From the Archives: A closer look at Notre Dame's South Africa divestment debates
The fervor for divestment at universities such as Notre Dame has historically sparked pivotal debates about the role of academic institutions in global ethical issues. This fervor is once again at the forefront as contemporary student movements call for the divestment from fossil fuels, echoing one of the largest and most coordinated divestment campaigns in history — against apartheid South Africa. Just as past students rallied against the moral contradictions of investing in apartheid, today’s advocates argue against supporting industries contributing to environmental degradation. In this two-week series, we first explore the South Africa divestment movement at Notre Dame, drawing clear parallels between past and present. We underscore the ongoing quest to align institutional investments with ethical convictions.