VSDC Ethical Investing Group

Let's explore ethical investing from the perspective of vegetarians in Washington DC and surrounding areas. So far, we have only the idea for this group. We're waiting until there's enough interest to organize and coordinate the group. When enough people can get together, the following are some group issues we'll want to discuss and answer.

How do we want to coordinate, discuss, and decide as a group?
How, and how often, should we meet (email, in-person)?
What are our objectives (discuss, learn, share, educate, promote, invest)?
What are our investment needs as vegetarians in the DC area?
What ethical criteria are important to us?
Are our investment needs different from the typical investor?
If our needs don't differ, then do we need this group?
How are existing resources meeting our unique investment needs?
What needs are met by existing groups (ethical investing, vegetarian-related)?
Let's make that answer, and existing resources known to others.
If all our needs are met, then is there need to continue this group?
If there are missing resources, should we provide them? How?

If you're interested in getting involved with us, go to our message board on Yahoo Groups. Or, contact VSDC.

Elsewhere on the Internet, there are many sources of information about Ethical Investing (also called SRI, Socially Responsible Investing), including the Social Investment Forum, and a list of DC-area financial advisors specializing in EI.

Which issues?

Should we consider only vegetarianism when making investments, or also the many reasons people give for wanting to be vegetarian: health, environment, hunger, animals, and religion. What if a business is vegetarian, but severely abuses the environment, people, or other animals?

Not everyone gives the same reasons for being vegetarian. So, as an inclusive vegetarian group, can we consider any of the issues? Or, should we consider all of them? For example, some who are vegetarian only for certain religious reasons might invest in companies selling products made with dairy or eggs from factory farms. And, some who are vegetarian for only their own health might invest in companies selling products made with animal skin or fur, or doing experiments on animals. But some people who are vegetarian for certain ethical reasons avoid such investments.

Can or should we consider issues that are not related to vegetarianism, such as a business' treatment of their workers?

What tasks?

We could share advice, and organize information, from a vegetarian perspective, to fill the gaps in investment needs of local vegetarians, to help them invest.

Should we create a list of ethically good and/or bad investments? Should we create our own investment fund? What paper and legal work is required? Should we use the services of a financial advisor or manager? Should we do shareholder advocacy that could be a monetary detriment? Should we, as a group, join the Social Investment Forum?