Dear Fellow Advocates,

I am writing to formally introduce myself as the new Interim Executive Director of Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ). It is an honor to serve you through this transition period of growth and opportunity at IASJ. Although I am new to this role at IASJ, I am not a stranger to the work, as I sat on IASJ’s Board of Trustees for three years. While on the Board, I served as the Strategic Planning Committee Chair for two years, facilitating strategic planning and oversight of the organization. Furthermore, over the years with various other organizations and groups, I worked on several initiatives, including community and women empowerment, education reform, economic equality, international development, public health, and human rights. With over ten years of experience serving in the non-profit sector, I consider myself a servant of the global community and wish to continue this service in this role for you and the betterment of society during these unprecedented times. 

IASJ proudly stands on a legacy of nearly 50 years, rooted in a commitment to justice that is even more urgent now than when we began. Founded during a time when corporations were profiting from apartheid in South Africa, IASJ has always maintained a clear focus on and commitment to its mission: to challenge and change systems that exploit people, harm the environment, and place profit over the common good. In this time of transition, I wish to foster the growth and health of IASJ and provide support to the staff and their ongoing efforts for the common good. I would like to thank the IASJ Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee for their unwavering support, catering to the sensitive needs of the staff throughout the transition period, and prioritizing the overall good and stability of IASJ.

As we move forward, and in light of our faith-based motivation to radically pursue and promote love, I would like to direct your attention to see the bigger picture magnanimously. We simply cannot afford to have a narrow vision, fixate ourselves on our self-centered, microcosmic differences, and lose sight of the bigger picture – our democracy, planet, and humanity are at stake. The moral compass of being a truly Good Samaritan has been compromised, as the old, harmful, and sinister narrative has labeled communities that do not look like us, talk like us, pray like us, and live like us as foes. IASJ seeks to press forward towards the common good – to sow seeds of love that produce real, flourishing change. In a recent letter of the Holy Father Pope Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America, Pope Francis notes, “The true common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all — as I have affirmed on numerous occasions — welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates the most fragile unprotected, and vulnerable.”

As the Interim Executive Director, I promise to do what I have always done – serve. I promise to continue serving the staff and board to the best of my ability, promoting and fostering an environment of hope, positivity, and fervid determination. Most importantly, I promise to serve you and our neighbors near and far. IASJ has gracefully and tactfully weathered the storms of change and challenge for nearly 50 years, and I am confident that IASJ will expand and continue to do what it has always done – advocate for a world where all creation is respected and protected.

We look forward to continuing the work for the common good, and we thank you as always for your continued support! 

Forward together, 

Ruthly Cadestin

Interim Executive Director of IASJ