August 23rd, 2006
It’s difficult to think ‘philanthropy’ without thinking ’socially responsible investing (SRI)’, which is also known (particularly in Australia) as ‘ethical investment’. Recent trends suggest that both corporations and investors are increasingly discovering SRI, as this US report shows:
A study released by the Social Investment Research Analysts Network on July 11 reveals that 34 companies listed on the S&P 100, a weighted index of 100 major blue chip companies, now base their corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports on a recognized third-party standard—the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The use of uniform reporting criteria is critical to helping SRI firms select appropriate companies in which to invest. Other indicators similarly point to corporations’ greater embrace of social responsibility: according to the same study, 79 of the S&P 100 firms now have CSR websites, up 34 percent from last year.
This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. Source: WorldWatch
Posted 10:20pm by
Pip Wilson |
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August 23rd, 2006
“International relief agencies have had a difficult time helping residents of some of the harder-hit areas of southern Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah controls access to such assistance, reports The New York Times.
“Mercy Corps and other groups are banned from giving aid or money through Hezbollah because the United States considers it a terrorist organization. But Hezbollah remains the best equipped group to distribute aid, and relief organizations recognize that some of their assistance may be traveling through the group already, the paper reports.”
Source
Posted 01:34pm by
Nora |
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August 23rd, 2006
Australian Catholic social services such as St Vincent de Paul (’Vinnies’), and Anglican charity Anglicare join a growing number of Christian charities that are refusing to be part of the Federal Government’s new case-management program for ‘breached’ welfare recipients.
In an unusually strong stand, almost all Christian charities have either refused to join up or have exited the conservative government’s scheme, under which recipients of social security will face a new regime of penalties for not meeting certain requirements.
The Uniting Church, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Mission Australia have also refused to be involved, and the Salvation Army is reported to be considering its position. Meanwhile, conservative fundamentalist Christian church Hillsong has signed up with the John Howard government.
Stephen Crittenden: You were saying that if Vinnies accepted the government’s funding to help the people the government breached, that Vinnies would be accepting the breaching regime, and that the breaching regime was immoral. Why is it immoral?
John Falzon [from St Vincent de Paul Society]: Frederic Ozanam the founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society, put this so beautifully. Even though we’re talking about a quote that comes from more than a century ago, it’s so fitting to the current events. He said, ‘Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveller who has been attacked. It is justice’s role however, to prevent the attack.’ Now as far as we’re concerned, in 2006 in Australia it is the role of the St Vincent de Paul Society to do everything we can to prevent the attack, not to go into partnership with the attacker. … We’ll provide the charity but it is justice more than anything else, that these people have a right to, and we will not cease to clamour for justice.
Source, with audio
Posted 02:15am by
Pip Wilson |
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