Blessed are the Peacemakers
"Blessed are the Peacemakers" Jesus Christians are called on to pursue peace and to make peace. Shalom is the challenge of the Jewish, Christian and Moslem faith communities Those who have been seen as peacemakers have often been regarded as controversial figures because they are usually operating on the dark side of the world's affairs, in areas of conflict and personal danger. A Bangladeshi economist has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for helping to lift millions out of poverty by lending tiny amounts of money directly to the neediest people on the planet. This year's prize underlines the importance of economic development as a vital ingredient in peace making. (It would be interesting to review past winners of the prize to realise the many dimensions of peacemaking) Muhammad Yunus and the bank that he formed have been declared joint winners. Using "microfinaince" they are fighting global poverty and bringing opportunities to the world's poorest peope. With tiny loans and financial services they help the poor, mostly women, start businesses and escape poverty. Their global network of microfinaince has already raeched nearly 2.2 million families in 22 countries. As a professor of economics in 1974 he was astonished to learn that women in a nearby village making bamboo stools could not make money because they were being charged extortionate rates of interest. The outstanding loan, which ensured a life of penury, was just $27 (£15). Instead Mr Yunus lent the villagers the money to buy their own materials and cut out the middleman. They all paid him back, day by day, over a year, and his impulsive gesture slowly became a fully fledged business with the founding of Grameen Bank in 1983. "In showing that poor people could be productive and make money he broke with the old mindset that all aid should be about providing services like education and health," said Kevin Watkins, director of the UN human development report office. Since then Grameen has lent $5.7bn, in a country where almost half the country's 140 million people live in poverty. There are 6.5 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women. The idea has spread across the globe. More than 10,000 microfinance institutions are in existence with a loan portfolio exceeding $7bn (about £3.8bn). Muhammad Yusuf recognizes that if financial resources are made available to the poor people on terms and conditions that are appropriate and reasonable, "millions of small people with their millions of small pursuits can add up to create the biggest development wonder". The bank that he founded, the Grameen Bank, is very different to conventional banks. It is mainly owned by poor women, is based in rural areas (as opposed to cities) and goes out to offer help, rather than waiting for ?clients? to come in. Questions raise themselves. Who would you have awarded this year's Peace Prize to and why? What evidence is there that local Christians are making peace? Should there be a local Tarvin/Duddon Peace Prize? PS Personally I would nominate John Plant and Alan Rowlands as joint winners simply for the erection of a litter bin in Tarvin churchyard. The citation reads: "To John and Alan, for turning an area of conflict into a place of hospitality." Who would you nominate? Contact us with suggestions.