Insurance Leader Will Head International Foundation To Address "Human Ecology".

• Position: INSURANCE ADVOCATE [IN THE NEWS]

* Marking the sixth Anniversary of his landmark encyclical, Laudato, Si, Pope Francis expressed his keen interest in seeing his encyclical's focus, "human ecology" translated into action over the years ahead. During a May 26th meeting in Rome, the St. Francis Day Foundation, a non-profit organization to serve mankind through a series of mandates was born, as the Pope gave his blessing to a groundbreaking global effort. The use of a Foundation format follows the examples of the Pope's predecessors who have dealt with social issues from the vantage point of Christian and universal ethics to realize societal and spiritual wellbeing across continents and ages.

The new Foundation will be chaired by insurance leader, Mr. Steve Menzies, Chairman of Applied Underwriters, an exponent of care for injured workers, of public diplomacy and strategic philanthropy, who met with the Pope for several hours, at his residence in Rome to plan set the agenda for the Foundation's work.

Mr. Menzies has committed a cornerstone grant from the Steve Menzies Foundation to set the organization, New York operation, staffing and initial project funding, as benefactors join with pledges of support.

To begin, on October 4th, 2022, the day St. Francis is celebrated each year, the Foundation will announce a major program that will involve technology, human spiritual wellbeing and, specifically, related social and personal implications of artificial intelligence --all in keeping with the messages of the Encyclical. The words of the encyclical and the example of Francis of Assisi have provided a context for the Foundation's planned, far reaching social and civic impact, namely what Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis have identified as the need for engendering respect for nature, for civil discourse and civility and for the plight of the disadvantaged through educational, cultural, civic and social initiatives.

Foundation plans include setting of the first regional centers in Rome with the addition of others on each continent subsequently to serve as operational bases for the Foundation's work. The Foundation's Board, currently in formation, will include leaders from the worlds of academe, diplomacy, commerce, the arts and public service.

Mr. Menzies stated: "As responsible insurance executives whose Companies pride themselves on having a "good soul" at the center of our commerce, we have...