For nearly thirty years the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has been a leader of the corporate social responsibility movement.[Lausanne Movement?] ICCR's membership is an association of 275 Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish institutional investors, including national denominations, religious communities, pension funds, endowments, hospital corporations, economic development funds and publishing companies. ICCR and its members press companies to be socially and environmentally responsible. Each year ICCR-member religious institutional investors sponsor over 100 shareholder resolutions on major social and environmental issues. The combined portfolio value of ICCR's member organizations is estimated to be $110 billion.

Energy and Environment
Despite overwhelming consumer demand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still fails to require safety testing and mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered foods. Its proposed voluntary labeling policy is not adequate to protect human health or the environment, and denies consumers a basic right to know. But you can make a difference! Learn how. Read more

Click here to read the text of the social responsibility shareholder resolutions submitted for votes at 2001 corporate annual meetings.

Check the status of 2001 shareholder resolutions here.

Citigroup shareholder alert
Are you concerned with predatory lending, debt forgiveness, and the criteria used for lending? Learn what Citigroup shareholders are doing.

ICCR's International Health Program has produced a chart of the eight companies that produce HIV/AIDS drugs, along with their products.

ICCR Names New Executive Director
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility today announced the appointment of Patricia Wolf, RSM, as ICCR's new Executive Director. Sr. Wolf succeeds Timothy Smith, ICCR's previous Executive Director, who retired in September 2000.

A publication of the Interfaith Center, the Corporate Examiner reports on the policies and practices of major U.S. corporations. Preview the April issue now!
http://www.iccr.org/
Shareholders Resolutions
http://www.iccr.org/products/proxy_book/topic_nav.htm

The proxy resolution is an important mechanism for submitting proposals to corporations on issues of social significance. Below is a guide to those resolutions filed for 2001, arranged by company. Click here to view the 2001 resolutions via our topic guide.
Companies · Resolutions · Sponsors
ABBOTT Pharmaceutical price restraint
ABERCROMBIE FITCH Implement supplier code independent monitoring
ADVANTA No predatory lending
AETNA Endorse CERES Principles
ALBERTSON'S Endorse CERES Principles
ALBERTSON'S Label genetically engineered foods
http://www.iccr.org/products/proxy_book/companynav1.htm
ENDORSE CERES PRINCIPLES
WHEREAS:
Leaders of industry in the United States now acknowledge their obligation to pursue superior environmental performance and to disclose information about the performance to their investors and other stakeholders.
The integrity, utility, and comparability of environmental disclosure depend on using a common format, credible metrics, and a set of generally accepted standards. This will enable investors to assess environmental progress within and across industries.
The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) - a ten-year partnership between large investors, environmental groups, and corporations - has established what we believe is the most thorough and well-respected environmental disclosure form in the United States. CERES has also taken the lead internationally, convening major organizations together with the United Nations Environment Programme in the Global Reporting Initiative, which has produced guidelines for standardizing environmental disclosure worldwide.
Companies that endorse the CERES Principles engage with stakeholders in transparent environmental management and agree to a single set of consistent standard for environmental reporting. That standard is set by the endorsing companies together with CERES.
The CERES Principles and CERES Report have been adopted by leading firms in various industries: Arizona Public Service, Bank America, BankBoston, Baxter International, Bethlehem Steel, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Interface, ITT Industries, Northeast Utilities, Pennsylvania Power and Light, and Polaroid, and Sun company.
We believe endorsing the CERES Principles commits a company to the prudent oversight of its financial and physical resources through: 1) protection of the biosphere; 2) sustainable use of natural resources; 3) waste reduction; 4) energy conservation; 5) risk reduction; 6) safe products/services; 7) environmental restoration; 8) informing the public; 9) management commitment; 10) audits and reports. (The full text of the CERES Principles and accompanying CERES Report form are obtainable from CERES, 11 Arlington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, (617) 247-0700/ www.ceres.org.)
RESOLVED:
Shareholders request that the company endorse the CERES Principles as a reasonable and beneficial component of their corporate commitment to be publicly accountable for environmental performance.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT:
Recent studies show that the integration of environmental commitment into business operations provides competitive advantage and improves long-term financial performance for companies. In addition, the depth of a firm’s environmental commitment and the quality with which it manages its environmental performance are indicators of prudent foresight exercised by management.
http://www.iccr.org/products/proxy_book/env_res/ceres.htm

