We've torn a new page off the calendar, and as 2015 is unmistakably underway, it is time to consider how we will embrace this year. For those whose finances allow for investing, there is an important update on the work of Investors Against Genocide to encourage U.S. investment firms to develop and implement policies on genocide-free investing (GFI). The goal is to help individual investors avoid investing in companies with ties to genocide and crimes against humanity.
In 2015 there is an expansion of concerted effort, including appeals to the companies BlackRock and VOYA, encouraging them to have a shareholder resolution on their corporate ballots. BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager with $6 trillion of assets under management and is one of the largest holders of both PetroChina and Sinopec, two of the primary supporters of the genocidal government in Sudan. VOYA is the new corporate name for the old ING US mutual funds. The organization's genocide-free investing proposal won the vote at the ING Emerging Countries Fund in 2012, but ING chose to ignore the will of its shareholders and did not improve its investment policies.
The goal is to help individual investors avoid investing in companies with ties to genocide and crimes against humanity.
In addition to the planned votes at BlackRock and VOYA, there are more than 100 mutual funds with pending shareholder proposals. Future shareholder campaigns will be pointed toward JP Morgan and Franklin Resources. So many casual investors don't do a lot of due diligence to see what their dollars support. Don't unkowingly fund oppressive, genocidal regimes and practices—just like your choices at the grocery store and charitable contributions, you can know where your money goes.
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