BECOMING AN HP-FREE CONGREGATION
Seeking Peace – In July 2017, a resolution titled ‘Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine’ was passed by Mennonite Church USA delegates. Broadly, it calls us to the work of opposing Israel’s military occupation of Palestine and to the work of opposing antisemitism and acts of violence against Jewish people. Among a number of other commitments in the resolution, we agreed to avoid ‘economic support for Occupation’:
‘As people who seek to follow Jesus in daily life, we know that how we spend and invest our money is an important part of our faith life.… We urge individuals and congregations to avoid the purchase of products associated with acts of violence or policies of military occupation, including items produced in settlements.’ |
HP-Free Campaign – As a specific response to the call to avoid economic support for Occupation, the Leadership Table of Portland Mennonite Church has made the decision to join the HP-Free Campaign.
. Hewlett-Packard and its associated companies play an essential role in the occupation of Palestine and violations of Palestinian human rights. For example: - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (which split off from Hewlett Packard in 2015) provides servers and technology used in Israeli prisons. In Israeli prisons, Palestinians from all walks of life, including children, are frequently detained without charge. - Hewlett Packard Inc. (which also split off in 2015), is the exclusive provider of computers to the Israeli military, which carries out the occupation of Palestine, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the air, land, and sea blockade of Gaza. |
‘As people who seek to follow Jesus in daily life, we know that how we spend and invest our money is an important part of our faith life.… We urge individuals and congregations to avoid the purchase of products associated with acts of violence or policies of military occupation, including items produced in settlements.’ |
Why and What - The purpose of the campaign is to exert moral, financial and non-violent pressure on these companies (HP Enterprise and HP Inc.) so they decide to stop supporting the military occupation. The practical commitment we are making as a congregation is to not buy any additional HP products for our church use.
The Pledge
Until HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise end their complicity in the Israeli military occupation of Palestine (the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza), we pledge not to purchase products or services from these two companies – including computers, printers and ink supplies.
Until HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise end their complicity in the Israeli military occupation of Palestine (the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza), we pledge not to purchase products or services from these two companies – including computers, printers and ink supplies.
|
|