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Each November, the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) celebrates Banking on Values Day as a way of encouraging their members to publicly vocalize their social and environmental commitments. GABV is a global network of financial institutions that have developed business models that operate in service to people and the planet. Founded in 2009 by 10 banking pioneers, GABV now has over 70 members across 45 nations. Each of these banks and credit unions employs sustainable initiatives that reimagine finance as a force for good.
While GABV members focus on these initiatives and principles year-round, GABV dedicates a few weeks in November toward doubling down on its communication efforts, promoting its core causes. This campaign, known as Banking on Values Day, began in 2014 and over the years, the day has become less of a “day,” and more of a two-week celebration that traditionally begins toward the end of the first week of November each year. November 7, 2024, marks the 11th anniversary of the first-ever celebration. In honor of this holiday, GABV runs an annual awareness campaign encapsulating a different theme each year. This year’s theme is ‘Transforming Banking. Transforming Lives,’ and it is titled that way to set the tone for 2025. These themes also correspond to the GABV Annual Member meeting, which was held in Italy in 2024.
Sonia Felipe is the Global Head of Communication and Marketing at GABV. She has been with the organization since May 2021. Her work in communications helps guide values-based banks across the globe through the development of consistent sustainability messaging.
"[Banking on Values Day] is important because it is a moment where all the members can communicate the same message together and exemplify the diversity and richness of the movement,” Sonia said. This year’s theme is Transforming Banking. Transforming Lives, and it is an invitation to discover how values-based banks are already delivering positive impact for millions of people, transforming their lives. By providing products and services that address the unique needs of their communities and the most pressing global issues, values-based banks drive the urgent transformation towards a fair, greener and inclusive economy.
To learn more about member banks are transforming banking practices and lives, visit the website.
To further promote this campaign, GABV has implemented a series of events that serve the purpose of educating its global community on GABV member diversity. There will be four official webinars held virtually from different regions across the world. All content will be available online to ensure that people globally have the opportunity to consume the information, regardless of where they are. These events are open to anyone, and the schedule is as follows:
In addition to these events, activist media platform We Don’t Have Time is holding a free, 30-minute broadcast from COP 29 on Nov. 14.
“In the past, we created just one webinar, but this year we are creating the space for 14 member banks representing 15 countries across four different webinars, all in different regions of the world. This is because we wanted to showcase the diversity of the movement," Sonia explained. “We thought one single event was not enough. Because of the time difference, some parts of the world were left behind. So, we thought this year we would have these four events in the weeks after the 7th of November so we could use all the noise and visibility of the day. We’re delighted that Climate First Bank is going to participate in one of them.”
In accordance with this year’s theme, GABV focuses on how values-based banks are Transforming Banking and Transforming Lives in six main areas that they encourage their members to promote during Banking on Values Day. These topics include Affordable Housing, Biodiversity & Nature Conservation, Women Empowerment, Clean Energy, Financial Inclusion and Peace & Social Justice. Each of these topics is highly relevant to each of the banks in the alliance. GABV has produced a series of articles covering this with input from its members.
With the escalated efforts to demonstrate inclusion in their webinars, members of the GABV across the world are able to provide educational access to their client bases. Member institutions are encouraged to promote these events as well as to hold their own community education sessions and release marketing collateral both internally and externally.
Customers looking to become involved with the mission are encouraged to tune into these events and spread the word via social media. To celebrate Banking on Values Day, visit the GABV website and register for their webinars. Each webinar comes at no cost and is available internationally. Together, we can advance this movement and create a brighter tomorrow.
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