Global Finance and Community Economic Development
http://www.iccr.org/issue_groups/finance/feature_citigroup.htm
Citigroup Shareholder Alert
Concerned with predatory lending, debt forgiveness, and the criteria used for lending, members of the Interfaith Center sent the following letter to Citigroup on April 2. If you support their concerns and have not yet signed on to the letter, there is still time to act. If you hold stock in Citigroup you can also send a copy of the letter to the company on your own letter head. You should time your letter so that it arrives before the company's annual general meeting on April 17.

Also, kindly send a copy of your letter by email or fax to Laurie Michalowski at: laurie_michalowski@gbop.org or (fax) 847-866-4637. Include your name, the name of your organization (for identification purposes, only), and the number of shares of Citigroup that you own.
Read this year's shareholder resolutions to Citigroup:
International Financial Stabilization
No Predatory Lending
Financing Three Gorges Dam
Equal Employment Opportunity Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 April 2001

Mr. Sanford I. Weill, Chairman and Co-CEO
Citigroup, Inc.
399 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10043

Dear Mr. Weill:

As religious institutional investors with more than 4,750,000 shares of Citigroup stock, we are concerned by money laundering reports, which were published by Senator Levin's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, as well as by the various press reports. Because these reports suggest that there have been repeated failures on the part of Citibank to remedy its policies and procedures to prevent these problems, we would like to meet with senior officials of the Bank to understand the problem from the bank's perspective. We want to know what remedies, including the Wolfsberg Principles, are being put into place and how they are being implemented to avoid future recurrences of these problems.

This issue is of immediate importance to us. Citibank's assurance to us that money laundering is not a problem is challenged by recent media headlines that indicate a serious breach of Citibank's integrity to its shareholders.

As you know, we have been engaged in a sustained dialogue with Citigroup on a variety of issues for well over twenty years. As shareholders in the company, we have used the channels available to us to raise issues of concern to the attention of management. We have shared these matters with other shareholders through the proxy process. These vehicles, have in various ways, allowed us to address our concerns and have provided the company with the opportunity to present to us their policies and practices. We have approached these meeting in good faith.

Mr. Weill, we come out of many faith traditions and collaborate with the 275-member organization of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility in New York. We are also networked globally through various relationships with colleagues of our religious institutions throughout the world who continue bringing to our attention the impact of the global financial system on the poor and marginalized. We have addressed these issues with the company by presenting resolutions on capital flight, international lending criteria, debt restructuring criteria, money laundering, prudential safeguards in the financial system and more.

More recently, during the celebration of the Jubilee 2000, some shareholder joined with other colleagues in efforts to cancel the debt, which continues to burden the more than 3 billion people who are forced to survive on less than $2 a day. We believe that much of the outstanding debt is illegitimate, onerous and simply cannot be paid whether it is owed to private commercial banks, sovereign governments or multilateral institutions. We believe, in fact, that through the terms of interest, in many cases, the debt has already been paid.

Moreover, many people believe that the debt crisis is an integral aspect of the financial system, which is stacked against vulnerable and marginalized people, especially those who live in the world's poorest countries. The devastating effects of international financial instability and the periodic financial crises which occur whether in Mexico, Brazil, Russia or Thailand, are heaped disproportionately on the backs of poor women, men and children.

In recent years we have met with various representatives of Citigroup who are not as knowledgeable of our history with the company. It would be our preference to dialogue with representatives who are at the highest level of management or who are in the position to make decisions on respective issues.

This leads us to question the seriousness with which company officials approach our meetings and indeed the value of the information shared and the pledges made. After a mid February meeting we requested a follow up meeting to address the reports on Citibank and money laundering which were published by Senator Levin's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and were rebuffed by a company representative.

