Position of the University Colleges and Schools of Arts regarding the situation in Gaza

In line with their educational, social, and cultural mission, the University Colleges and Schools of Arts affiliated with SEGEC believe it is necessary to take a stand in light of the possible genocide in Gaza.

The goal is to outline concrete commitments in order to express disagreement with this situation and, more broadly, with any conflict.

The University Colleges and Schools of Arts affiliated with SEGEC make the following commitments:

1. Promote institutional and other types of collaborations that respect human rights, and refuse any collaboration with entities engaged in practices that violate human rights. An ethics committee will soon be established to analyze our institutional collaborations.
2. Actively support initiatives that aim to uphold international law and the resolutions of the United Nations, as well as the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
3. Promote education and awareness around issues of international law and human rights.
4. Encourage solidarity and humanitarian support initiatives to assist affected populations.
5. Foster collective reflection on the role of education in preventing conflicts and promoting the values of peace and justice.

The University Colleges and Schools of Arts affiliated with SEGEC thus reaffirm their commitment to the universal values of peace, justice, and respect for human rights, and pledge to contribute, within their means, to the promotion and respect of international law.

In the official statement of the Higher Education Steering Committee, the organizing authorities encourage staff members to create the necessary conditions for information and education so that students can develop the intellectual tools required to form a personal, objectively constructed and well-supported opinion.

In line with all Belgian universities, the University Colleges and Schools of Arts affiliated with SEGEC consider holding the Israeli government accountable for ongoing human rights violations not to be an ideological stance, but a moral and legal imperative.