'Incorrect' and 'unethical' SNU Trust investments?
Against the whole ethos of what Spiritualism stands for?
SNU Trust Main Objects:The SNU Trust, "affords facilities for the investment of surplus funds of The Spiritualists' National Union and of its subsidiary organisations and of members".
Let us look closely at what that statement actually means in practice, e.g.;
* Did you know that the SNU Trust uses your ~ our money to invest substantially in a diverse range of multi-national corporations?* We are not talking paltry sums either!
Further, did you know that certain of these same corporations are instrumental in,
Animal cruelty (testing)
Censorship
Environmental destruction
Exploitation of workers
The arms trade
Supporting oppressive regimes on a global scale?
Because these investments may be deemed unethical it does not follow that they are illegal. But in a spiritual sense it could be agreed that they are crimes nonetheless. SNU money should not be invested in these conglomerates! Instead, environmental, ecological and specialist missionary work both locally and internationally should be virulently pursued in the cause of the second Principle espoused by the SNU;The Brotherhood of Man.
Duncan Gascoigne, the SNU President stated this year that;
"SNU Spiritualism is at the forefront of modern Spiritualist thinking"Not true. They are guilty of occasional good ideas, but too few to mention here. Instead, let us further explore the following phrase closely,"Conduct that is prejudicial to the aims and objectives of Spiritualism"This last quote is another catch-all phrase from the SNU bye laws which is usually prefixed with the phrase, "In the opinion of..." It is extensively used to turf out malcontents the length and breadth of the country who dare show difference with or express a converse opinion about the SNU, the SNU Trust or question that appalling working group known as the SNU National Executive Committee. It comes from SNU Bye Laws C and forms 50% of the grounds upon which the Union decide to pass resolutions removing said malcontents.Put the two phrases together [as the Union does in its bye laws] and you will have one of the biggest catch-all, sweeping generalisation it's possible to make!
As already stated in the previous page, 'Our Story', it can easily and simply be shown that they are the ones who are actively displaying,
"Conduct that is prejudicial to the aims and objectives of Spiritualism"What follows here could not define the latter more aptly. Remember that phrase as you read further on. If anything, they should be investing in projects which are dedicated to improving the human condition both locally and internationally.If the Quakers, Oxfam, the Co-operative Bank and many others can do it then why can't they?
It would be fair comment to say that these multi-nationals are to a certain extent accountable here in the UK, Europe and the rest of the western world. However, it's what they are doing in [and to] the Third World that gives rise to the greatest concern...
...The Third World where there are no parliaments, codes of practice, scant law & order, corrupt regimes and moreover, where there are few questions asked once corporate money is splashed around.
Today we have no excuse. Once a thing is learnt it cannot be unlearnt. Whatever way one tries to package it with clever words and phrases, it's still dirty money and we need to put a stop to it. You can do that by the time of next year's SNU Annual General Meeting.
But will you? Are you too scared? Too lazy? Or worst still, do you approve?
How much of our "Surplus funds" are you suggesting they invest unethically?£255,559+
Total 'Surplus funds' invested =
£755,000+
WAKE UP EVERYONE!!
This is YOUR 'surplus' money ~ Not their surplus money!!!
WHO GETS THE PROFITS FROM YOUR MONEY?
THEY DO!
NOT YOU!
Do these investments meet with the UK Trustee Investment Act 1961?
They most probably do.Where do we get these figures from?
From SNU Trust Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2000.Liberty is taken here by linking to just one site which acts as a repository for digging the dirt on these companies. The linked pages are certainly worth browsing. Certainly we need to be more careful where we throw our SNU Church money in our globalised world . It would be nice to see the SNU Trust withdraw from such investments and instead place them in more acceptable and 'aware' endeavours.
'Beyond McDonalds' is one such site heightening our awareness. There is no hardship involved in investigating these corporations for yourself.
Just two years ago the UK Parliament under Prime Minister Tony Blair, together with the Charity Commissioners' for England & Wales approval, published a list of 'PC' and "Fair Trade" companies in which to ethically invest. Strangely, none of these seem to have appeared on the SNU Trust Investments and Equities list.
So how much and who to?
Firstly, let's be absolutely clear here. This is money which is raised through,Subscriptions
Donations
Interest from the loans some of you, like us at Waterloo, have taken out with the SNU Trust!
Profits from its "subsidiary organisations", i.e.; The Psychic Press and The Psychic News.
Here are some of the negative investments pursued by the SNU Trust with your money. Please click on a link to find out more: -
SNU Trust investments/equities cost for the year ending 2000 ...
British Aerospace:
£30,770 [$41,016] Approx.
Dedicated to making weapons of destruction. Possibly the first, and most definitely the second biggest manufacturer of weapons of destruction in the world. Arms suppliers to almost whoever and wherever. Supplying the Indonesian army with Hawk Jets which were used to bomb the indigenous peoples of East Timor. Also involved in the mass manufacture and supply of weapons and/or other combat related equipment.Such companies are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people each year in civil wars, tribal disputes, drive-by shootings, etc. and the fatal injury of thousands more innocents caused by devices such as antipersonnel mines. There isn't a war or battle on this planet that isn't fought using products manufactured by this company.
£30,770 buys a lot of bullets...THINK!!BP:
£27,361 [$36,472] Approx.
