[Peace-discuss] TIAA-CREF is being asked to divest from Israel

[Karen Medina]

TIAA-CREF is being asked to divest from Israel.
Evidently, share-holders in the huge retirement firm are lining up to ask
TIAA-CREF to divest.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Aaron Levitt on behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace <
divest at jewishvoiceforpeace.org>
Subject: Divestment movement breakthrough


            *
Watch our brief video of the
TIAA-CREF meeting.<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2ASemQ1zjRaGUQxE4W8iHERhICOf9u%2Bj>
*

 <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gDDdtoRryK2AK1Go2mwzAURhICOf9u%2Bj>
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=W141H4z%2B9P%2Fl1exLBlCQjERhICOf9u%2Bj>

Aaron Levitt and others on
TIAA-CREF success.

*SIGN THE PETITION
NOW.*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TPDzDEMNmEtdZEynntCzSURhICOf9u%2Bj>
  * *

 Dear Karen,

Wow!

I'm writing you from New York City where I just
got back from the TIAA-CREF annual meeting
and I'm still a bit overwhelmed by the experience.

TIAA-CREF is one the largest retirement funds in the world, and it holds
investments in companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.

I can't tell you what it meant to have so many people at the TIAA-CREF
meeting asking them to do better. *15,300 people to be
exact*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wg1Xmrk3nmz2bKf7C65Rb0RhICOf9u%2Bj>.
Each one had signed a petition or a postcard, or secured hundreds of
postcards in their own community asking the fund to divest from the Israeli
occupation. And you know what? That made all the difference --- to us, and to
the leadership of TIAA-CREF*.** *

 We finally got a chance to *call on TIAA-CREF, in person, to divest from
companies like Caterpillar and Elbit that profit from Israel's
occupation*.<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oQBuWdHaAEq3KXFFKpzhi0RhICOf9u%2Bj>As
a fellow activist in the room said, "This was a real breakthrough
today."
I couldn't agree more.

At the meeting, those who have retirement accounts with the company can
stand up and speak. We had a designated speaker delivering the postcards to
TIAA-CREF management, and we knew a few other people, mostly professors and
teachers, would get up and ask that their money not be invested in companies
that profit from discrimination, death, and destruction, and push hope and
peace ever further away.

But  happened was extraordinary. First 5, then 10, then 14 people, then more
got up, one after another, to speak from the heart about why TIAA CREF must
not profit from Israel's occupation. These people weren't just JVP members,
but included TIAA-CREF shareholders attending the meeting for entirely
different reasons, who were spontaneously moved to speak in support of our
campaign.

Not a single person spoke to defend Israel's occupation. Not one. But we all
know that will change, which is *why we need you now to join our call and
help us grow the 15,300 to 25,000 and then
50,000*.<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4Hzt%2F2S71%2FI0wjEVnpCq0ERhICOf9u%2Bj>

*Please sign the TIAA-CREF petition now.
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2B9RqGTAtqqnYqTyF0BmjLURhICOf9u%2Bj>
*

In that meeting, the voice for justice, for full equality, for a lasting
peace between Israelis and Palestinians, dominated the room. So many
inspiring and courageous JVP activists stood up to say how TIAA-CREF was
fueling death and destruction by literally investing in it. To implore
TIAA-CREF to find a new way.

During the meeting, we had the honor of delivering the many stacks of
petitions and postcards directly to the Chief Financial Officer, and could
feel the energy in the room change as the TIAA-CREF executives saw how many
people we were representing.* *The CEO of TIAA-CREF announced they would be
meeting with our campaign team tomorrow, and I knew they were taking us
seriously.

It was impossible for anyone in that room to not have been affected by what
they saw and heard. Just imagine - *statement after statement opposing the
Israeli occupation were made in the boardroom of one of the largest
financial services companies in the world.* The executive managers and board
members present listened attentively, respectfully.

We know the struggle will be long to actually get TIAA-CREF to divest, but
this is just the beginning. Our story is already spreading across the world,
with media coverage in *US News and
Report*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=w4ZkZ9kRfCuDYwfT3OHnGERhICOf9u%2Bj>
*,** Inside Higher
Ed<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9mvESrg0v8s4ob32ptPYgkRhICOf9u%2Bj>,
**Israel's Ha'aretz*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CKvEdY1FpwUX%2BKCJMOff5Dt%2F4mVQNTxB>,
*Tablet*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=BhS5auBHrAhm3S%2BzvnoVdERhICOf9u%2Bj>
and
the *Jewish Telegraphic
Agency*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=aA3XTbKc%2BzH21nOfiaQl4ERhICOf9u%2Bj>
*.*

*Please join our call! We are already having an impact at 15,300 but want to
grow to 50,000. Please sign our petition
today.<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4tzSALARoeemsByC3qmt%2BURhICOf9u%2Bj>
*
Thank you for listening. I wish we could have videotaped the statements of
every person in that room-I promise you, you would have been moved and
inspired. *But none of us who were there will ever forget it.*

<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=l8nqr0BqBnF1MzEbvnBeMURhICOf9u%2Bj>
Onward,
Aaron Levitt
Jewish Voice for Peace

P.S. At the meeting, TIAA-CREF's corporate leadership announced they would
be meeting directly with Jewish Voice for Peace this morning, and so they
did. This is a very exciting step--and it's also just the beginning. We
still need you to *sign our petition and help us get more
signatures*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=VaCNJ%2FPF6Q8%2B387hRFPCDERhICOf9u%2Bj>,
especially from TIAA-CREF participants who are predominantly professors,
teachers, medical and nonprofit workers.


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-- 
karen medina
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
"In this universe, we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the
ability to ask questions." (Mary Oliver, American poet)
A third gift is the ability to laugh. (Jenifer, a friend)
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