Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Education is a human right and a Millennium Development Goal.
Revolutions and street violence are not normally the work of the middle aged but of undervalued and often undereducated youth. For those of us who remember the Brixton riots, you may also remember that a judicial enquiry followed, then a weighty report, since buried and forgotten.
My memories of the events are still vivid, as I was very much involved at the time. Working between the abundance of the City and the poverty of life, a tube ride away. Commuting between my home in Wimbledon Village and my work in Lambeth, two worlds a few miles apart.
Amongst the many lessons I learnt was that if you educate women they will pay society back tenfold. If you fail to educate the men they will turn to violence.
According to a recent special report in the Economist (23rd January) “The Millennials are the brainiest, best-educated generation ever. Yet their elders often stop them from reaching their full potential”.
The education of women in particular can result in violent death, in many societies, a result of ignorance and bigotry.
The much delayed elevation of women in the Church of England, is a reflection of our own slowness to accept that women have a right to education and then a right to attain their full potential.
I want to share with you how some global companies view investment in education. Please take a look at the positive screening undertaken in this sector by Eden Tree Investment Management Limited.
EdenTree Investment Management Limited
This Amity Insight focuses on one of our nine positive screens (or pillars on which our ethical investment process is built):
Education
“Although there may not be a huge universe of companies directly involved in educational services, many companies understand that there is a direct return from investing in education, which is also the most reliable way of delivering economic empowerment and reducing poverty.
To that end, many businesses commit considerable resources to education, training and development programmes across their sphere of influence.
Increasing access to education is at the heart of the Amity Education pillar. Many sectors that we are positive about provide a natural context for promoting learning and development, such as the engineering and pharmaceutical sectors.
In this Insight we look at education as a fundamental human right, the state of education in the world today and the role business is playing in helping to meet the Millennium Development Goal of universal access to primary education, and its effect in lifting people, especially girls, out of poverty.
In so doing we will take a look at just a few of the many inspiring programmes companies are leading in the field of education.”
To read more click here
Please remember, I am not recommending these investments as appropriate to you but as examples of how the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) world operates.
Such a different approach this is from the historical view of investment managers.
Feel free to ask me questions.