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The Board of Trustees of the University of Vermont in the US has voted to exclude the manufacturers of depleted uranium weapons and cluster munitions from its investment portfolio.
Students Against War (SAW), a campaign group based at the university has been actively seeking a resolution on ethical investments for more than a year. It has been assisted by the university's Socially Responsible Investing Working Group.
Both the Cluster Munition Coalition and ICBUW have called for people to take action against banks and other institutions that invest in the producers of indiscriminate weapons.
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Speaking to the university newspaper The Vermont Cynic, SAW member Benjamin Silverman said: “The point of divesting is to make a political statement that can help end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obviously that’s a tall order, but here every little bit counts.”
The Board was swayed by evidence that cluster munitions and depleted uranium have an unacceptable and unavoidable impact on civilians and the environment.
The announcement will take the number of companies excluded by the university to around 20, this includes oil and gas companies, tobacco companies, military manufacturers and companies connected to the regime in Sudan.
For more information on ICBUW's disinvestment campaign, visit: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/i/44.html
