Copy
View this email in your browser

MESA Members Meeting
Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 4:30pm EST


All current full (fellows and students) MESA members are invited to attend the annual Members Meeting, which will convene at 4:30pm EST on Thursday, December 2 via Zoom.

If you are eligible to attend, then you will receive an email with your login information on November 30, approximately 48 hours beforehand.

The MESA Secretariat has received a resolution seeking a general membership vote, also known as a referendum. If the resolution is approved by the majority at the Members Meeting, then a referendum on the resolution will be held in early 2022, during which time all current voting-eligible members will be furnished with a ballot.

A draft agenda and the text of the resolution are provided below.

  1. Call to Order and Establishment of Quorum
  2. Adoption of Meeting Rules
  3. Adoption of Agenda
  4. In Memoriam and Moment of Silence
  5. Announcement of 2021 MESA Election Results
  6. 2022 MESA Nominating Committee Call for Names
  7. Report of the Executive Director
  8. Report of Committee on Academic Freedom Chair
  9. Resolution on BDS
  10. New Business

Resolution regarding BDS

Whereas, Palestinian civil society issued a call in 2005 for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel; and

Whereas, Members of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) have organized various forums for discussion and debate of that call through MESA's commitment to academic freedom; and

Whereas, International intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, including Palestinian and Israeli monitoring groups, have documented and verified successive Israeli governments’ systematic violations of the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli direct or indirect control; and

Whereas, Systematic violations include restricting freedom of movement for Palestinians; isolating, undermining, or otherwise attacking Palestinian educational institutions; harassing Palestinian professors, teachers, and students; harassing Israeli professors and students criticizing Israeli policies; destroying, confiscating, or otherwise rendering Palestinian archival material inaccessible; and maintaining inequality in educational resources between Palestinians and Israelis; and

Whereas, Israeli universities are imbricated in these systematic violations through their provision of direct assistance to the Israeli military and intelligence establishments; and

Whereas, The United States government has systematically shielded successive Israeli governments from being held accountable for such violations and facilitated them through unprecedented diplomatic, military, and economic support; and

Recalling that the BDS campaign against Israel is one that targets institutions and not individuals; and

Recalling that MESA recognizes the right of scholars to academic freedom as well as the right of scholars to choose whether or not to participate in an academic boycott;

Be it resolved that the majority of the MESA membership

(1) Endorses the 2005 call of Palestinian civil society for BDS against Israel; and

(2) Directs the MESA Board of Directors to work in consultation with the Committee on Academic Freedom to give effect to the spirit and intent of this resolution, in a manner consistent with MESA’s bylaws as well as relevant US federal, state, and local laws.
To attend the Members Meeting, please keep in mind the following:
 
1. The Members Meeting is open only to current 2021 MESA Members. 

2. Only Full Members are eligible to vote (Fellows and Students).

3. For votes to be taken at the Members Meeting, 35 Full MESA Members must be in attendance (establishing quorum).

4. The meeting will be chaired by MESA President Dina Rizk Khoury. A certified professional parliamentarian will also be in attendance to ensure that the meeting is conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Email
LinkedIn

Copyright © 2021 Middle East Studies Association, All rights reserved.