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Divestment occurs when people sell off their investments in firms, industries, or countries to protest the social or political choices of those institutions. Divestment shows leaders that you're morally or philosophically opposed to their policies and are willing to detach yourself from potential profit made from something you disagree with. For students, who do not necessarily invest directly themselves, the divestment movement is more about encouraging politicians and university heads to make political and social reforms in their investments.

Governments, universities, and even individual investors withdraw their money when they feel uncomfortable about the way it might be spent. There are active, student-run divestment campaigns at dozens of states, cities, and schools. Twelve states from California to Maine have already divested, and over twenty have initiated divestment campaigns. Many colleges and universities have also started to divest from companies doing businesses in Sudan, including the University of California, Stanford University, Duke University, Cornell University, MIT, Amherst College, Northeastern University, University of Wisconsin, University of Arkansas, and University of Illinois.