Members of religious communities have a pivotal role to play in the DivestTerror.org campaign. Faith-based organizations have a proven track record of success in advancing moral causes. Moreover, your ability to touch a large cross-section of society can help this divestment campaign reach the hearts and minds of millions of Americans. Accordingly, we ask that you forward the “How-To Manuals” provided on this site for public employees, college students and individual investors to anyone in your family or community who participates in a religious congregation. Put simply, we ask that you be the engine that drives this campaign.
In addition, many religious groups pool their resources to form large investment pools. For example, the United Methodist Church (UMC) invests some $7 billion on behalf of this country’s Methodist churches and pastors. Of that, UMC invests over $1 billion in some 108 companies that do business in terrorist-sponsoring states. Despite the fact that some UMC pensioners have raised this issue with administrators, the fund still cannot even identify which of their stocks have such ties. Jewish Federations likewise invest some $10 billion nationally on behalf of that community.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
- Start a Petition: Have your place of worship send a group petition to the organization that invests on behalf of your religious group calling for the divestment of companies that do business in terrorist-sponsoring states. Your religious leadership should know where to send the petition. Make sure the media has been informed about your plan.
- Reach State Officials: On this site there is a draft letter to state officials asking that your state legislature act to require state and local public pension funds to divest the stock of any company that does business in terrorist-sponsoring states. Have your religious community sign and send this letter to your governor, state treasurer and leading state Senators and Assemblymen.
- Educate your Fellow Community Members: Ask to address (or have your religious leadership address) this issue in front of the congregation. Make sure every member of your community sends the letter to state officials found on this site and encourage them to go to DivestTerror.org to join the financial war on terrorism.