Apartheid Free Zones

An Apartheid Free Zone (AFZ) is a space that supports the Palestinian struggle for freedom and human rights. 

You can recognize an Apartheid Free Zone by this sticker: 

Download the flyer here.

Apartheid Free Zones in Finland


Espoo

Helsinki

Ikaalinen

Joutsa

Jyväskylä

Kirkkonummi

Kotka

Lappeenranta

Oulu

Tampere

Turku

Vantaa

Changing location

In an Apartheid Free Zone, you can enjoy your time knowing that the governing entity or organization stands with Palestinians and actively opposes Israel’s apartheid regime and the genocide of Palestinians. 

An Apartheid Free Zone participates in targeted boycotts set forth by the BDS movement —including cultural and academic boycotts —and will continue to boycott until Israel complies with international law and principles of human rights. An Apartheid Free Zone also commits to promoting anti-racism and equality. 

How can your business or other space become an Apartheid Free Zone? 

Any company or space can become an Apartheid Free Zone (AFZ). An Apartheid Free Zone will publicly declare its involvement in the campaign and actively seek ways to cut off cooperation with those who support the apartheid regime in Israel. For example, a shop, café, library, university, museum, art gallery, concert venue, community space or public administration space can declare itself an Apartheid Free Zone. 

An Apartheid Free Zone commits to:

  1. the principles of the global BDS movement and targeted boycotts 
  2. the cultural and academic boycott of the BDS movement 
  3. to act in an anti-racist manner. 

Additionally, the zone 

  1. publicly declares itself an Apartheid Free Zone 
  2. displays a sticker stating that it is an Apartheid Free Zone 
  3. is added to a list on the sumud.fi website where all Apartheid Free Zones are visible (name of the space and city it’s located). 
  4. is added to the global Apartheid Free Zone list on www.bds-movement.net website (name of the space and city it’s located)

Want to hear more or get involved? Contact us at [email protected]. 

What should an Apartheid Free Zone boycott? 

Apartheid Free Zones boycott companies, products and brands that have been targeted for boycott by the BDS movement. 

The AFZ should boycott the following products and companies: 

The AFZ should boycott these companies, in case a viable alternative is available . The Apartheid Free Zone supports the BDS movement’s pressure campaigns against these companies: 

Many other companies support Israeli apartheid in one way or another. Don’t they all need to be boycotted? 

The BDS movement’s strategy is to target boycotts, pressure and sanctions at specific companies and products in order to maximize the impact. Apartheid Free Zones are lending their support to these targeted boycotts and campaigns. You can read more about the effectiveness of targeted boycotts at www.bdsmovement.net. 

However, we encourage and assist the Apartheid Free Zones, within their means, to boycott other products and companies involved in Israeli apartheid. 

What if we “screw up”? 

Everyone can make mistakes. If it turns out that you have inadvertently bought or sold products on the boycott list or otherwise supported Israeli apartheid, the most important thing is to correct the mistake. The campaign aims to give every organization  the opportunity to change its actions to be more ethical and thus support the Palestinian human rights struggle. It is better to join the campaign and make a single mistake than not to support the campaign at all. 

You can always contact the campaign team to ask for support for different challenges. 

What is a cultural and academic boycott? 

In 2004, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) declared a boycott against academic and cultural institutions in Israel. 

The cultural boycott is a response to the efforts of Israeli cultural institutions to maintain and normalize Israel’s illegal occupation, colonization of Palestine and apartheid. The Apartheid Free Zone does not organize cultural events funded by Israel or by those who visibly support Israel. The Apartheid Free Zone also does not engage in activities that support the normalization of apartheid and human rights violations. The boycott is against institutions, not against individual Israelis. 

The academic boycott seeks to cut off cooperation with Israeli universities and other academic institutions. Israeli universities are complicit in maintaining Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid, and are involved, among other things, in the development of equipment used by the army and in the systematic discrimination against Palestinians. An Apartheid Free Zonedoes not cooperate with Israeli academic institutions. 

What is the BDS movement? 

BDS is a global movement led by Palestinians to cut off financial support from the apartheid Israeli government. BDS stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions. BDS is based on a simple principle: Palestinians have the same human rights as everyone else. The BDS movement is inspired by the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the boycotts that accompanied it. 

The BDS movement in Finland is part of the Finnish Palestine Network Sumud. 

What is apartheid? 

Apartheid is formalised racial segregation and oppression. It takes its name from the policy of racial segregation (´Apartheid´ in Afrikaans means separation) practiced in South Africa in the 20th century. 

The 1976 UN Convention defines apartheid as a crime, in addition to apartheid policies and racial discrimination in South Africa, as acts intended to establish and maintain the supremacy of a particular racial group over other racialised groups of people. Apartheid is the systematic oppression of a racialised group of people. 

Inhuman acts include, but are not limited to: 

Amnesty International and other human rights organisations recognise Israel’s policy of segregation as apartheid and a crime against humanity. The crime of apartheid is one of the most serious international crimes.