Handful of actions in UWindsor, Palestinian encampment deal complete

Months after the University of Windsor and Palestinian encampment organizers reached a deal to end the on-campus encampment, five actions contained in the deal have been realized so far, even as the deal has continued to attract criticism from members of the Jewish and wider Windsor communities.  

Bilal Nasser, one of the organizers of the encampment and a student in the faculty of education, said five actions included in the deal have been completed:

• The creation of an anti-oppression website.
• A meeting between Palestinians students, stakeholders and Clinton Beckford, the University of Windsor's vice-president of people, equity and inclusion.
• Invest in the university's Global Conflict Bursary and the extension of the scholars at risk program.
• The hiring of a Palestinian student support adviser.
• Sending a letter to the federal government advocating for a ceasefire. 

"This is what the agreement has operationalized so far, with bigger tasks such as financial disclosures still in progress," Nasser said at a press conference on Monday. "We look forward to having a university with more transparency."

Nasser went on to call the actions "increased democratization," questioning why opponents of the agreement would consider them harmful.

"So am I missing something? Where is the harm?," he said.

The agreement has prompted backlash from some members of the university Jewish student community as well as the broader Jewish community, with the president of the Windsor Jewish Federation saying the deal "emboldens lawlessness." 

In speaking with reporters on Monday, the University of Windsor Students' Alliance president also noted the creation of a Jewish students adviser. 

The deal with encampment protesters includes more anti-racism initiatives, support for students impacted by the crisis in Gaza and annual disclosures of direct and indirect public fund investments. 

The agreement also includes boycotting institutional partnership with Israeli universities until the "right of Palestinian self-determination has been realized."

Earlier this month, a member of the board of governors of the university brought forward a motion to review the deal, however the board has said it sought a legal opinion and will not be reviewing the deal. The university's board of governors will meet on Tuesday.