“The ways we 'invest' our time, energy, and money have a direct impact on the 'ways of earning a living' that are available.”

Attached to this post is a twelve page paper on “Spiritually Responsible Investing”—which I offer for comments and recommendations. The paper includes the proposition: “The ways we 'invest' our time, energy, and money have a direct impact on the 'ways of earning a living' that are available.”

The paper, titled “Spiritually Responsible Investing: Integrating Spiritual Wisdom into the Everyday Circumstances of Community Life”, was presented* (in absentia—by a graduate student there) at the “Faith, Spirituality, and Social Change” (FSSC) Conference held at the University of Winchester, Winchester, United Kindgom, April 14-15, 2007

* [Note: Two additional quotes have been added to the paper—see 2) “Plan B 3.0” and 3) UN Human Development Report” on p. 2-3]

The introduction to the paper is as follows:

To begin this discussion of Spiritually Responsible Investing, I would like to offer three propositions, and one definition.

The first proposition is:

There are countless numbers of “things people can do in the everyday circumstances of their lives” which will contribute to peacebuilding, community revitalization, and ecological sustainability efforts, in their own communities and regions—and in other parts of the world.

The second proposition is:

The ways we “invest” our time, energy, and money have a direct impact on the “ways of earning a living” that are available.

The third proposition is:

The most advanced societies are the ones which are successful at integrating spiritual wisdom into the everyday circumstances of community life.

And the one definition:

Spiritually Responsible Investing can be defined as investments of time, energy, and money which increase our capacity to integrate spiritual wisdom into the everyday circumstances of community life.

[Note: This paper “Spiritually Responsible Investing….” has not yet been incorporated into the website of The IPCR Initiative, at www.ipcri.net Many of the ideas in the paper were incorporated into the essay “Peacebuilding in its Most Compassionate Form” (see “Keynote Documents” at www.ipcri.net)]

With Kind Regards,

Stefan Pasti, Founder and Outreach Coordinator
The IPCR Initiative