A community pledge to make Guelph the first Apartheid-Free Community in Ontario
We are reaching out to community organizations and businesses across the City of Guelph to ask for their pledge in making Guelph the first Apartheid-Free Community in Ontario. The goal is to inspire an anti-apartheid movement similar to the one that ended the apartheid regime in South Africa. By adopting the pledge, Guelph can join other Canadian organizations and municipalities, such as Burnaby and Powell River, in condemning the current Israeli occupation and apartheid around the world.
As a city that has always prided itself on being progressive and welcoming of diversity, we believe in the power of our community to come together for peace.
By signing on, your organization joins others in the Guelph community to pledge:
- To affirm our commitment to freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people and all people;
- To oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination and oppression; and
- To declare ourselves an Apartheid-Free Community, and to that end
- To join others in working to end all support to Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.
This can also be taken on as an aspirational pledge — a commitment to work toward these goals rather than an immediate, complete divestment. Organizations may sign on at whatever level fits their current circumstances.
Living into the Pledge
There are many ways to creatively take action against Israeli apartheid. Understanding apartheid, changing the narrative, and advocating for change are all important collective actions that move toward Palestinian liberation. Each community or organization has a different context and is on a different journey toward addressing the violence of apartheid. In signing this pledge, you commit to discerning context-specific ways you can take action.
Taking this pledge connects Guelph to a growing Canadian anti-apartheid movement working together to support Palestinians in their quest for self-determination. It also sends a clear message to our local politicians and community leaders that Guelph residents stand firmly for human rights.
- A public, values-based statement that your organization will not be complicit — financially, commercially, or reputationally — in apartheid or genocide, in Palestine or anywhere else in the world.
- The option to treat this as an aspirational commitment ("we pledge to work towards...") rather than requiring immediate, full breaking of financial or commercial ties on day one.
- Being publicly listed alongside other Apartheid-Free organizations, businesses, and congregations in Guelph and across Canada, and connected to a growing national movement.
- An invitation to review your organization's purchasing, investment, or partnership relationships over time, with support from campaign organizers.
- Potential reputational visibility — both increased solidarity with allied organizations, and the possibility of public disagreement, given how politically contested this issue is. Organizations should be prepared to explain their position to members, customers, or constituents. Support from campaign organizers will be available.
Action Steps
For Individuals
- Sign the pledge as a resident of Guelph.
- Learn about the products and companies flagged by the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. See the Hajara database (hajara.ca) for information on companies complicit in Israeli apartheid, including those flagged by BDS, AFSC, the U.N. and other organizations.
- Talk to your neighbours, workplace, and place of worship about joining the movement.
- Contact your city councillor to ask them to support a municipal Apartheid-Free Guelph motion.
For Businesses
- Sign the pledge and display Apartheid-Free Guelph materials in your storefront or space.
- Review your supply chain and vendor relationships for ties to companies flagged by the BDS campaign.
- Let customers know your business has joined the movement.
For Organizations
- Sign the pledge on behalf of your organization, congregation, or union local.
- Share the pledge with your membership and invite them to sign individually as well.
- Review institutional investments, contracts, and partnerships for ties to the apartheid systems named above.
- Help publicize the campaign through your organization's channels and networks.
Historical Context and Significance
The term "apartheid" was first used in 1929 to describe the institutionalized racial segregation in South Africa at the time. The word comes from Dutch, meaning "separateness" or "apartness," and was used to describe how South Africans were racially categorized, confined to specific geographic areas, and subjected to different laws depending on race.
Today, the term has evolved into a broader classification under international law. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has found Israel's prolonged occupation of Palestine to be unlawful and responsible for practices of segregation and apartheid. Since 1967, Palestinians have been subjected to systemic discrimination, territorial fragmentation, and military occupation. In the West Bank, Palestinians face severe restrictions on movement through Israeli checkpoints, walls, and segregated roads. Gaza has been described as one of the most densely confined places in the world, with a strict blockade controlling entry and exit by land, air, and sea for close to two decades.
South Africa
The apartheid regime that enforced racial segregation and oppressed Black South Africans existed from 1948 to 1994. The 46-year regime eventually ended due to a combination of sustained internal resistance and international economic sanctions. Through steady boycotts and a growing international anti-apartheid movement, cities like Guelph were able to affect the course of international affairs and help end apartheid abroad.
Burnaby, B.C.
While dozens of faith communities and organizations across Canada have signed the pledge to become an apartheid-free community, the City of Burnaby is the first Canadian municipality to codify the pledge into municipal policy. Burnaby has set a precedent that has inspired other Canadian municipalities, including Powell River and Duncan, B.C. and Brampton, ON, to follow suit. Burnaby has also unanimously passed a motion calling on the federal government to impose an arms embargo on Israel. By taking on the pledge, cities can take real steps toward influencing national policy and taking a stand against injustice.
To endorse this pledge on behalf of your organization or business, please use the link below.
Questions? Contact us at hello@apartheidfreeguelph.ca.
Thank you for considering standing with Guelph residents for freedom, justice, and equality.
Sign the pledge now →