The boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement: activism across borders for Palestinian justice

Morrison, Suzanne (2015) The boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement: activism across borders for Palestinian justice. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

On 7 July 2005, a global call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) was declared to people around the world to enact boycott initiatives and pressure their respective governments to sanction Israel until it complies with international law and respects universal principles of human rights. The call was endorsed by over 170 Palestinian associations, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, charities, and other Palestinian groups. The call mentioned how broad BDS campaigns were utilized in the South African struggle against apartheid, and how these efforts served as an inspiration to those seeking justice for Palestinians. The call stated that boycott measures should be carried out until three demands are met – that Israel end the occupation of Arab lands, end discrimination against Palestinian citizens in Israel, and respect the Palestinian right of return. This study explores the causes for the BDS movement, its organizational dynamics, and the potential outcomes the movement intends to gain through bordercrossing solidarity groups and networks. Research questions guiding this investigation have been: What causal conditions have led to the emergence of the movement? How is the movement similar and/or dissimilar to other forms of challenging Israel? How is the BDS movement organized across borders, and how are local campaigns within the movement operationalized? This thesis is comprised of three sections that include a historical background, case study chapters on BDS campaigns, and a final section that analyzes the movement’s structure and processes, its connection to global justice activism, and challenges and limitations of the movement. Thus, this thesis critically investigates the BDS movement through its operationalization across borders and argues that due to its scope, organizational structure, and collective action frames, the transnational movement represents a new and different approach to challenging Israel in the Palestinian struggle for justice.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2015 Suzanne Morrison
Library of Congress subject classification:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Sets:	Departments > Government
Supervisor:	Chalcraft, John
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/3350

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