As we look back at the first decade of the 21st century, taking a very broad...
Recent Articles
Making CSR Work Against Poverty
I have to admit: exploring the role of poverty alleviation in CSR is indeed a ‘tricky’ idea. Beyond mere pure philanthropy (some of which is sadly more like photo-op sessions), ‘what can corporations do to seriously address the poverty issue’ is one of those proverbial million dollar questions. Still, here is an attempt to put […]
The Double Bottom Line Marriage in Microfinance: Who Wears The Pants?
Microfinance was born out of an impulse by social entrepreneurs and development practitioners (and others, including self-help groups of poor people themselves) who wanted to do something about the lack of access to affordable and reliable financial services (especially loans) by the poor. Mohammad Yunnus and Stuart Rutherford, two action-researchers working in Bangladesh, proved to […]
The Ambulance is More Muslim Than You
That was the answer Abdul Sattar Edhi gave to a question when once asked ‘why must you pick up Christians and Hindus in your ambulance?’ By any stretch of imagination, Abdul Sattar Edhi is an enigma to most people. None of us truly understand him. I often think that Edhi walks a fine line between […]