers, academics, tertiary institutions, and the people of Gaza.

Ti Lamusse, a conference delegate from Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University says “It was really heartening that, as a union, we chose to stand with the Palestinian people. We had some hard conversations, but came out on the side of justice. It makes me so proud to be TEU.”

The remit states that the TEU:

• Demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, and the lifting of the siege of Gaza.
• Condemns the horrific impact of the war on the higher education community in Gaza, and recognises the responsibility that Aotearoa New Zealand tertiary institutions have to a global higher education community that champions human rights, peace, and democratic debate.
• Calls on Aotearoa New Zealand tertiary institutions to:
  • Explore and implement practical support measures for affected Palestinian educational institutions, their faculties and students, such as the provision of resources, partnerships, and institutional scholarships.
  • Critically review, disclose and divest from research and commercial partnerships with firms and entities directly involved in military support for the war on Gaza.
  • Critically review any tertiary institution’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s definition of antisemitism, which itself constitutes a challenge to the academic freedom and intellectual freedom that are fundamental to our Collective Agreements, legislation, and policies.