WHAT IS SRI >> Overview
Socially responsible investing (SRI), the use of investments
for social good, is an incredible tool to promote economic
and social democracy. It convinced Home Depot to stop using
old growth timber, RJR Nabisco to discontinue its "Joe
Camel" advertisements, and ARCO to withdraw operations
from Burma, among other major victories, and is gaining popularity
as a tool for activists.
SRI began with divestment from companies
involved in the Vietnam War, and gained fame in the 1980's
as individuals,
institutional investors, and universities came together
to divest from corporations supporting apartheid in South
Africa.
These same investors began to experiment with various ways
of using their assets to promote social change. Currently,
one in nine dollars under professional management is invested
in a socially screened fund. SRI is not a fringe movement,
but an increasingly important way for people to ensure
that their investments are serving their social goals.
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