Growth
of a Movement

Purpose

This timeline was created to document some of the significant actions, events, and campaigns that have shaped the growth of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement around the world, and allow users to browse and explore this information.

Scope

Events on this timeline vary from small symbolic steps to major campaign victories. This timeline does not claim to capture all instances or events of BDS organizing around the world, but provides a selection of significant moments that are illustrative of the impact of the movement.

Methodology

Each year, the Palestinian Boycott National Committee publishes a year-end review of events it considers significant in BDS organizing from around the world. These lists provide a baseline reference for the content on this platform. At the editors’ discretion, additional events may also be included from credible media coverage or lists published by human rights advocates. Every event on the timeline includes a source link.

Once an event that fits the BDS framework is identified, our editors look into the details to verify sources and understand what happened. We parse out information and code each event according to our data model, which includes:

• Campaign area - general, consumer boycott, academic boycott, cultural boycott, divestment, sanctions
• Tags - faith-based, student solidarity, union
• Target entity - i.e. G4S, Veolia, SodaStream, Hewlett Packard, etc.
• Date - day, month, year
• Main actor - the individual, group, or entity that took action
• Sector - grassroots (unions, student groups, churches, NGOs), mainstream (corporations, UN bodies, celebrities, banks, pension funds), government (courts, local or national government, elected officials)
• Sources - link to article, statement, or other information that can be used to verify event details
• Location - fields for city, country, and region
• Loss type - contract not awarded, contract not renewed, contract cancelled, shares sold
• Loss - in millions USD

Our editors write a headline and summary for each event, in the present tense. We focus on accurately describing what happened in simple, direct, and unembellished language. We use terminologies consistent with international law, for example in referring to settlements as illegal, or referring to the Palestinian territories as occupied. Optionally, editors may include a quote by the actors or organizers of an event, with the author and author’s affiliation identified.

Limitations of the Content

The following are known limitations of our content:

• Potential geographic skew - The researchers working on this dataset are primarily English-speaking. Therefore, events covered in languages other than English may be underrepresented in our data. This is an important reason why we use BNC roundup lists as a starting point for determining which events to include on the timeline, as the BNC pays close attention to developments in non-English media.
• Proving causality - It is not always possible to prove that the BDS movement was the impetus for a particular event or action. Because of ongoing attempts to criminalize, repress, and stigmatize BDS in some countries, there is an incentive for actors to downplay or deny the role of BDS organizing on their actions. The BDS movement does not claim “credit” for events on this timeline, but it acknowledges that these events are consistent with its tactics and campaign goals, and that active BDS campaigns often exist in parallel.