Bishop John Davies
Putting your money where your conscience is the theme of a conference chaired by the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon this weekend.
Finance: What’s Faith Got To Do With It? will focus on the real value of money and the ethics of how and where we invest it.
The free event on Saturday (Oct 26) is organised by the Church in Wales with Fair Trade Wales, the international fair trade finance organisation, Shared Interest, Cardiff Business School and the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR). Five panellists, one from each organisation, will explore the issues in a debate chaired by Bishop John Davies.
Bishop John said, “Investment is a hugely important part of the stewardship of the resources of the Church in Wales because the returns on our investments play a large part in enabling the Church to function. However, it can’t be investment in just any way, shape or form and simply for the best return – we believe that all our investments must be ethical and we have an Investment Policy which sets high standards for us and our investment fund managers.
“Investing ethically doesn’t just mean avoiding companies we disapprove of. We can use the influence our investments give us to ask difficult and probing questions and to press companies to raise their standards. Just as we want our direct spending to do the most good possible, so we want our investments and the power they give us to reflect our Christian principles of care for the wellbeing of people and of the environment, at home and abroad.”
Panellist and Shared Interest finance director Tim Morgan said: “Shared Interest is delighted to be included in a debate that explores the ethics behind finance. As a social lender that finances fair trade businesses across the globe, this is a subject close to our hearts.
“We have many investors in the Cardiff area, who by choosing to deposit their money with us, are also choosing to invest in a fairer world. I am looking forward to exploring this concept with the panel.”
The other panellists are:
Bill Lewis, Assistant Head of Finance, Church in Wales;
John Arnold, Executive Director, ECCR;
Dr Michael Marinetto, lecturer in Public Management, Cardiff Business School;
Tristan Humphreys, Campaigns Manager, Fair Trade Wales.
Finance : What’s Faith Got To Do With It? will be held at Cardiff Business School from 9.30am – 2pm.
Fairtrade refreshments and a networking lunch will be provided, as well as the opportunity to browse stalls hosted by organisations such as Wales Co-operative Centre and Christian Aid.
