Our Principles

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What we believe
1) Climate change is a real and serious threat to current and future generations. Impacts are already being felt in the U.S. and worldwide, and those who have contributed the least to this change are often the most affected by it.

2) The path to ecological sustainability requires a moral and material transformation in our relationships to land, labor and one another. Transitioning away from fossil fuels means transitioning towards justice.

3) The business model of the fossil fuel industry is inherently flawed. It is a pillar holding up a broken economy that extracts life rather than supporting it.

4) Serving the interests of the 1% is not in the mission of our universities, yet they are increasingly coming under corporate control and refusing to act in the interest of students.

Why we unite
5) We have a common stake in this fight. As young people, we will inherit the consequences of a poorly managed environment and economy.

6) Through deep personal relationships, we can challenge and support each other to grow personally and as leaders.

7) Unity increases our local, regional and global impact. Positive social change comes from people standing together, speaking up and taking action.

8) A united national organization provides support for us to continue our social change work beyond divestment. Our engagement will not end with graduation; we are in it for the long haul.

How we make change
9) We build relationships with fellow students, provide opportunities for leadership development, and collectively increase our power and commitment to social change.

10) We take nonviolent direct action to identify the fossil fuel industry as a bad actor and pressure our universities to divest.

11) We support student struggles including those targeting student debt, racial injustice and sexual assault. All of our struggles are bound together and often have the same root cause.

12) We are committed to building alliances with frontline communities, those most impacted by fossil fuel extraction and climate change, as they are the experts in resisting fossil fuels and building a better world.  Strong alliances help us win on divestment and build a broader and more powerful climate justice movement.