50 Years of Pursuing Justice
Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ) is 50 years old! IASJ has been a faith-based leader in advocating for corporate accountability and countering systems of oppression through shareholder engagement. The sum of IASJ’s work has contributed to long-term shareholder value and more equitable economic growth. SSND has been involved with them over the years. Currently, Sister Ann Scholtz, Director for Corporate Social Responsibility for the SSND Collective Investment Fund, serves on their board. Learn about their notable efforts from apartheid in South Africa to the current war in Gaza.
Blood Diamonds to Blood Batteries
In the 1990s, the term “blood diamonds” referred to the mining of diamonds, especially in areas of conflict, often accomplished using child or forced labor. In 2003, a certification process was developed to prevent such diamonds from entering the market. Fast forward to the present day, where a new hot commodity is rechargeable batteries for cars, cell phones, and other modern-day conveniences.
Rechargeable batteries require cobalt. Cobalt is an element primarily found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which must be mined and processed. Like blood diamonds, mining cobalt presents opportunities for child and forced labor.
Submitted by the End Human Trafficking Committee
