As I sit here leafing through the Guardian, eating fair-trade organic handcrafted-by-Buddhist-monks-in-Tibet chocolate, in my Moses sandals, with the whirr of a wind turbine in the background, I’m also thinking about when I will next get my chance to embrace my nearest tree and tell it how much I love it. Ok, this is maybe [...]
Wednesday, 25th March, 2009
Sustainable Living
Wednesday, 18th March, 2009
Fairtrade
I’m sure that most of you are well aware of the benefits of Fairtrade, the certification process that ensures that farmers in developing countries receive a fair price for their produce1. During Fairtrade fortnight I was reminded of the importance to look behind the label of the products that we buy. It is expected that [...]
Wednesday, 11th March, 2009
Smile, you are ethically banking!
You have all heard of the Coop, right? Well a few years ago the “Co” started an internet only banking organisation called “Smile”. It was the early days of internet banking and only the young and foolhardy like myself were willing to part with the traditional bricks and mortar bank approach and commit my money [...]
Wednesday, 4th March, 2009
Giving
This really doesn’t seem like the time to be talking about giving as we begin to feel the pinch of the ‘current economic climate’? I’m sure for those of us who are having our hours cut or looking for new jobs, thinking about why and how we give is probably the last thing on our [...]
Wednesday, 25th February, 2009
Ethical finance
Ethical finance is twofold, it’s about using our money responsibly and it’s about conducting our personal finances with integrity. It’s about managing our money with a conscience. The event on 28th February will look at both aspects with practical and theological applications. I have lots of thoughts on this but I will begin with a [...]
Friday, 20th February, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to JustLife, a space dedicated to exploring the connections between faith, money, justice and lifestyle. On Saturday 28 February at 10am, a Tearfund breakfast workshop called Invest for Life is happening in Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian Church in East Belfast. It’s on money – the theology and practice of giving, budgeting, investing and using our money for the good [...]