Sample Divestment Letter to Mutual Fund Company
 

Note: In your mutual fund informational materials, look for Siemens AG, Alcatel SA, ABB Ltd, Tatneft and PetroChina. These large companies all have Sudanese business interests. It's important to let the mutual fund company know why you are selling your shares to cause them to consider their complicity in holding Sudanese business interests in their portfolio.
 

Your Name
Your Address


Date

Mr. John Doe
President and Chief Investment Officer
Acme International Fund
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Doe:

As a shareholder of Acme International Fund, I want to inform you that I am selling my [xyz] shares in the fund. Here's why: The fund lists in its top holdings [name company or companies], which is/are doing business in the Sudan. I do not want to own shares in an international company that is doing business with a regime which is attempting to destroy part of its citizenry through genocide, is using rape as a means of terrorism, and which has created a massive refugee crisis.

More than 180,000 have died since fighting began in February 2003 in the Darfur region of Sudan. An estimated two million others have been forced to flee the region. This has been brought about by the government in Khartoum which has benefited greatly from foreign business investment, including that from [name company or companies].

I ask that as a matter of business ethics that your company divest shares of [name company or companies] and any other companies that are doing business in the Sudan. I am among a growing number of private citizens that believe that we need to take the important step of divestment to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the genocide and allow the people of Darfur to return to their homes without fear of further attack.

Sincerely,


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