Divestment

Nicely done article on divesting using the example of divestment from companies that did business with South Africa in the 70s and 80s. As I suspected those shares were merely bought up by individuals who could care less, however it did have a political impact. There is something to it.

Harvard University Institute Of Politics: Does Divestment Work?

The evidence from South Africa suggests that divestment, while ineffective in a financial sense, can have an impact by shaping public discourse.

(Regarding Harvard divesting from oil companies) Divestment from select fossil fuel producers would send a powerful message to the energy industry and the nation. It would signal that America’s universities take the climate-energy challenge seriously.