Eight years ago, a referendum was held to determine if UW should sever ties with Israeli institutions, most notably, Technion. Ethical Collaboration, part of the Palestinian Solidarity Action Group, gathered 4,000 signatures to petition for this referendum. The results of that vote were ‘no’ — 2,329 students voted ‘no’ and 1,803 students voted ‘yes.’ Students at the time believed that ending relations with Israeli universities would harm the prosperity of UW.  

Eight years later, that stance has been challenged with an encampment, various protests, valedictorian speeches, and growing unease amongst UW students regarding partnerships with Technion. As a result, the position the Federation (currently WUSA) took is being called back in to question with another referendum. This time, the petition to call for a referendum was submitted by WUSA members. Normally, a petition must be signed by 10 per cent of the student body. With so many recent developments, do students still believe in that position eight years later?  

The questions being asked this referendum are as follows:  

• Should the University of Waterloo sever its partnership with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology due to its role in the research and development of technology used by the Israel Defense Forces?    

• Should the University of Waterloo review its partnerships and investment portfolios to ensure alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and Amnesty International, to prioritize institutions that demonstrate a commitment to human rights, peace, and international law in a manner that is timely and transparent to the undergraduate student? 

WUSA president Nick Pfeifle noted that unlike 2016, this referendum is more thorough, “I would highlight that this year’s referendum is far more targeted than that of 2016, and that it has multiple questions for students to be pro or against, rather than just one.” the past, there was just one question for the referendum to debate which was whether to sever ties with Israeli institutions.  

Now that the questions have been decided, undergraduate students are fully welcome to campaign for the side they believe in for either question. With multiple questions, there will be a committee for each side. If you believe that these changes should occur within the community and WUSA should support this, then joining the yes committee will allow you the chance to convince the student body to unite under this belief. On the other hand, the no committee is for those who disagree with the proposal and would like to persuade the student body against such action.

The timeline for the referendum is: 

• Nomination period: July 24 – Sept. 20  

• All-campaign meeting: Sept. 23 

• Interim period: Sept. 21 – 23 

• Campaigning period: Sept. 24 – Oct. 4  

• Voting period: Oct. 1 – 4 

It is important to note that a referendum will not result in action being taken by the university. The purpose is for WUSA to find out what their undergraduate students believe in. After the vote, the board of directors work out what actions to take to ensure that their decisions reflect the chosen views of the students. 

Have you ever used transportation from Grand River Transit (GRT) and only needed your WatCard to do so? A referendum is responsible for that easy access as WUSA negotiated with the GRT to fulfill the vote. Students should not be discouraged from voting or campaigning for the side they support. A vote for a referendum matters as it will represent student voices. 

Will students echo the same sentiment as 2016? Or will a change in position occur across the student body? Vote in the referendum to cement what you believe and show the university where their students lie.