Research
Earth Community, Green Women, and People-centered Altruistic Economies, Politics and Cultures: A Book Summary and Review of aThe Great Turning from Empire to Earth Communitya (2006)
David Korten, in his book ‘The Great Turning from Empire to Earth Community’ (2006), presents a well-researched summary of human socio-cultural history over the past 10,000 or so years. Before 3000 BC, he argues, human society was organized on the basis of relationships in a form of social organization he terms "Earth Community". Human needs and values were paramount; cooperation was the basic principal of interaction; the earth was respected, and the needs the individual were humanely balanced with the needs of the group. Before Empire, spiritually, gods were generally female, representing the givers of life and sustenance. In human society, women enjoyed a status of full participation, with a voice in all family and village affairs. However, in different periods of empire, women’s egalitarian status transformed and was lost to patriarchal male domination. To eradicate injustice, inequality and exploitation from society, it is important to revive the earth community in order to restore justice and equality in the contemporary society. Significance of the book review: This book creates new knowledge, thoughts and strategies that inspire people to organize them against exploiting empires and to develop partnerships among marginalised people for their well-being in the community. It tells us how to use human potential for creative cooperation and share resources for the creation of community-driven economies that are green, smart, and promote the well-being of all people. This book review promotes a bio-diverse green economy and green women development based on Korten’s ‘Earth Community’ approach. The reviewer of this book thinks this book summary and review provide readers with a synopsis of the book and share David Korten’s ‘Earth Community’ features that might help researchers think and find out ways of making better altruistic community life in the contemporary world.
Grameen Bank and its Sister Organizations-Grameen Chek and Grameen Krishi (Agricultural) Foundation Not Only Providing Credit: They Guide the Landless Families in Bangladesh for their Development
This paper talks about Grameen Bank (GB) micro financing program features, strategies, policies and its two other sister organizations Grameen Chek (GC), involves in manufacturing handloom garments and Grameen Krishi (Agricultural) Foundation (GKF), engages in agricultural activities and irrigation management in Bangladesh. All are social business organizations in Bangladesh. GKF runs its farms ‘no loss basis’. Grameen Bank and Grameen Chek run their programs without receiving external funding; rather these two organizations have operated their programs from their own generated funds. Moreover, Grammen Bank and Grameen Chek are free from external consultants` pressure rather they are developing their programs, policies and implementation strategies by using their in-house staff skills and experience. However, Grameen Krishi Foundation, establishes in 1990, receives start-up external grants from United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United States of America International Aid (USAID) and the Royal Netherlands Government. GKF all programs are designed by the western irrigation management consultants hired by the donors. Donor consultants have prescribed programs for GKF without considering the local socio-economic, geo-agricultural and environmental factors. The donors forced GKF to follow consultants’ inception mission instructions report, which areirrelevant and expensive for add in Bangladesh agricultural farming. As a result GKF ends up huge loss in 1998. The objectives of the study are to explore what strategies, policies and tools GB, GC and GKF use in implementing their programs in Bangladesh; and to identify what steps they have taken to address the issue of poverty and make them success. Why they are unsuccessful if any. The research questions are what are strategies, policies and tools GB, GC and GKF use in implementing their programs in Bangladesh. The paper reflects author’s own working experience working with Grameen Bank, Grameen Chek a
Eradication of Poverty through Community Green Economic Development Utilizing Khas (Government Jurisdiction) Ponds: Lessons Learned from Grameen Motsho (Fisheries) O Pashusampad (Livestock) Foundation (GMPF) in Bangladesh
Grameen Motsho O Pashusampad (Fisheries and Livestock) Foundation (GMPF)-is a sister organization of Grameen Bank (GB) involves in livestock and fish culture, mobilizing poor people engage in livestock and fish production, agriculture, horticulture, homestead gardening, social forestation and bio-gas plants and other community green income generating economic activities to bring improvement in the quality of life of the poor, in particular of poor women. GMPF is managing leased of 1035 Khas (public) ponds having 2557.3 acres of water bodies and 20 fish seed farms leased from the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) for 25 years. The objectives of this study is to examine the policies, strategies and approaches of GMPF community economic development (CED) and to link CED concept with GMPF activities if it benefits to local poor people in Bangladesh. The study research questions are is Grameen Motsho O PashuSampoad Foundation (GMPF) a CED program in Bangladesh? If so, how it works, what approaches and strategies it follows, what are challenges it faces in implementing its programs in Bangladesh. The author writes this paper from his pre-and post-GMPF working experience. The paper contains author’s live experience, review literature, secondary data and interpretative method of analysis.
Islamic Sharia-based Group Microlending Initiative and Implementation Trajectory Experience in Afghanistan
Although some people think the concept of Sharia Law Islamic Banking system is ancient, modernized Islamic Banking has been operating for many decades around the world. Countries such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, UK, Singapore, Pakistan and Bahrain competitively run their Islamic banking side by side with modern commercial banks that are successful in their banking operations and are financially sustainable. However, Islamic Sharia micro financing services are new and rare in the Muslim world although these services can easily help marginalized people to become economic actors in the society and to address the issue of poverty. For example, Islamic Sharia Law Group micro lending initiative and implementation in Kandahar, Afghanistan during 1996-1997 was one of the innovations launched by the author, which was funded and supported by UHCR-Grameen Bank to encourage and upkeep small business development instead of providing only financial aid/relief to Afghan returnees. It was further hoped that the programme success in Afghanistan could lead to a breakthrough in attracting specialized international lending institutions in the overall reintegration process in a country which has long been promoted by UNHCR. The Afghan political leadership expressed their willingness to invite and support the programme in Kandahar in 1996. They confirmed their position indicating that the programme should be designed following Sharia Law. With the consent of the Political Authority (during 1996-1997), this microcredit project recovery strategy was within the Islamic Sharia principles along with the principles of Holy Quranic interpretations of interest. The project applied Sharia lending principles while implementing the project in Kandahar: (1) Modarebah i.e. profit sharing, (2) Bai-Muajjal (sales under deferred payment), (3) Combination of Modarebah and bai- Muajjal , (4) Murabaha (contract sale), (5) Use terms ‘service charge’, ‘administrative charge’ and hyperinflation recovery
