Last edited 15/12/2024
Reject complicity
Build solidarity
People of conscience in the Netherlands want to know where they buy, hangout and gather. This is and will be their platform.
The Apartheid Free Zone campaign, launched by BDS Netherlands (DocP), aims to create a community of places and people that commit to concrete and intersectional measures against the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime.
WE TARGET COMPLICITY, NOT IDENTITY
The AFZ campaign, like all BDS initiatives, is engrained in principles and guidelines that focus on targeting complicity, not identity.
It aims to hold organisations accountable for their role in perpetuating injustice, dismantling the hidden and deep net of complicity.
This campaign advocates for actions that are designed to comply with both international and national laws.
Reading of the the ICJ Advisory Opinion, 19th July 2024. Source: ICJ
“Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources”
Since July 2024, rejecting complicity is not just a moral stance anymore, but an international legal obligation. All diplomatic, political, and economic ties with Israel, inclusive of business and finance, pension funds, academia and charities must be reviewed.
Protest against the sale of South African oranges at an Albert Heijn supermarket. Door W. Punt voor Anefo - GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL) 926-4294, CC0
Black South Africans on a train reserved for whites. Fotocollectie Anefo; 1952-09-02
Anti Apartheids Beweging Nederland (AABN) members when SA announced Mandela's release ANP PHOTO (11 februari 1990, Marcel Antonisse), CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Demonstration at Dokwerker in Amsterdam against the execution of three members of the ANC. Bart Molendijk / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Demonstration in front of Congresgebouw by activists demanding an oil boycott against SA. Marcel Antonisse / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dutch civil society take pride in their significant role in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle. Beginning in the 1970s, individuals established various organisations in response to the Dutch government’s lack of action.
Key strategies included boycotts of South African products, such as wine and fruit, and the cutting of ties with companies, institutions, and organisations that profited from apartheid.
For some in the Netherlands at the time, apartheid seemed an insurmountable or overly complex issue. Today, however, the end of apartheid is celebrated globally as a triumph for human rights. The legacy of grassroots activism against apartheid now serves as an inspiring model for the BDS movement supporting Palestinian liberation.
We’ve done it before, we can do it again!
The AFZ campaign aims to bring together both spaces and individuals united by the shared commitment to concrete actions against Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime. This campaign offers them a well-established framework through which this collective effort can be organised and implemented, and such community achieved.
While acknowledging that the campaign framework will be subject to further updates, as of now (check the last edit date at the beginning of the page) we mainly target the following AFZ types…
Join the first AFZ community in the Netherlands
Academic, Cultural, Sports
This category encompasses educational institutions (such as universities and schools), festivals, cultural centres, art galleries, libraries, theatres, sports clubs, fan associations, and similar entities committed to promoting critical thinking and cultural exchange.
Commercial
This category comprises supermarkets as well as local businesses, including cafes, restaurants, general retail stores, online shops, food vendors, service providers, and any other establishment where goods/services are sold.
Social
Social movements, communities of neighbours, squatters, social centres, and grassroots organisations are practical examples of potential Social AFZs. More generally, any recurring, organised gathering of individuals – whether physical or digital – can become a Social AFZ.
Union
This category is focused on engaging trade unions, women's unions, student unions, and professional associations that actively organise and advocate for the rights and interests of their members.
Political
The Political AFZ category can include political organisations such as political parties, and advocacy groups as well as governmental bodies such as local councils, regional governments and state entities.
While Political AFZs are within the scope of this campaign, this will require a heightened level of scrutiny during the onboarding process. If you work in a governmental body and you are interested in advancing ethical procurement policies that take into account BDS demands and principles, contact us and we will be available to help you further .
For individuals, the call to action is much more straightforward. Whether you’ve participated in protests or demonstrations – especially over the past year – if you are familiar with the Palestinian cause and the broader liberation movement, if you are an experienced activist, or if you are just beginning to engage, we welcome you to join our community.
Your involvement not only will strengthen the campaign’s legitimacy and helps us grow and attract more AFZs, but it also will also back the AFZs themselves with a network of potential ethical consumers, audience members, and supporters. Together, we can build the critical mass needed to propel the campaign forward.
The link below works only on mobile devices. If you are browsing on desktop, send us an email instead.
Donate what you can, if you can…
In case you made it until this point, we invite you to support the solidarity movement in the Netherlands. Here a couple of options. As the team behind the AFZ campaign is completely volunteer-based, we would appreciate any help to cover our operational costs.
Donate through our whydonate campaign
Next to that, we want to promote two of our allies in this section: Kifaia.nl and Plant een Olijfboom. Stichting Kifaia supports the work of Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Gaza, and advocates for freedom and justice in Palestine, with a specific focus on the healthcare situation in Gaza. Plant een Olijfboom helps Palestinian farmers by sponsoring olive trees, which directly supports the cultivation and protection of Palestinian land. Their initiative not only provides economic support to farmers but also serves as a peaceful act of resistance to the Israeli occupation. Through their Palestine Fund they give emergency support to people in Gaza who are living the horrors of genocide. Click on their logos below to go to their platforms.
BOYCAT & AFZ
The BDS movement has officially partnered with Boycat, an innovative ethical shopping platform and application, in order to allow you to join consumer-focused BDS campaigns more effectively.
Next time you go for grocery outside of the AFZ network, take Boycat with you to avoid purchasing goods complicit with apartheid and occupation.