Dividends, Values, and Humanity

Every few days, a good friend of mine (thanks Brent) sends me a document that contains quotes designed to make me think. His themes tend to focus on the dichotomy of wealth that exists in the world. Yesterday he sent me one that I wanted to share with you:

The 225 richest people in the world have a combined wealth of more than $1 trillion,
equal to the annual income of the poorest 47% of the earth’s population,
some 2.5 billion people.
~United Nations Development Report, 1999 ~

The United Nations estimates the cost of combating AIDS to be $10 billion a year.
UN member countries contributed $3 billion in 2002.
~ Guardian Weekly, 2002 ~

I am a capitalist at heart. I love money – I love earning it, spending it, and saving it in dividend paying stocks. For the capitalist in me, it would be very easy to ignore these messages and disregard them as someone else’s problems. I wish I was one of the 225 richest people in the world. I don’t have AIDS. I don’t know anyone who has AIDS. What does it matter to me if an extra $7 billion per year would cure AIDS. Those people that made that money have no obligation to us – why should THEY have to share it?

But then I stop and think for a second. Am I really that big of an a-hole? I hope not. I know I have a much better value system and it is my responsibility to let my true values express themselves on a daily basis.

I value living a secure, comfortable retirement. To help me build a life that will achieve this value, I invest in dividend paying investments. I also value contributing to ‘the greater good’ of those of us on earth. I need to set up specific goals that will help me express this value. But how can I help – I am not one of the world’s richest people? I think that is the point of these particular quotes. Every little bit helps. Therefore, it is important to me, based on my own value system, that I contribute to my own retirement AND look beyond me and my own domain and invest in the good of humanity, no matter how small. That is a pledge I have made to myself and my personal finance plans reflect this. I am a Rotarian and our club gives hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to both local and global organizations. I give to the Run for the Cure and I have delivered gifts for Santa’s Anonymous. It may not be much, but it still makes a difference. It makes me happy.

P.S. If you want to read more about investing using your own personal values, I recommend checking out Laura Rowley’s article, The Elusive American Dream.

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