Criteria For Socially Responsible Investments

The following statement is issued by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, with the approval of the General Council, as a Congregational position. This position is based on the enactments of our General Chapters of 1974, 1978 and subsequent Chapters. We charged ourselves with the responsibility to evaluate our Congregational investments in relation to the Gospel social principles. We strive to effect change toward justice in the policies and operations of corporations in which we hold investments.

1. Peace/Nonviolence.
   We encourage world peace through the production of non military goods and services; we strongly support efforts made by corporations engaged in military production to convert to peacetime work.
   
   We will not invest in major military contractors, defined as any company that derives more than 4% of its revenues from military systems-related contracts and/or any of its revenues from nuclear weapons systems-related contracts.
   
   
   • Military Systems.
     Military systems are all weapons-related systems and non-weapons military systems designed for use in battlefield situations including launch & guidance systems, delivery, deployment, transport, refueling, and command, control and communications systems, their components, maintenance, testing, research & development. This category includes contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy for nuclear weapons and weapons systems.
   • Nuclear Weapons Systems.
     Nuclear weapons systems include nuclear weapons, their components, maintenance, testing, research and development including launch and guidance systems, delivery and deployment systems, testing facilities and components of the above. This category includes all of the systems and components necessary for building, guiding, deploying and detonating a nuclear device as well as the device itself.
2. Human Rights
   We promote the protection of human dignity and human rights in the global economy through fair labor practices, including: the right to organize; adequate benefits; prohibition of child labor; safe working conditions; empowerment of employees through training and development; and participatory decision making, including management and board membership.
   
   We discourage investment in corporations which are known to be discriminatory in their policies related to hiring, wages, promotions and governance due to prejudices in the areas of gender, age, race, religion, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or political affiliation.
   
   We will be alert to human rights issues in our global economy, including: human trafficking, internet censorship, patenting of life forms, access to water, and mining and energy operations.
3. Environment
   We promote sensitivity to ecological balance, care of the environment, development of renewable energy sources, and the use of recycled materials.
   
   We urge investment in renewable energy, e.g. wind, solar, recapture of landfill gas; and encourage a decrease in the use of fossil fuels.
   
   We discourage investment in:
   
   1. Corporations that produce nuclear energy and new nuclear power plants
   2. Corporations that dispose of hazardous waste improperly
   3. Corporations that have been cited for water, land and/or air pollution and have not taken corrective measures
   4. Corporations that destroy the land by mountain top mining, clear cutting timberland, or harvesting rainforests
   5. Corporations that produce hazardous/toxic chemicals, ecologically destructive herbicides and/or pesticides



4. Community Reinvestment
   We expect corporations to invest in the communities in which they operate. We urge corporations to support the principles of free, prior, informed consent whereby the local community has equal voice in decision making regarding development projects.
   
   We will not invest in financial institutions which receive less than a satisfactory rating from federal regulatory agencies under the Community Reinvestment Act.
5. Quality of Life
   We expect corporations to produce goods and services that contribute to the quality of life.
   
   We will not invest in corporations that manufacture tobacco products.
6. Domestic and International Lending
   We advocate for the responsible use of monies by banks, insurance companies and brokerage firms.
   
   We discourage investment in financial institutions:
   1. whose loans undermine a country’s socio-economic development.
   2. which engage in predatory lending.
   
   We will not invest in World Bank Bonds.
7. Health Care
   As Catholic providers of health care we understand health care delivery as an essential expression of the healing ministry of Christ and not as a mere economic commodity that can be bought and sold. We believe health care is fundamentally different from most other goods and services because it is essential to human dignity and necessary for the common good. Its primary purpose is to bring healing and create a healthy community, not earn a profit or return on capital for shareholders.
   
   We will not invest in publicly-held, for-profit health care provider companies, e.g., hospitals, physician organizations and management groups, HMO’s and long-term care or rehabilitation centers.