By Bruce Epperly*
On New Year’s Day, for the past several years, I have read Dag Hammarskjold’s spiritual diary, Markings. Most of my generation remember Hammarskjold as the Secretary General of the United Nations (1953-1961), who died in a plane crash, while trying to mediate a military conflict in central Africa.
Our hearts and minds are with the Ukrainian people and their families and loved ones, as they face unprovoked Russian aggression with resolve and courage. We express our fervent prayers for peace and resolution alongside yours and millions of others.
We thought you would appreciate a brief update on financial markets and your retirement savings, considering the significant volatility, and wanted to address any impact from Russian domiciled assets.
On February 24th, we woke up to the news that following months of military buildup along the borders, Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his armed forces to invade Ukraine. Missile strikes targeted key Ukrainian cities, including the capital city of Kyiv, as well as military installations and airports. Ukrainian civilians have taken up President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to arms to defend the country’s independence. This latest development in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War threatens to become the largest European conflict since World War II.
Walter A. Reyes, the Pension Boards’ Chief Human Resources Officer, is serving on the advisory committee of the United Church of Christ’s Join the Movement toward Racial Justice—a campaign to partner with others who are working for the transformation of racism in our world. “The role I will play in Join the Movement,” says Reyes, “is to curate stories of life experiences of diverse people groups here at the Pension Boards and share those across the United Church of Christ as part of our cultural transformation journey.”