Like Shell, BP pay the military of another country to protect their interests which results in the interests of the local people and environment being trodden on, and often in the deaths of those who dare to protest. Click on these links to read more...Exploiting the World's natural resources whilst propping-up 3rd World regimes. BP have recently begun to receive criticism for many of their activities, the most recent for their exploration in the Arctic. Greenpeace have heavily opposed this and were nearly forced into bankruptcy through an injunction served on them by BP.
British Petroleum
British Petroleum Terror PoliceShell:
£26,919 [$35,883] Approx.
The attitudes created by the current system of exploitation gives power and profits to the few, at the expense of people, animals and the environment. It is important to expose the unethical
practices of specific companies as their behaviour is often indicative of the entire system.Even today as I publish this page (6th September 2001) there is an item on the Granada TV News showing the Shell refinery near Liverpool is facing a new blockade of sit-down demonstrators protesting at the company's recent admission that they've been funding animal experiments at the Cambridge based Huntington Life Sciences Test Laboratories where they kill around 1,000 animals per year in experiments. Shell is reported as issuing a statement to the press saying that "these experiments on animals using chemicals are necessary to protect humans".
Shell Oil CompanyRio Tinto [The Mining Giants]:
£27,678 [$36,894] Approx.
Anglo-Australian global mining giant scarring the earth through its open cast mining and other ecologically disastrous endeavours. “We are challenging Rio Tinto management to become more accountable as well as to minimise its risk exposure to serious human rights violations,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “We will be actively encouraging pension fund trustees, money managers and other institutional investors to support these resolutions”.
Rio TintoUnilever:
£25,976 [$34,626] Approx. for 31.12.99
Excessive use of animals for testing products. Remember the poisonous eco-disaster dubbed 'Murder on the Mersey'? This is an Anglo-Dutch company with subsidiaries in many countries. It is a big player in unfairly traded commodities, trading with the south in tea, coffee and vegetable oils. Their
detergent, soap and other chemical subsidiaries have been convicted several times for water pollution offences and they have also been criticised for regressive treatment of workers and for unnecessary testing of cosmetics on animals. More recently they have been accused of making misleading remarks on their stance on the issue of genetic engineering
UnileverSmith Kline Beecham:
£30,438 [$40,573] Approx. for 31.12.99
The company has its own animal testing facilities and it has been accused of unnecessary cruelty in housing its animals. An undercover National Anti-Vivisection Society worker reportedBaby mice having their toes removed
Beagles kept in metal pens with concrete floors and no bedding
Dogs being transported packed two in a crate.
SmithKline Beecham also features on Greenpeace's 'Filthy 50' list of plants licensed by the National Rivers Authority to discharge toxic waste into the rivers and sea. In the year to March 1991, SmithKline Beecham exceeded its discharge consent more than thirty times according to the NRA and/or the RPB. It was found to have breached its consent 19 times since the beginning of 1991. It was also found to have discharged cadmium, nickel and lead for which the company had no consent.Although SKB, Wellcome and Glaxo are considered by many as the backbone of the NHS, they are the biggest pharmaceutical conglommerate in the world. They are a giant. Moreover, it is what they are marketing and practicing in the Third World that is unethical. They, like the other listed companies are not obliged or legally required to place appropriate Dept. of Health Warnings on their products. With this combine...
The Union invests £26,078 with Glaxo Wellcome (31.12.99).
The Union invests £41,297 with Glaxosmithkline (31.12.00).
Smith Kline BeechamBoots plc:
£19,042 [$25,382] Approx.
Boots owns the Farley baby milk company (producers of Ostermilk, Ostersoy, Junior Milk) which was listed as one of the six worst violators of the World Health Organisation's Code on the marketing of baby milk substitutes.Like the other baby milk manufacturers, they promoted their products in the Third World against the principle of mothers breast-feeding their babies. Unfortunately these pharmaceutical companies failed to promote or virulently pursue the idea of clean and uninfected local water. The infant mortality rate has soared where these companies saturate the market.
These investments on YOUR behalf make a mockery of the Seven Principles.All charities publish an Annual Report which clearly shows money raised for worthy causes. In fact all charities proudly and conspicuously boast this to the world in their Annual Reports. Where are the SNU financial statements showing how much they [not the churches] have raised? Unlike the Union, we are told that our churches and centres do not have charity status in their own right, and that would be true; yet the irony is that it is the churches who raise the money for charity ~ not the SNU! Perhaps these figures do not exist?
Indeed, one is hard pressed to find a part in any of the financial statements where part of the total capital turnover, investments and profits have gone specifically and annually to charity. In other words, all the millions are invested for themselves, SNU-centrically, and that is not acceptable!
For the sake of the planet and in order to set the best example, please stop these nasty investments.
Under the banner of the Seven Principles, remember the Third World and your obligations as a richer brother/sister to our poorer brothers and sisters.
Let us make money for worthy causes.
Let us have nothing to do with making money off the backs of those less fortunate than ourselves.
Let our money do no murder.
Ignorance is no excuse.
"Conduct that is prejudicial to the aims and objectives of Spiritualism???"
One would laugh if it were not so obscene.
£255,559+The source for this material has come from the
SNU Trust Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2000 and
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