We believe the future success of our company depends on its trustworthiness in the eyes of consumers and investors. We would contend that the seriousness with which our company takes its responsibility to participate with others in promoting the public good of all people and safeguarding the resources of the planet is an indispensable part of Citigroup's moral and financial leadership. Our interest as shareholders and our commitment to the well being of our brothers and sisters throughout the world are intrinsically united. We take these responsibilities seriously and urge you and your colleagues to work with us in these efforts.

Once again we are asking that you and other Citigroup decision makers meet with us to hear our concerns and to present to us the company's response.

Thank you for your personal and immediate consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,

Laurie Michalowski, sssf
Contact for the Religious Institutional Investors in Citigroup
Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Read the complete list of signatories
Signatories of the Citigroup Letter:

Michael Hoolahan, CP, Treasurer
Congregation of the Passion, Holy Cross Province
2,000 shares

Mary Ann Tierney, S.C., Chief Financial Officer
Congregation of the Passion, St. Paul of the Cross Province
13,820

Barbara Aires, S.C.
Coordinator of Corporate Responsibility
Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth
3,607 shares

Seamus Finn, OMI
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
10,000 shares

Vidette Bullock Mixon, Director
Corporate Relations and Social Concerns
General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church
1,356,259 shares

Connie J. Takamine, Treasurer
Women's Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church
29,281 shares

Trudy Brubaker
Director for Corporate Social Responsibility
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
551,800 shares
http://www.iccr.org/issue_groups/finance/feature_citigsigs.htm

The National Interfaith Hospitality Network is a national, non-profit organization that assists religious and community organizations in developing and operating Network programs.

Our goal is to alleviate homelessness by fostering the development of Networks that provide shelter, meals, and assistance for homeless persons, and that increase community involvement in direct service and advocacy.
http://www.nihn.org/
Interfaith Voices for Peace and Justice
includes Freemasons, Christians, Islam, etc..
WE CALL
People of all faiths to share and cooperate in the search for peace and justice on earth.

WE OFFER
1. A Directory of more than 800 organizations actively seeking peace and justice.
2. A division of those groups into 20 areas of concern.
3. Ways to contact each individual group.
4. Ways to communicate with an entire focus group or the entire list.

WE INVITE
Others groups to join those listed on Interfaith Voices.
1. Listed groups supply a contact person (representative), an address, phone, fax, email, website, focus of work, and brief mission statement.
2. Each receives a code enabling their representative to change/update their webpage as needed. Listed groups share news, programs, events, needs and joys.

WE HOLD
1. People of all faiths have a common call to seek peace and justice. Scriptures of all major faiths include a Golden-Rule type directive.
2. All major faiths hold God, the perfect, the divine, to be a source of peace, unity and love.
http://interfaithvoices.org/ifv.cfm
Memberships 317 organizations
http://interfaithvoices.org/ifv/directory/orgs6.cfm
Cultawareness Network LA, CA - Mr. Andrew Bagley
Wiesenthal Center
Rainbow/ Push Coaltion
Association of Christian Churches, South Dakota Rev. Richard Fisher

Association of Christian Churches - South Dakota
Rev Richard Fisher - President
Type
Faith/Interfaith

Mission
To be an initiator, enabler, and coordinator for ecumenical plans and projects to do those things that we may together do more effectively and efficiently than separately, and to do those things that we ought or must do together if they are to be done at all.
Focus - Community Ministry
Contact
Last Updated: 01/03/00
Address: 1320 S Minnesota Ave #210
City: Sioux Falls
State: SD
Zip: 57105-0657
Country: USA
Phone (1): (605) 334-1980
Fax: (605) 996-1766

IFV Representative: Rev Richard Fisher - President
Email (1): rwfisher@midco.net
Membership
Membership organization: Yes
Number of members: 10 denominations
Newsletter
Publish Newsletter: Yes
Newsletter: ACCENT