Peace Prize goes to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank

nobelprize.org ^ | October 13, 2006

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

The Nobel Peace Prize goes to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below".

[the invisib1e hand]

You are way off base.

All your base are belong to us.

[Moonman62]

“Grameen believes that charity is not an answer to poverty. It only helps poverty to continue,” wrote Yunus in September 2004. “It creates dependency and takes away individual initiative to break through the wall of poverty. Unleashing of energy and creativity in each human being is the answer to poverty.”

If this program leads to people overthrowing their corrupt and totalitarian governments (the darlings of leftists and the UN) I'm all for it. But my comments are based on what I read at the link in post #14. It looks like a program designed to lead to little more than a better poverty. I found it interesting that 90% of the loan recipients are women. Additionally it was implied that their husbands are their oppressors, not their government.

[Fred Hayek]

Amazing. The prize does not go to some thug (Arafat), or an idiot that spews anti-American tripe (Carter), or some socialist has been (Gorbachev - although I give him some credit for realizing that the Soviet Union was over on Christmas 1991 - then again what about Putin, but I digress). What a concept! Peace via economic prosperity via honest capitalism instead of re-distribution of wealth?

[Humble Servant]

"Without the rule of law and private property rights nothing but poverty will follow."

I've been saying that for a long time. I like your wording, and it's going on my wall.

[LadyPilgrim]

Good for him...and Bangladesh!

Capitalism and free enterprise.....
those would be new words to most, if not all these backward countries.

I'm just glad the peace prize didn't go to, you know who!

BTW...Good Morning to you! ;-)

[Ready4Freddy]

An 'off-year', indeed. Americans win all but the Literature prize from the Swedish Committee, and the Literature Laureate is a visiting professor in the US (and was tried for 'insulting Turkishness' recently).

Then the Norwegian Committee awards the Peace Prize to an effort that most of us can applaud. Interesting year for the Nobels.

[Snickersnee]

Yunus sounds like the Bangladeshi "George Bailey."

[Izzy Dunne]

Every single individual on earth has both the potential and the right to live a decent life.

Married people, however...

[Ready4Freddy]

And perhaps that's a vast improvement. Remember where these folks live...

It looks like a program designed to lead to little more than a better poverty.

[Moonman62]

If it improves the quality of life and pays for itself, I'm not going to argue against it, in and of itself.

But when it comes to the big picture, and what is right for the world and what is wrong, I still don't think the Nobel committee gets it, though this year's prize seems to be much better than those of the recent past.

[Eurotwit]

They should have given the peace prize to the Discovery team for their non-aggressive riding in this years TdF.

Seriously though, this is the first price in a long time, that has met nearly unanimous support across the political spectrum in Norway.

The only negative voice I have yet heard comes from NORAD, a major government foreign aid enterprise. No wonder they don't like it. If this takes off, it might just put their corrupt crony behinds out of business.

Cheers.

[Ready4Freddy]

Heya Eurotwit! Long time no talk to, my friend, good to see you!

LOL, on the snarky DSC comment!

Thanks for the local bird's-eye low-down on the reception in Norway.

From what I've read, Grameen had its start as a University project way back in 1976, so I'd say that it's definitely 'taken off'. Dunno if their model has been transplanted to other countries, tho. A poster on this thread, or another, mentioned that this model might work well in the areas of southern Mexico.

[Paulus Invictus]

Private property rights? What, pray tell, are they? I thought the Supremes eliminated such rights from the Constitution and no one seems to be doing anything about that atrocity. The Republic is toast if this is allowed to stand.

[leilani]

R4F they are in Mexico. As a matter of fact I am at this moment wearing a Mayan woven glass bead bracelet made in a village that has received microfinancing for its loom.

Really surprising it's taken so long for Dr. Yunus to get this - the program's a real ray of light for third-worlders living under kleptocratic regimes, especially in Africa.

But it does seem that Disco maybe could have gotten at least some sort of commendation too, doesn't it?

[Ready4Freddy]

Thanks for the info, leilani! I'd seen that the program was in '100 other counties' or so, didn't know any details.

May we assume that no Mayan virgins were sacrificed in the making of your bracelet? ;>)

[leilani]

Well, maybe some Mayan virgins had to sacrifice a half hour after school , but that's probably about all.

[RayChuang88]

One of the most enlightened Peace Prize decisions ever?

ABSOLUTELY.

You know why? Because this is the type of thing that will help lead people out of poverty in the future.

[Int]

Because this is the type of thing that will help lead people out of poverty in the future

Yep. My sentiments exactly. I've personally seen this group's impact and this prize is well deserved. An inspired choice.

[sageb1]

Ping to posts #10 and 11

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1720308/posts?page=10#10

[sageb1]

Ping to posts #10 and 11

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1720308/posts?page=10#10