UCLA Center X logo
Donate

Statement of Support for the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment

As members of the Center X community, we work together to transform public schooling in order to create a more just, equitable, and humane society. Because of this work, we believe:

  • Education is a fundamental human right.
  • Free expression is an essential element of learning and political education.
  • All human beings have inherent value and as such need to be protected from violence and provided with life-giving resources and care.

We are deeply troubled by the ongoing violence in Gaza and the recent violent events on the UCLA campus. We affirm:

  • the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; and
  • the beauty and power of the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment as a non-violent space for learning and community political expression.

In solidarity with the members of the encampment, we call for the following from the UCLA administration:

  • legal and academic amnesty for all students, faculty, and staff participants in the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment;
  • a commitment to convene a committee of students, faculty, and staff to develop a plan for protecting the safety of all members of the UCLA community and their right to free expression; and
  • a sincere effort to listen and engage with the students from the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment regarding all their demands, beginning with a committee of students, faculty, and staff to address divestment, disclosure, and policing.

In light of the above, members of the Center X community commit to:

  • learning more as a community about the history, voices, struggles, and needs of the Middle East, specifically the Palestinian people;
  • building upon our ongoing learning to support educators working with K-12 students on these issues;
  • providing professional development for educators on how to teach complex issues to deepen the understanding and empathy of young people; and
  • drawing on our resources and community expertise in the area of restorative justice to center the harmed and create and sustain spaces for healing.

 

In solidarity,

Michelle Acuna
Beck Alber
Melissa Arias
Sabina Castillo
Amparo Chavez-Gonzalez
Danny Diaz
Marjorie Elaine
Minnie Ferguson
Annamarie Francois
Megan Franke
Aldo Garcia
Amber Gonzalez
Rachel Green
Tejvir Grewall
Lorena Guillén
Beth Happel
Emma Hipolito
Kristine Ho
Jackie Honda
Jo Ann Isken
Carol Jago
Sara Kersey
Jane Kim
Jon Kovach
Darlene Lee
Imelda Nava-Landeros
Tonikiaa Orange
Susan Oswald
Faye Peitzman
Jody Priselac
John Rogers
Lori Rosales
Jean Ryoo
Lindsey Sanders
Nancy Lee Sayre
Jennifer Schexnayder
Jeff Share
Sarah Thomas
Carrie Usui Johnson
Tiki Valentino