Fidelity puts genocide-free investing on proxy ballots for voting

  • With the March 19, 2008, shareholder meeting less than three weeks away, Fidelity filed the formal proxy materials with the SEC for the unprecendented shareholder vote on genocide-free investing proposal. 
      1. Proposal 3 was summarized on the proxy ballot as:
        Shareholder proposal concerning  board oversight procedures to screen out investments in companies that substantially contribute to genocide
      2.  Fidelity's proxy says that their "Board of Trustees recommends that you vote "AGAINST" this proposal."
      3. Fidelity's proxy says that the "shareholder proposal that would require the Board of Trustees to 'institute oversight procedures to screen out investments in companies that, in the judgment of the Board, substantially contribute to genocide, patterns of extraordinary and egregious violations of human rights, or crimes against humanity.' "
      4. Click here to read the press release from Investors Against Genocide (3/3/2008).
  • Click here to read the SEC filing putting the first 8 funds on the proxy ballot for March 19 (2/29/08 filing).  Formatted copy here.
  • Click here to read the supplemental SEC filing putting 4 more funds from March 19 on the proxy ballot for May 14  (3/28/08 filing).
  • Click here to read the SEC filing putting 5 funds on the proxy ballot for April16 (3/5/08 filing).
  • Click here  to read the SEC filing putting 4 funds on the proxy ballot for May 14 (3/18/08 filing)

Fidelity challenges and loses in SEC decision on genocide-free investing


As of January, the first batch of shareholder proposals for genocide-free investing had been filed with 28 of Fidelity’s mutual funds and with dozens of other funds from Barclays, Franklin Templeton, T. Rowe Price, and Vanguard. The proposal requests that the mutual fund’s “Board institute oversight procedures to screen out investments in companies that, in the judgment of the Board, substantially contribute to genocide, patterns of extraordinary and egregious violations of human rights, or crimes against humanity.”
  • For the first time, mutual fund shareholders will have a voice in whether their savings are invested in genocide. With the Darfur genocide about to begin its sixth year, many mainstream mutual fund companies are still investing in genocide. We believe that ordinary investors, once they learn the facts, will support genocide-free investing. Now that the SEC has cleared the way, we will work to ensure that our genocide-free investing proposal is considered by shareholders of many more mutual funds.
    - Eric Cohen, chairperson, Investors Against Genocide
  • This shareholder action focusing on mutual fund ownership of stocks in companies involved in the Sudan is unprecedented. Never before has the mutual fund industry been challenged through shareholder resolutions to dozens of mutual fund companies on any issue...This opens up a new chapter in mutual fund governance.
    - Timothy Smith, Senior Vice President, Walden Asset Management
Fidelity had sought to exclude the proposal on technical grounds, but the SEC rejected those claims.
  • Click here to read the SEC decision rebuffing Fidelity's challenge (1/22/2008).
  • Click here to read the press release and here for the AP story and here for Reuters (1/24/2008).
  • Click here to read the SEC filing by Fidelity asking the SEC to agree to block the proposal (11/2/2007). 
  • Click here to see the one page shareholder proposal, as filed with Fidelity and the SEC.
  • You can find this page at the SEC by clicking above to read Fidelity's SEC filing and scrolling to page 10.
  • Note that this image shows the initial version of the proposal.  Supporters of genocide-free investing should use the latest version.  See below.

Submitting/supporting shareholder proposals for genocide-free investing

Please join us so that we can file shareholder proposals with hundreds of mutual funds.
  • Click here to learn more about genocide-free investing.
  • Click here to see mutual funds that have a genocide-free proposal pending.
  • Click here to find out what you can do to support genocide-free investing.
  • Click here to find out how you an easily submit a shareholder proposal on genocide-free investing.