PROPS TO YUNUS

Well, my work with Kiva just got a little busier. I suddenly remember back in February that it was just announced that Bono was nominated for this year's Nobel Peace prize. Well, this year's winner is Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Many consider him the founding father of microfinance. And now, I'm seeing a lot more posts about microfinance in general, and the growing interest in Kiva.

From reading these blogs, I get the sense that people living in an affluent society don't think that giving is necessarily a bad idea. The challenge is finding the right vehicle that is practical and relevant. The fact that Kiva loaners can follow how their "investment" is doing through frequently updated journals and to actually see the progress of how much the loan has been paid back, makes one feel more connected to the cause. YOU START TAKING OWNERSHIP OF WHAT HAPPENS. Plus, most people in this society could easily spend $25 on coffee alone in one week's time without thinking twice. This is more than just giving money out of charity; this is about creating something that is sustainable. This is something that prompts all who are involved (the ones who are in more need and the ones who are in less need) to become better people. Quick, band-aid solutions rarely offer the opportunity for ongoing community and dialogue. But I also realize that this is a journey that everyone needs to travel down (for me, it started with the question "What should I do if a homeless person asks me for money?") and different people will arrive at different intersections.

So, what does Bono do when, in the rare occassion, he doesn't win an accolade for his humanitarian efforts? He goes RED! It's an interesting concept of trying to engage an already materially distracted society for a good cause. Although it's amazing (well, depends on how cynical you are, because it could be seen as an attempt to gain good social responsibility PR credits) to be able to gather such an all star line up of lifestyle branded corporations, it doesn't help to stave our addiction to things. In fact, if you didn't own an iPod up to this point, you might even convince yourself to buy a red one just for the sake of that $10 being donated. It's a good first step; but back to people becoming better people. Nevertheless, the manifesto is worth the read..