Racial injustice has taken center stage in 2020 following the numerous killings of Black people in the United States, with a call to action to fix a system that has failed too many for too long. While these incidents occurred in the U.S., bigotry, discrimination and xenophobia are global issues and every day countless other people around the world are targets based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. This should never happen, anywhere. Unfortunately, these events demonstrate that much work remains to build societies that provide equal justice and respect for all.

The Moody's Foundation Peace & Justice Challenge asks you to think big about ways individuals and communities can act.

Your innovative idea could be a service, product, policy, or another type of innovation such as an initiative — perhaps a public awareness campaign aimed at changing the mindset and behavior of individuals or groups, or a coalition focused on promoting collaborative action in neighborhoods, cities, states, or nations. The challenge is to come up with an action that will help create a more equal and just society.

Together, we can further the cause of equal justice to create a better world. We want to hear your ideas.

One way to start brainstorming is to consider who your “target audience” would be or what particular "need" you want to solve. Here are some thought starters:

• What marginalized group(s) in your community, country or region do you most want to help? (For example, the Black community in U.S., Hispanic/Latinx migrants in the U.S., Syrian refugees in Europe, aboriginal community in Australia)
• Are you interested in helping the impacted group(s) directly? Or are you more interested in engaging other entities such as corporations, governments, or non-profits?
• Are you interested in changing the mindset or behaviors of family, friends and greater society? Or are you more interested in creating systemic/institutional change?
• Are you interested in how this SDG impacts different geographic regions? Or are you more interested in how this SDG impacts your own geographic region?
• Are you more concerned about impacts in developed nations or more interested in developing nations?

At Moody's, our purpose is to bring clarity, knowledge and fairness to an interconnected world. Remaining true to our values means standing unequivocally with the Black community against racism and inequality.

To demonstrate our support, earlier this year Moody's committed $1 million over the next five years to promote equal justice and advancement of the Black community, including a $100,000 donation to the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a non-profit organization focused on providing education on racial and economic injustice. Through our Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion teams as well as our employee-led Black Inclusion Group, Moody's is in the process of identifying additional opportunities and ways to support racial justice organizations and initiatives, including pro bono and employee activities.