As every parent knows, when things go quiet in the house, it means that Something Is Going On! We've been quiet here at Faith Plans for the past few weeks because there's so much going on behind the scenes. We're excited to reveal three ground-breaking initiatives which have the potential to transform how faiths influence and impact on the world. Read on to find out more!

• For the first time ever, there will a Faith Pavilion at COP28. FaithInvest, creator of Faith Plans, will be there.

• Launch of a brand new training course in Faithful Finance from the team at FaithInvest, to help you to embed your faith values in your finances.

• A new Daoist ethical investment initiative embedding traditional Chinese beliefs and values.

We love to hear stories from people of faith around the world who continue to do all that they can to protect people and planet, so please do keep sending us your news and updates!

From the Faith Plans Team

Religious groups have been invited to play an integral role at COP28. For the first time ever, there will be a Faith Pavilion at a COP, facilitated by the Muslim Council of Elders.

The Pavilion will host a series of talks and presentations and will also facilitate networking and advocacy among and by faith groups. Pope Francis will attend the COP for the first time ever, which is timely given the recent publication of 'Laudate Deum', his exhortation on the need for climate action and a follow up to his 2015 environmental publication 'Laudato Si''.
 

FaithInvest CEO Dr Lorna Gold, one of the originators of the Faith Plans framework, will give the opening remarks at the Faith Pavilion on Monday December 4. She'll be discussing faith-consistent investing; Faith Plans Key Area 1: Use of assets. Finance is one of the themes for the entire COP that day, and not just in the Faith Pavilion.

Lorna will also be speaking at the Brahma Kumaris press conference / panel 'Ethics at the Heart of the Energy Transition' on Tuesday 5 December, 9.30-10am local time, in the Blue Zone.
 

The Faith Pavilion will host a total of 65 sessions, featuring 300 speakers from every part of the world. 120 faith-based organisations have already signed up to take part, so do let us know if you will be there too, and let's connect!

The dedicated Faith Pavilion website will go live on 30 November 2023, the first day of the COP: https://faithatcop28.com/

This exciting new course from FaithInvest, the creators of Faith Plans, is ideal for anyone interested in the Faith Plans framework, but particularly those of you who are focusing on Key Area 1: Finance.

Faiths own more than 8% of the world's land as well as managing hospitals, schools and community projects. These activities all involve making financial decisions around banking, insurance and stewarding your resources.

Faithful Finance will help you and your board or finance committee to approach your finances from the perspective of your values and embed them in your financial decisions. A limited number of bursaries are available.

Click to find out more and to register now.

Photo: Launch of the World Federation of Daoism at the 5th International Daoist Forum in Maoshan, China

Daoist beliefs and values are being expressed through a new and significant commitment to ethical investing by the China Daoist Association. The Association is supporting the establishment of the first Daoist Investor Hub in Hong Kong in 2024. This Hub will advise followers of Daoism/Taoism to invest in line with their values.
 

This new Daoist ESG/SDG Investor Hub is an integral part of a major expansion of Daoist programmes to support sustainability, and to protect nature. The Hub will develop resources and trainings on investing in line with ESG (environment, social, governance) principles and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, as well as providing guidance on Daoist values.

The newly formed World Taoist Federation will run the Hub. The Federation was established to connect followers of Daoism/Taoism across the world and to liaise with international faith and secular organisations. Advice and support will be provided by the China Daoist Association, FaithInvest and the University of Hong Kong where the Hub will also be housed.

Faith Plans information series

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If you have already developed your Faith Plan, or have a draft Plan ready to go, please let us know! If you would like to showcase your Faith Plan on our website, alongside those developed by other faiths around the world, you can upload it here.