You are here: American University Washington College of Law Impact Initiatives Programs Center Pastprojects Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Back to top

Financial Humanity Project

In 2012, the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law created the Financial Humanity Project to address the problem of global food insecurity caused by uncontrolled speculation in the commodities markets, which drives up the prices of food globally, causing a direct increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty.  The impact of speculation in commodity derivatives on food and energy security has been well-documented, yet misperceptions persist that these exotic financial instruments have no effect on real commodity prices. 

The Project sought to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of commodity speculation among key stakeholders, change-makers and the public at large. With seed funding from the Arca Foundation, the Project focused on educating institutional investors about the link between commodity speculation and food insecurity, and creating an active network of allied civil society organizations.

The Project’s core activities included: (1) the development of educational materials for institutional investors and the public; (2) educational outreach to institutional investors; (3) issue-specific civil society convenings; and (4) the creation of a web-based portal, the Financial Humanity Project Network, designed to serve as a clearinghouse for educational resources related to commodity speculation and food security, and to facilitate greater communication and collaboration across organizations.

For more information about this project, please contact humlaw@wcl.american.edu.