As I reflect on 2023 and prepare for 2024, I wanted to name a few inquiries that have begun to marinate inside of me. As Rilke says: Live the questions!
Big Picture
A couple macro trends I hope for over the next few years:
- Will more folks begin to name the mirage that is Green Capitalism’s False Solutions?
- Will the community investing movement name the ethical entanglements of 401ks? If they do, will meaningful alternatives emerge?
On a more personal note
- Might the Franciscan lineage continue to lead and guide Catholic Impact Investing?
- Will allies form a US Alternative Finance Network that accompanies Latin American Jesuits & their social enterprises?
- Can we design an investment belief survey to expose the fear / insecurity / anxiety that prevents finance committees’ from actually investing their values?
Integrating with the big picture
- The war for Civil Rights came to impact investing (and philanthropy) in 2023. Will racial justice proponents within impact finance build enough power to push back?
- Can social movements mount a meaningful resistance to the forces destroying the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous protectors?
I hope to share a few more notes as a kind of Year-in-Review, but for now, I’d love your quick thoughts.
What other questions should I be asking?