REPLACING THE THIRD ISM WITH THE THIRD WAY:

Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Laureate to Enter Politics (Anjana Pasricha, 21 February 2007, VOA News)

Three decades ago, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, began giving tiny loans to poor people in Bangladesh to help them start small, income generating projects. His path-breaking work lifted millions out of poverty and made him a household name.

Now the "banker to the poor" is taking on an even more formidable challenge - cleansing the country's discredited and divisive political culture. He recently announced plans to start a new political party because he has had enough of what he calls the politics of "disunity and division". [...]

Most people yearn for honest leadership in a country where political corruption is endemic, and where politicians have failed to deliver any real change. But some people worry that the murky world of Bangladesh's politics could taint the image of one of its most popular and respected men. Others doubt he can mobilize wide political support.

The editor of Daily Star, a leading newspaper, Mahfuz Anam, says many are hoping Yunus can create a new culture by focusing on the public good, even if he does not emerge as a major political player.

"Chances of success measured by capturing power through elections may be limited," Anam said, "but in terms of bringing about a qualitative changes in our politics, a politics which is focused on developmental work, focused on concerns of people's lives rather than rhetoric which has engulfed country... he does provide a formidable option."

The Reformation rolls on...

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 22, 2007 6:04 PM