SRRT (Social Responsibilities Round Table)

In 2023, legislators in South Carolina, Missouri and lowa have already taken the model bill and modified it to attack those organizing for trans rights, abortion rights and workplace equity. This is a dangerous – but sadly, predictable – development. It reinforces just how urgent it is that we ensure maximum public scrutiny on these laws today.

 

From: Suhad Babaa, Just Vision <info+justvision.org@ccsend.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 9:32 AM
To: Twiss, Thomas Marshall <ttwiss@pitt.edu>
Subject: 2023 begins with new anti-boycott laws spreading across the country

 

Dear Tom,   If you've been following our newsletters for the past while, you are well aware of the dangerous implications of anti-boycott laws spreading across the country. I'm writing today with an important update: legislators are now employing anti-boycott bills to attack those organizing for trans rights, abortion rights and workplace equity.   How did we get here?   When anti-boycott bills targeting advocates for Palestinian rights were first introduced in 2015, critics warned that they could be used as a template. It didn't take long for those premonitions to come true - in 2021, states started to adopt laws punishing those who take a stand against the fossil fuels and firearms industries.    Now we're seeing just how ugly these template bills can get. In December 2022, lobbyists and legislators introduced new model legislation at the American Legislative Exchange Council's summit: the 'Eliminate Economic Boycotts Act'. The bill is an all-out attack on Americans' ability to use boycotts as a means for social and political change, encouraging local legislators to adapt its language to shield any industry they see fit from public scrutiny.    In 2023, legislators in South Carolina, Missouri and lowa have already taken the model bill and modified it to attack those organizing for trans rights, abortion rights and workplace equity. This is a dangerous – but sadly, predictable – development. It reinforces just how urgent it is that we ensure maximum public scrutiny on these laws today.   We know that efforts to shift the conversation are working. Since the launch ofBoycott, we've seen major press outlets increasingly willing to spell out the dangerpresented by anti-boycott laws. Diverse communities are activating around shared concerns. Students and activists across the country are organizing to protect our rights everywhere from Minnesota to New York to Illinois to Arizona and beyond. We're even witnessing impact in state legislatures, with a Texas legislator recently introducing a bill that aims to repeal all of the state's anti-boycott laws that target public contractors.   While the road ahead is uncertain and the horizon for change requires a long-term commitment, we know that we're operating in defining times now. Please join us as we sound the alarm across the country. I'm highlighting a few notable Boycott screenings below and you can see a full list of upcoming events on our website.   We hope to see you on the road as we press for our right to voice dissent.   With determination, Suhad Babaa President & Executive Director, Just Vision Producer, Boycott     Selected Upcoming Screenings of Boycott      Screening of Boycott with Columbia University and Barnard College January 25 at 6:00pm ET | New York City, NY   Join us for a screening of Boycott hosted by the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College, the Barnard Center for Research on Women, the Barnard Film Program and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. The film will be followed by a conversation with Julia Bacha, Director of Boycott and Just Vision's Creative Director; Ramya Krishnan, researcher at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; Alan Leveritt, Publisher of the Arkansas Times and Boycott protagonist; and Lawrence Glickman, Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. The conversation will be moderated by journalist Rozina Ali of the New York Times Magazine. Learn more and register.      Screening of Boycott with the New York Progressive Action Network January 26 at 7:00pm ET | Virtual   Join the New York Progressive Action Network for a virtual screening of Boycott. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Just Vision's Executive Director andBoycott Producer, Suhad Babaa. Learn more and register.     Screening of Boycott at the University of Notre Dame January 31 at 4:00pm ET | Notre Dame, IN   Join the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights at Notre Dame for a screening of Boycott followed by a Q&A with Daniel Nerenberg, Just Vision's Communications Associate; Atalia Omer, Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peace Studies; Dory Mitros Durham, Associate Teaching Professor; and Olivier Morel, Associate Professor of Film, Television and Theatre. Learn more.     Screening of Boycott with ACLU of Arkansas February 23 at 6:00pm CT | Little Rock, AR   Join us for a screening of Boycott with the ACLU of Arkansas followed by Q&A with Suhad Babaa, Just Vision's Executive Director and Boycott Producer; Alan Leveritt, Publisher of the Arkansas Times and Boycott protagonist; and the ACLU of Arkansas team. Learn more and get tickets.      To host a screening of a Boycott with your community or to have a member of our team join your event as a speaker, please get in touch with us at events@justvision.org.    Your donation helps further a pluralistic, just and rights-respecting future in Israel-Palestine.       justvision.org | Contact Us

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