DAYTON, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amid the rapidly growing global divestment movement, the University of Dayton, the first Catholic university to divest from fossil fuels, will hold a Nov. 5-7 conference on the "how to" for organizations considering changing investment goals in line with Pope Francis' climate encyclical.
The conference, Acting on Pope Francis' Call: Divestment and Investment in Care for Our Common Home, will focus on practical considerations, including case studies from organizations that have divested, building support for divestment, opportunities in renewable energy and communication strategies.
"When the University of Dayton decided to divest from fossil fuels in 2014, we also made a commitment to advance the conversation about divestment," said Paul Benson interim provost. "This conference is geared to help organizations navigate the divest-invest process from the ethical, organizational, relational and financial perspectives."
Keynote speaker Stephen M. Colecchi, director of the Office of International Justice and Peace for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will discuss the pope's encyclical on climate change and Francis' call for bold action locally and globally.
Faith organizations around the world have been in the lead on the divest/invest movement, and it's rapidly gaining steam — the state of California, pension funds and others are moving to divest.
The divestment movement both in the U.S. and around the world is growing dramatically, according to a recent report by conference co-sponsor Arabella Advisors, with commitments from institutions and individuals representing $50 billion in assets growing to $2.6 trillion in just the past year.
Conference speakers will include representatives of organizations that have divested, faith organizations, student activists and financial advisors who have helped institutions select investments in line with divest/invest goals.
Conference organizers include the University of Dayton's Hanley Sustainability Institute, Wallace Global Fund, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, Healthcare Without Harm, GreenFaith and Arabella Advisors.
Registration is $250 for individuals and $120 for students. For more information on the conference schedule, participants and to register, visit http://udayton.co/CdZ.
Follow the conference @univofdayton and #UDDivestinvest.
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SOURCE University of Dayton
