PACBI Commitment

July 4, 2024

Canthius has previously expressed solidarity with occupied Palestine and we reaffirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and self-determination. At a recent Board of Directors meeting, the Canthius collective elected to join other cultural, arts, and literary institutions in committing to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which is part of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Learn more about BDS and PACBI. The documents and guidelines available from BDS clearly state five international cultural boycott guidelines, which provide “unambiguous, consistent and coherent criteria and guidelines that specifically address the nuances and particularities in the field of culture.” 


PACBI/Canthius FAQ

What does this commitment mean for Canthius distribution?

It means that we will remove Canthius magazine from distribution networks that are complicit in Israel’s regime of occupation, such as Chapters/Indigo. Read more about the boycott of Chapters/Indigo. Canthius copies will continue to be available from local retailers who are not complicit in maintaining the Israeli occupation. Find out whether your local bookstore stocks Canthius. 

Does this change the Canthius submission processes or who will be published in Canthius?

Our submission processes will not change because PACBI rejects the boycotts of individual artists and cultural workers. Multiple members of our editorial board read each submission we receive and our board members declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest to the Managing Editor. We never have and never will accept any work that is racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, ableist, or harmful to a marginalised group. We will continue to be an intersectional feminist magazine that publishes poetry and prose by writers of marginalised gender identities, including trans, Two Spirit, non-binary, agender, cis women, genderqueer, GNC, and intersex writers.

A few key points from BDS on implementing boycott guidelines:

  • “Anchored in precepts of international law and universal human rights, the BDS movement, including PACBI, rejects on principle boycotts of individuals based on their identity (such as citizenship, race, gender, or religion) or opinion. Mere affiliation of Israeli cultural workers to an Israeli cultural institution is therefore not grounds for applying the boycott.” 

  • “While an individual’s freedom of expression should be fully and consistently respected in the context of cultural boycotts, an individual artist/writer, Israeli or otherwise, cannot be exempt from being subject to “common sense” boycotts (beyond the scope of the PACBI institutional boycott criteria) that conscientious citizens around the world may call for in response to what they widely perceive as egregious individual complicity in, responsibility for, or advocacy of violations of international law (such as war crimes or other grave human rights violations), racial violence, or racial slurs.” 

How can I get involved with BDS? 

The Canthius team is grateful to other cultural, arts, and literary institutions who have already committed to PACBI and have served as models in our conversations and commitments. We encourage all of our writers, readers, and subscribers to learn about the BDS movement and to find ways to get involved. We especially implore other Canadian magazines and literary institutions to commit to PACBI. While the words of one organisation cannot bend the arcs of justice, we know that the words and actions of many can. We envision a Palestine where liberation blooms in every corner, where even the beetles blink in wonder at a new world.