[Los Angeles Times] Evelyn Iritani - The grass-roots campaign to use America's economic heft to help halt the violence in Sudan is gathering steam. The divestment movement is expanding from college campuses to Jewish organizations, evangelical Christians, African American leaders, and security-minded conservatives. Forty-two colleges and universities, including the University of California, Stanford and Harvard, have restricted their holdings in companies with links to Sudan, said the Sudan Divestment Task Force, a Washington-based umbrella group. California and seven other states have begun selling off Sudan-related investments and 17 more are considering doing so. Conflict Securities Advisory Group, a Washington-based firm, is helping its portfolio managers screen out companies operating in Sudan as well as nations such as Iran, Syria and North Korea - countries that the U.S. has designated as state sponsors of terrorism. The Burton G. Bettingen Corp., a philanthropic group set up by a prominent Beverly Hills family to work on children's issues, recently made its $15-million portfolio "terror-free."
2007-04-16 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive