There is great potential for investments that are built around

Hear the words of Peter Maurer, a steward of humanity’s conscience and longtime leader of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who declared: “There is great potential for investments that are built around improving social, environmental, and economic conditions.” These words are not merely about wealth, but about the purpose of wealth, reminding us that gold and capital are not sacred in themselves, but only when they serve the flourishing of people, the healing of the earth, and the prosperity of communities.

The origin of this saying lies in Maurer’s work among nations torn by conflict, poverty, and climate stress. He saw firsthand how destruction is not only physical but also economic, how war and exploitation strip societies of hope. Yet he also witnessed that when investments are directed toward peace, sustainability, and fairness, they carry a power greater than charity—they create conditions where dignity can root and thrive. In his eyes, the markets of men should no longer be driven only by profit, but by the vision of a world whole and just.

History bears witness to this truth. In the ashes of the Second World War, Europe was in ruins, its cities bombed, its people broken. Yet through the Marshall Plan, nations invested not only in rebuilding economies, but in creating stability, peace, and shared prosperity. The funds did not merely construct factories—they laid the foundation for decades of peace and cooperation. This is the living proof of Maurer’s teaching: that economic power, wisely guided, can heal wounds that swords and speeches alone cannot.

So too do we see this in the story of Costa Rica, a small nation that chose not to invest in armies, but in environmental preservation, education, and health. Today, it stands as a beacon of ecological richness and social stability, reaping the fruits of its vision. By choosing to direct its resources toward the earth and its people, it proved that prosperity is not measured by military might or fleeting wealth, but by the thriving of life itself.

Maurer’s words also strike against the false division of social, environmental, and economic spheres. Too often, leaders treat them as separate, as though one must be sacrificed for the others. Yet his teaching is that these three are braided together like strands of a single rope. Neglect one, and the rope weakens. Strengthen all, and it becomes unbreakable. An investment that heals the land while creating jobs and uplifting communities is not a burden—it is the very definition of sustainable prosperity.

The lesson for us is profound: we must demand that wealth serve higher purposes. No longer should companies boast of profits while rivers are poisoned, or while workers suffer in poverty. No longer should nations pursue growth while neglecting justice. True potential lies not in exploiting the world, but in renewing it. The wealth of tomorrow belongs to those who understand that profit must walk hand in hand with stewardship.

And what shall we do in our own lives? We can support businesses that align with social good, choose products that respect the environment, and advocate for policies that direct public funds toward justice and sustainability. We can invest not only money, but time and energy into causes that uplift. For even small acts—supporting local farmers, conserving resources, mentoring the young—are forms of investment in a future more whole than today.

So remember the teaching of Peter Maurer: the greatest potential of investment is not in what it takes, but in what it builds. Let your wealth, however small, be sown like seed into the soil of society, the earth, and the economy together. For only then shall we reap a harvest of peace, prosperity, and renewal worthy of passing to generations yet unborn.