The success of a national divestment campaign against companies doing business in or with terrorist-sponsoring states depends wholly on the dedication, perseverance and resolve of Americans across the country. While DivestTerror can provide the architecture, coordination and tools for this campaign, success will be based on your efforts.
Target State Officials First By Sending this letter
[INSERT DATE]
[INSERT ADDRESS]
Dear [INSERT NAME OF GOVERNOR, STATE TREASURER, STATE SENATOR, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, MAYOR, CITY COUNCILMAN],
I am writing with respect to a matter of the utmost importance to our state and the security of our country. As you may be aware our state – via state-wide and local police, fire and other public pension systems – has invested hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars per pension system in companies that have business operations in or with countries such as Iran that sponsor terrorism.
At a time when our country is waging a deadly war against terrorist organizations, I am deeply troubled that our state’s public dollars are going to companies whose business operations help underwrite countries that provide with impunity funding, technology and safe harbor to those who are trying to kill us. Indeed, companies that do business with these governments send an unmistakable message that their support for terrorism is not a concern as long as there are profits to be made. By investing in these companies, our state is condoning this type of irresponsible corporate behavior.
Consequently, I am writing to request that you introduce and support legislation prohibiting state and local public monies from being invested in companies that do business with terrorist-sponsoring governments.
As you are aware, many public pension systems have in place restrictions that disallow the investment of state funds in companies involved in so-called “sin” industries. It seems inconceivable to me that our state will not invest in, for example, tobacco companies to make a political point, yet fail to make at least as forceful a statement about companies that are willing to partner with governments enabling terrorism.
Due to the systematic avoidance of this issue by many pension system officials, it falls to principled state and municipal officials to ensure that public monies support our war on terrorism, rather than go to companies whose disregard for state sponsorship of terrorism threatens the security of our country and its citizens. My vote in the next election will reflect the willingness of our state and its public pension systems to help defeat terrorism.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
The most important target for your efforts is your state legislature, which holds the power to mandate legislatively the divestment of stock by your state’s public pension systems.
Most of America’s public pension systems invest in scores, or even hundreds, of companies that do business with terror-sponsoring states. Because these public funds invest billions of dollars in such companies, pension systems have enormous leverage. They also represent the quickest and most effective route to pressuring target companies to suspend their business operations in these countries until such time as state-sponsorship of terrorism there is ceased.
As South Africa taught us, however, these funds will not divest unless forced to do so.
Accordingly, we call on EVERY American to send and demand from state legislators, governors and treasurers that YOUR state pass legislation to require state and local public pension funds to divest the stock of every company that does business in countries that sponsor terrorism.