FFDH Announces Hiring of Alumni Organizer

Caleb Schwartz ’20 to support alumni efforts to end Harvard’s immoral and illegal investments

CAMBRIDGE, MA— Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard is proud to announce the hiring of Caleb Schwartz (College ’20) as an alumni fossil fuel divestment organizer. In this position, he will support efforts of the Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard Alumni campaign to end Harvard’s entanglements with the fossil fuel industry and turn the university into a leader in confronting the climate crisis.

“Over the past decade, the fossil fuel divestment campaign at Harvard has shown how the Harvard community overwhelmingly supports cutting ties with the fossil fuel industry. The campaign has been an important leader in the university divestment movement, which has seen countless wins nationwide. Now, we need to finally win disclosure, divestment, and reinvestment at Harvard. I eagerly look forward to coordinating this next chapter of the alumni campaign,” said Schwartz.

The announcement comes following a year of growing alumni momentum. In 2020, graduates concerned by the institution’s inaction on climate launched the alumni campaign, spearheading events for the university community and a petition with thousands of signatures. Shortly thereafter, the campaign worked with Harvard Forward to elect three pro-divestment candidates to the Harvard Board of Overseers. Alumni subsequently elected several additional Board of Overseers members critical of Harvard’s inaction on climate, and joined with students, faculty, legal scholars, elected officials, and more to file a legal complaint asserting that Harvard’s fossil fuel investments aren’t just immoral but illegal.

In the next year, Schwartz and the alumni campaign plan to dramatically scale up organizing efforts, making it clear to Harvard administration that the community of Harvard graduates is unequivocally calling for climate action. Schwartz also stressed the alumni campaign’s commitment to acting in strong solidarity with other divestment and social justice movements at Harvard and beyond.

“The alumni are excited to have an organizer who brings to the table not just rich experience with the student campaign, but important work with indigenous communities,” said Rashid Yasin (College ’12), a member of the alumni hiring committee for the position. “While a Harvard student, Caleb Schwartz was deeply involved with alumni organizing, and we look forward to him continuing his collaboration with other alumni in this key role.”

As countless peer institutions, from Oxford and Cambridge to Brown and Cornell, divest from fossil fuels, Harvard is being left behind. Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard continues to believe that the university has the potential to make a difference in the fight for climate justice — but only if it is willing to listen to its alumni, students, and faculty and work with them in the fight for a more just and stable future.

Follow Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Want to get involved in our student campaign and see what we’re all about? Fill out this interest form! Are you an alum? Check out DivestHarvardAlumni.com