Church of the Brethren district calls for divestment from Caterpillar CorporationChurch of the Brethren October 12th, 2005

At its district conference October 8 in Modesto, CA, the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Church of the Brethren adopted a resolution calling for the Brethren Benefit Trust to divest itself from ownership of Caterpillar Corporation and any other company that sells products which are used routinely as weapons of destruction or death in Israel and Palestine. Citing scriptural declarations to beat swords into plowshares and the historical and current opposition of the Church of the Brethren to participation in war and in the production of weapons of war, the document also encouraged all other Church of the Brethren agencies and individuals to review their own investments and to take appropriate action. In addition, the delegates representing 26 congregations in California and Arizona, asked for exploration as to whether funds divested from Caterpillar or other companies could be reinvested in companies doing business that enhances the quality of life for both Israelis and Palestinians. The divestment resolution pointed out that D9 Caterpillar bulldozers are made to military specifications and sold to Israel under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, a government-to-government program for selling U.S.-made defense equipment.  It further stated that these bulldozers are used to destroy Palestinian homes, farms, ancient olive grove, roads, and water and sewer pipes and have killed several persons. The paper included documentation by Human Rights Watch of the use of these bulldozers in illegal demolitions throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, including more than 2,500 Palestinian homes over the past four years in the Gaza Strip alone. It further reported the warning of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food that the delivery of bulldozers to the Israeli government with knowledge that they were being used for illegal demolitions might involve complicity in violation of human rights. The resolution, which was initiated by the Fremont, CA, congregation, is slated to be passed on to national legislative body of the denomination, the July 2006 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren.   A copy of the resolution follows: Resolution:  Divestment from Companies Selling Products Used as Weapons In Israel and Palestine Whereas: The prophets Isaiah and Micah declared that we must beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks, and Jesus consistently modeled and taught us peacemaking; and Whereas:  The Church of the Brethren has throughout its history opposed participation in war and in the production of weapons of war, from the writings of Alexander Mack, to the petition to the Colonial Assembly in Pennsylvania that ìWe find no freedom in giving, doing or assisting in anything by which menís lives are destroyed or hurt,î to the 1991 Annual Conference statement that ìencourages the boycott of products produced and sold by companies that derive large amounts of their income from military contractsî; and Whereas: The Church of the Brethren helped initiate and is participating in the Decade to Overcome Violence sponsored by the World Council of Churches and declared its intention at the 2003 Annual Conference to be a ìLiving Peace Churchî; and Whereas: The Brethren Benefit Trust holds stock in the Caterpillar Corporation, which sells to Israel bulldozers that area used to destroy Palestinian homes, farms, ancient olive groves, roads, and water and sewer pipes and that have killed several persons; and Whereas: These Caterpillar D9 bulldozers are made according to military specifications and are sold to Israel under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, a government-to-government program for selling US.-made defense equipment; and Whereas: Human Rights Watch has documented the Israel Defense Forceís systematic use of the D9 bulldozer in illegal demolitions throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, including more than 2,500 Palestinian homes over the past four years in the Gaza Strip alone, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has warned that the delivery of bulldozers to the Israeli government with knowledge that they were being used for illegal demolitions might involve complicity in violations of human rights; Therefore, based on the teachings of the prophets and of Jesus Christ we resolve that the Brethren Benefit Trust divest itself from ownership of Caterpillar Corporation and any other company that sells products that are used routinely as weapons of destruction or death in Israel and Palestine.  Furthermore, we encourage all other Church of the Brethren agencies and individuals to review their own investments and take appropriate action.  We also ask for exploration as to whether such funds could be reinvested in companies doing business that enhances the quality of life for both Israelis and Palestinians. ___________________________________________________________________________________________Adopted Adopted by the Fremont Fellowship in Christ congregation on September 28, 2005, and passed on to the Pacific Southwest District. Ben Garst, Board Chair Esther M. Ho, Church Clerk Adopted by District Conference of the Pacific Southwest District of the Church of the Brethren meeting at the Modesto congregation, October 8, 2005.             R. Jan Thompson, Moderator             Doris Dunham, Clerk