News in brief - 19 October 2012
From ethical investments to the European Union
GREEN AND ETHICAL INVESTMENTS are up according to EIRIS, the sustainable investment research specialists. Investment has risen to around £11 billion currently from £4 billion ten years ago. The figures were announced for National Ethical Investment Week (14 to 20 October). Mark Robinson of EIRIS said: ‘The credit crunch and on-going financial crisis, plus unethical behaviour at scandal-hit high street banks, is encouraging more people to switch to financial product providers that offer a more ethical, sustainable and long-term approach to finance’.
WELLINGBOROUGH FRIENDS held a ‘Quaker Awareness day’ on 6 October. Peter Butler reports that they heard from ‘Martin Wilkinson, brother of one of the co-authors of The Spirit Level’ and then on Sunday, after Meeting for Worship, the speaker was Ann Farr, an ecumenical accompanier who had been working in Palestine.
THE EUROPEAN UNION was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this week. Martina Weitsch has written an article on the EU as a peace project, which is available at http://qceablog.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/europe-a-peace-project-or-a-peace-process/. It reviews some background, including William Penn’s 1693 essay ‘an Essay Towards the Present and future Peace of Europe’.
