How do you know that you’re exactly where you need to be?
Vanguard’s customers want to know what it’s doing about the risks of climate change, but it holds tightly controlled public meetings where company leaders avoid the topic. Its recent shareholder meeting, the first in eight years, was no exception.
The day before the shareholder meeting, we showed up near Vanguard CEO Salim Ramji’s home in Philadelphia and had Meeting for Worship-turned direct action. We were there to show that we were watching what would happen and to call on Ramji to steer Vanguard in a better direction.
Then, the next day, while Vanguard’s shareholder meeting was happening, we had a virtual Meeting for Worship with Quaker Earthcare Witness and people from across the country. We held the fund trustees being elected – and all company leadership – in the light, praying that they’ll find the courage to invest for a livable future.
Read on to hear from outgoing EQAT Campaign Organizer, Harrison, about the action in Philadelphia and from longtime EQAT volunteer, Judy, about the virtual worship. We hope to see you soon at an upcoming event as we continue to grow, train, and build in the Vanguard S.O.S. campaign!
From Harrison:
“What does it feel like when the world smiles kindly upon you? How do you know that you’re exactly where you need to be?” The answers to these questions were shining as brightly as the surprise of a late February sun that morning in the heart of Philadelphia. Today was action day. Folks were coming together from all corners of the city and the surrounding suburbs in Rittenhouse Square, with the understanding that today *something would happen*. I didn’t know when I rolled to the park what kind of happening we would create together. But I had faith in the seeds.
I locked up my bike and made my way towards our meetup spot. Everyday people – strangers to me before, friends to me now – were already gathering to hold Meeting For Worship that morning, in the Quaker tradition, in the plain air of Rittenhouse Square and underneath the sparkling windows of luxury high rise condos. Some of these are described as “the most spectacular homes the city has ever seen,” and one of them belongs to the new CEO of Vanguard, Salim Ramji – a man with the ability to make a difference in the lives of every human being on the planet. Our group convened below with handshakes, hugs, and laughter. Little did I know then, but the seeds were already sprouting.
Vanguard is the second largest asset manager in the world, managing over $10 trillion of individuals’, organizations’, and corporations’ investments. They are also the world’s largest investor in fossil fuels and the second largest investor in expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. It seems every month or so there’s some terrible, unprecedented tragedy that comes as a consequence of Vanguard’s propping up of the fossil fuel industry. Most recently, we’ve seen flooding in Appalachia (a region previously referred to as a “haven” from the climate crisis) and apocalyptically devastating fires in Los Angeles. Do everyday people really want their money to grow more devastation? Last year, Vanguard decided not to support a single social or environmental shareholder proposal that was voted on by its stewardship team – and there were 400 of them. It really follows then that the people would take the issues they care about – clean water, healthy air, a livable planet – directly to Salim Ramji’s doorstep.
As more and more folks joined our group, the leader for our action welcomed folks in and oriented them to the space. We spent some time talking individually and together about why we were there, what we would do together, and which individuals present could answer any questions. Some individuals were there to lead us in worship, others to help preserve the space we created together. Some individuals were handing out flyers – some were older than my parents and others were college students. EQAT has a way of making everyone feel important – whether or not you have a specific role. I noticed that the smiles I saw that morning were the same for everyone, whether their specific role had a name that day or not.
A spiritual grounding followed. I’ve seen over the months how unforeseeably powerful these groundings can be. We root ourselves in our intentions, to the earth underneath us, and to the people standing together. There’s a real sense of community that sprouts from the seeds we communally sow when we create intentional spaces like this, an energy full of life and community, just underneath the surface. We embraced growing together, among other growth germinating in the soil – it’s one of EQAT’s core principles.
As someone newer to Quakerism, I have also learned about how Meetings For Worship are an inclusive and powerful demonstration of how individuals can come together to make space for the divine in all of us, led by the wisdom of the group. Traditionally, these practices take place inside Quaker meeting houses. But EQAT has been bringing this type of worship to people that have the power to change how corporations do business. And as the group readied to turn inward, I felt moved by someone’s earlier reflection – What if everywhere is holy? What if we are actually in worship all the time?
As our spiritual anchor moved us into worship, I watched as this group sat silently in the park, and in so doing, radiated power outwards. It was tangible, in the air – I could see that everyone walking nearby would either look, take photos, stop, or talk to individuals on the outskirts to ask us questions. Individuals passing out flyers at the farmer’s market did the same, and even encountered a Vanguard employee, with whom they shared a genuine conversation. Sometimes I remind myself that if protesting didn’t work, the rich and powerful wouldn’t try and hide it from the people. Seeds are growing, and as they do, they build the health of the soil around us.
There are a few other things I could share about what this action meant to me, but everything pointed to community. We are doing this, together. The universe smiles kindly upon us because we smile kindly back, living exactly where we need to be. We pray that Salim Ramji holds the needs of the people and the planet in his decision-making. We hope that he acts upon the future we wish for his own children, and all of the children of the world with a right to a healthy life. We trust only in the power of the people, because we’re all we’ve got. But we’re also all we need. And we will only continue to grow until that truth becomes our inevitable, collective future together.”
From Judy:
“In late February, we Earth Quaker Action Team members organized prayerful action near the house of Salim Ramji, Vanguard’s new CEO. We also organized virtual worship to pray during Vanguard’s shareholder meeting the next day.
The invitation to participate drew my attention: “If you can’t join us in person tomorrow, or even if you can, I hope you plan to join us for virtual worship as we pray during Vanguard’s shareholder meeting!” Since I was not able to attend the action near Ramji’s home, I signed up right away for the virtual worship the following day.
That worship was led by our own Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Lina, who reminded us that Quaker worship is held in silence. And if someone is led by Spirit to share spoken or sung responses, following that leading is part of Quaker tradition.
Next, we were reminded that the people who were being elected during the Vanguard shareholder meeting have the power to stop fueling climate change. Lina read the names of all those fund trustees who were being voted on at the meeting that morning. As I sat in contemplation, I remembered the names of some of the people we were holding in the light. I took the moment to write down some of their first names: David, Rebecca, John, Peter, and Salim – likely having the same meaning as peace or safety. These are ancient names that I know from reading the Old Testament.
So, my prayer for these Vanguard leaders was that they make that biblical connection, that they honor the earth in the ways that the traditional origins of their names espouse. Their namesakes – nomads and farmers – lived in harmony with their surroundings.
I am so grateful for prayerful moments like these that I have shared with my EQAT Friends over these 12+ years that I have participated in our environmental actions. I draw comfort and surety in knowing that a higher power is being called upon to guide us and is ensuring our integrity as we forge ahead with the Vanguard S.O.S. campaign.”
Top photo by Harrison Mace
