Bucking Economic Greed

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Marjorie Kelly
Co-founder and editor of Business Ethics magazine; author of The Divine Right of Capital

The best place people can put their money to work is investing in their community. When you make speculative bets on the stock market, so-called ?invested? dollars don?t really reach the corporations you intend; they simply trade hands from one speculator to another. If you want to put your money to work building something, place it with a community development financial institution (CDFI). These organizations, which include everything from community development credit unions and community investment funds to neighborhood-oriented banks like ShoreBank and technical assistance organizations like the Woodstock Institute, make community-oriented loans for things like low-income housing, inner-city development, and small-business help for the disadvantaged. And they have a great track record on repayment, so your money is safe.

For more on Business Ethics magazine, visit www.business-ethics.com

David Morris
Vice president, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Tithe yourself. Devote 10 percent of your income to support political efforts?both electoral and nonelectoral?whose objective is to defeat George Bush?s quest for a second term. The time frame is short: 12 to 15 months. Success would make all other efforts possible.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is at www.ilsr.org

Hazel Henderson
Economist and futurist; author of many books, including The Politics of the Solar Age

I would first recommend that people who want to put their money to work for their values look at all their options for investing in socially responsible mutual funds. For the more adventurous, there are funds specializing in solar energy and renewable resources. Those concerned with revitalizing and growing vigorous local economies can look at the many community investment opportunities for CDs and bonds, which pay interest and help inner-city redevelopment, micro-enterprises, affordable housing, community-supported local agriculture. Check out all these options at www.socialinvest.org. Personally, I believe that the U.S. dollar?s days as the world?s ?defacto? reserve currency are numbered. Some 35 percent of world trade and other countries? currency reserves are now in euros. Many countries have diversified their currency reserves out of U.S. dollars.

Hazel Henderson is at www.hazelhenderson.com

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