Published 24 September 202424 September 2024 · open letter / Solidarity La Trobe University Open Letter to VC Theo Farrell — Palestine solidarity call to action La Trobe University for Palestine Action Group Dear Vice Chancellor Theo Farrell As members of the La Trobe University community, we urge you to take action on what the International Court of Justice has ruled is plausible genocide of the Palestinian people. We write from many lands of First Nations peoples, where sovereignty has not been ceded and the work of building an anti-racist, anti-colonial and more just world is ongoing. The escalating violence and death toll of civilians in Gaza has shocked people of conscience around the world. The situation is dire, as Israel continues its bombing campaign and engineered starvation of Palestinians. As at 11 September 2024, the genocide has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians (including more than 10,000 children). More than 96% of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, which is continually blocked by Israel. The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers and students in the Gaza Strip, raising serious alarm over the systemic obliteration of the Palestinian education system, otherwise known as scholasticide. All twelve universities in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes or bombs. At the time of writing, more than 5,479 students, 261 teachers and 100 University professors have been killed. The silence of governments and their institutions, including academia, in response to this genocide continues to fuel division, misinformation and complicity. La Trobe University is an academic institution with a commitment to justice, equality and freedom of speech, and a long and celebrated history of anti-war activism. As such, it has a social and moral responsibility to speak against ongoing breaches of international law by nation-states, especially where crimes against humanity have been identified by international institutions, including courts and human rights organisations. This University has influence and privilege, shaping the values and opinions of society, which brings with it obligations to speak and act. We therefore call on the Vice Chancellor and University leadership to: 1. Endorse and Implement the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) initiatives: La Trobe University must stand firmly for accountability and end its ties with apartheid Israel, including any institutional partnership with Tel Aviv University. On 17 May the University stated in an all-staff email that it has no dealings or investments with organisations listed in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database regarding Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. However, the BDS movement targets a broader range of companies and institutions which support Israel’s policies and actions against Palestinians. We call on the University to disclose and divest from all such companies, to ensure it complies with the University’s Investment Policy, which states that ‘the University will not knowingly invest in entities that are involved in proven, severe and ongoing abuses of human rights or corrupt business practices.’ We also call for the University to publicly release a complete list of all its agreements with external third parties which are targeted by the BDS movement. 2. Issue a Public Statement: As a leading academic institution, our university’s voice carries weight. In order to align our institution with the principles of justice and human rights that we profess to uphold, the university must issue a public statement condemning the genocide, advocating for the rights of Palestinians and calling on the Australian Government to use all diplomatic and economic means to end the genocide. As members of the La Trobe University community, we stand in solidarity with the La Trobe Students for Palestine group and recognise their leadership in holding our university to account, including their recent Student General Meeting where more than 250 attendees unanimously passed Palestine solidarity motions. La Trobe University has yet to speak out on this critical international human rights issue. Now is the time for La Trobe University to join the global movement advocating for justice for Palestinians. This open letter is an initiative of NTEU La Trobe Staff for Palestine. If you wish to add your signature, you can use this form. For any queries, please email ltupropalnteu@gmail.com. 1. Dr Martin Clark, LTU Staff 2. Dr Carolyn D’Cruz, LTU Staff 3. Portia Dilena, LTU Staff 4. Ruthi Hambling, LTU Staff 5. Dr Elizabeth Chapman, LTU Staff/Alumni 6. Rita Manessis, LTU Staff/Alumni 7. Dr Ozlem Susler, LTU Staff 8. Dr Laura Griffin, LTU Staff 9. Julia Earley, LTU Staff 10. Marnie Sier, LTU Staff 11.Saja Sammour, LTU Staff 12. Fil Fotheringham, LTU Staff 13. Emma Dook, LTU Alumni 14. Andrew Evans, La Trobe College Australia 15. Dr Emma Russell, LTU Staff 16. En Wong, LTU Staff 17. Shamini Joseph, LTU Staff 18. Elle Boivin, LTU Staff 19. Anna M, LTU Staff 20. Gerald Roche, LTU Staff 21. Fiona Caskie, LTU Staff 22. Aoife Dermody (Nic Dhiarmada), LTU Staff 23. Kat Doyle, LTU Staff 24. Dr Julia Dehm, LTU Staff 25. Nadia Rhook, LTU Staff 26. Phoebe Hayman, Sessional Academic and PhD candidate, LTU Staff/Student 27. Emily, LTU Staff 28. Belinda O’Connor, LTU Staff 29. Kaled Idris-Said, LTU Staff 30. Paul Florentine, LTU Staff 31. Alberto Gomes, LTU Staff 32. Rachel Loney-Howes, LTU Alumni 33. Steven Chang, LTU Staff 34. Adrianna Connelly, LTU Staff 35. Eleni Stamenitis, LTU Alumni 36. Houda Ali, LTU Alumni 37. Hajar Benamer, LTU Alumni 38. Sanne de Swart, LTU Alumni 39. Monica Keily, LTU Alumni 40. Kaz Bland, LTU Staff 41. Makiko Nishitani, LTU Staff 42. Nikita Vanderbyl, LTU Staff 43. Clare O’Donoghue, LTU Staff 44. Ellen Munro, LTU Staff/Alumni 45. ilo Diaz, LTU Student (former) 46. Anthony Collins, LTU Staff 47. Freyja Gillard, LTU Staff 48. Gavin McLean, LTU Staff 49. Dr Ian Woolford, LTU Staff 50. Nesceda Blake, LTU Staff 51. Aaron Magro, LTU Staff/Alumni 52. Dr Kirsty Duncanson, LTU Staff 53. William Flood, LTU Staff 54. Michael Craddock, LTU Staff 55. Emma Churches, LTU Staff/Alumni 56. Ismat Zehra, LTU Staff 57. Dr Yassir Morsi, LTU Staff 58. Dr Jessica Ison, LTU Staff 59. Fergus Black, LTU Staff 60. Yasmine Hazim, LTU Staff/Alumni 61. Rida Hazim, LTU Alumni 62. Hamida Afzali, LTU Alumni 63. Dr Aidan Craney, LTU Staff 64. Ahmad Hazim, LTU Alumni 65. Raiyan Ouaida, LTU Alumni 66. Isra, LTU Student 67. Rayan Hazim, LTU Alumni 68. Faza Fauzi, LTU Staff 69. Kisa Fatima, LTU Student 70. Gregory Marks, LTU Staff 71. Michelle Corrone, LTU Staff/Student/Alumni 72. Matthew Taft, LTU Staff 73. Thomas McNamara, LTU Staff 74. Nick Alaimo, LTU Staff 75. Karl Reed, LTU Staff 76. Merinda Brown, LTU Staff 77. James Pilbrow, LTU Staff 78. Dr Hannah Robert, LTU Staff 79. Francis Tarpey, LTU Staff 80. Aleyna Akyuz, LTU Student 81. Jack Fahey, LTU Staff 82. Zibet Szacsvay, LTU Staff/Alumni 83. Amani, LTU Alumni 84. Sanam Maner, LTU Alumni 85. Sarah Hamed 86. Sumair Syed, LTU Alumni 87. Dr Naomi Fitzpatrick, LTU Staff 88. Sam Wren Quan Sing, LTU Staff/Alumni 89. Vivian Ballenger, LTU Student 90. Yasmin Jenkins Gunn, LTU Student 91. Ayca Mizrak, LTU Student 92. Muzna Dakakni, LTU Student 93. Ansab shafi mir, LTU Student 94. Monte Peverelle, LTU Student 95. Xavier Dupe, LTU Student 96. Mila Olsen, LTU Student 97. Richard Zwar, LTU Student 98. Romani Rechichi, LTU Student 99. Dr Jennifer Stevens-Ballenger, LTU Staff 100. Grace Toohey, LTU Student 101. Tara Meneses, LTU Student 102. Jakob Woods Huxtable, LTU Staff 103. Ratu Body, LTU Student 104. Bridget Mckenna, LTU Alumni 105. Mehwish Adnan, LTU Student 106. Sadie Stather, LTU Student 107. Dr TJ Ash, Staff 108. Zahra Al Nuaimy, LTU Student 109. Myra Muhammad, LTU Student 110. Jessie Tucker, LTU Staff 111. Jade Luu, LTU Student 112. Deekshita Chandrashekaran, LTU Student 113. Hoda Eliskandrani, LTU Student 114. Rory Gee, LTU Student 115. Lulu Faris, LTU Student 116. Raweehah Bint-Hamad, LTU Student 117. Kate Purchase, LTU Alumni 118. Theo Huitema, LTU Student 119. Matias Skoglund Birkeland, LTU Student 120. Yassir Arab, LTU Alumni 121. Isaac, LTU Student 122. Lucie Kervin, LTU Alumni 123. Alex Bhathal, LTU Staff/Alumni 124. Yasmeen Mohammed, LTU Student 125. Eric McCann, LTU Alumni 126. Alyssa Dunstan, LTU Student 127. Ray Featonby, LTU Student 128. Rhiannon Jenkins, LTU Staff 129. Dr Kellie Sanders, LTU Staff 130. Babak Dadvand, LTU Staff 131. Keira Plozza, LTU Student 132. J Rodgers, LTU Student 133. Maeve McGann, LTU Student 134. Stephanie Mure, LTU Student 135. Bron Murphy, LTU Staff/Student 136. Olivia Brozecki, LTU Staff 137. Yasmin Moustafa, LTU Student 138. Ari W, LTU Student 139. Marcelle Parrôt, LTU Student 140. Dr Greg Giannis, LTU Staff 141. Erin Jones, LTU Staff/Alumni 142. A. Landy, LTU Alumni 143. Scott Lascelles, LTU Alumni 144. Arham Hookmani, LTU Student 145. Asia McLaughlin, LTU Student 146. Kate O’Connor, LTU Staff 147. Dr Clare Southerton, LTU Staff 148. Tharun Balasubramanian, LTU Student 149. Jy Sandford, LTU Alumni 150. Sam Boatwright, LTU Student 151. Mohamad Baitieh, LTU Student 152. Adriana Mackay, LTU Student 153. Tahlia De Ieso, LTU Student/Alumni 154. Jasmine, LTU Staff 155. Angelita Biscotti, LTU Student 156. Lachlan McMullen, LTU Staff 157. Shadan Kutaimi, LTU Alumni 158. Gemma Lee Smith, LTU Alumni 159. Lauren Colosimo, LTU Alumni 160. Yvette Ainsworth Phillips, LTU Alumni 161. Daniel Ainsworth Phillips, LTU Alumni 162. Ada Castle, LTU Staff/Alumni 163. Yoel Caspi, LTU Alumni 164. Anjali Suriyakumaran, LTU Alumni 165. Jenna Tellefson, LTU Alumni/Staff Image credit: Jessie Tucker La Trobe University for Palestine Action Group More by La Trobe University for Palestine Action Group › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. 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