Microfinance: Giving Credit to Relationships

Written by Antonella Ferrucci Friday, 26 February 2010 17:18

Book review of Microfinance by Antonio Androni and Vittorio Pelligra, Il Mulino Publisher

Microfinance: Giving Credit to Relationships

 

In 2006, Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank, historical promoter of microcredit programs, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. From that moment onwards, many commentators and specialists literally "jumped on the winner´s wagon," excessively inflating the number of articles and publications on microfinance. During these three years, we have heard two main versions: those who claim to redirect the success of microcredit to a sterile technical and operative question, and those instead who have described it - maybe even more disturbingly - as a "bucolic" phenomenon of rustic solidarity.

Evidently, both campaigns propose an erroneous or at least reductive image of the phenomenon. Andreoni and Pelligra have already been studying this topic for an unquestioned amount of time, and the merit of their book rests in the fact that it is able to successfully frame the phenomenon of microfinance within a well-defined methodological furrow. This innovative, and never as before necessary, operation allows the authors to provide an adequate and unified foundation - theoretical and philosophical-cultural - to the phenomenon of microfinance in its multiple dimensions.

The person in the first place

Written by Chiara Andreola Tuesday, 02 February 2010 18:14

The problem of employment has even strongly found it´s way into the Pope´s latest Angelus. What proposals can be made to react to the crisis? Three questions for Alberto Ferrucci, director of EoC Online.

The person in the first place

The question of work continues to be central in the Italian political, economic and social panorama. Names like Eutelia, Fiat and Alcoa have appeared in the first pages of newspapers for some time already, sad testimonies of more vast employment problems. Even the pope, in the Angelus on Sunday, January 31, faced up to the question, making specific references to the workers of the businesses in question who are present at Saint Peter´s Square. Calling everyone back to "a sense of responsibility" in front of the crisis, he associated these examples with the recent recall by the CEI (Central European Initiative) to guarantee work that isadequate to sustain families. It was a call that arrived exactly the day before the publication of the data on unemployment made by Eurostat, the offical statistics of the European Union. Unemployment percentages are rising all over Europe, reaching 22.8% in Lituania and even 19.5 percent in Spain, until recently shown as land of the new economic miracle. How can we interpret these data, and what should be proposed in front of such a dark picture? We speak with Alberto Ferucci, head director of EoC Online - Newsletter of the Economy of Communion.

Economia 2010, novità dal civile

Written by Paolo Loriga Sunday, 03 January 2010 11:46

Per l’Italia, piccoli segnali di ripresa. Ma cresceranno disoccupazione e precarietà. Le spiazzanti indicazioni dell’economista Zamagni.

Economia 2010, novità dal civile

di Paolo Lòriga
pubblicato su cittanuova.it il 3/01/2009

Non è male iniziare il 2010 con qualche granitica certezza: sarà l’anno dei Mondiali di calcio; le pensioni, da gennaio, saranno più magre; il prezzo del gas salirà del 2,8 per cento nel primo trimestre.Per la nazionale pedatoria, Lippi avrà le sue preoccupazioni. Ma niente a che vedere con quelle di troppe famiglia italiane, che continueranno a gestire un bilancio con entrate ridotte e crescenti uscite. In pari tempo, la Banca d’Italia registra un fenomeno che consideriamo preoccupante: la concentrazione della ricchezza, per cui il 10 per cento delle famiglie ne deteneva a fine 2008 il 44 per cento.

Allergic to family?

Written by Vittorio Pelligra Saturday, 21 November 2009 16:23

Allergic to family?

Written by Vittorio Pelligra

Published in Cittá Nuova N.21/2009

Una scelta per il vivere civile

Written by Vittorio Pelligra Friday, 25 September 2009 15:05

Una scelta per il vivere civile

di Vittorio Pelligra
pubblicato su www.cittanuova.it il 25/09/2009

Gli emendamenti al decreto sullo scudo fiscale hanno esteso la copertura ai capitali frutto di guadagni illeciti. Ma permettere di acquistare il diritto a violare la legge significa mettere in discussione il patto sociale.

Nel precedente editoriale mi ero soffermato su come lo scudo fiscale sia a tutti gli effetti un condono, con le relative inefficienze: più lo si usa, meno è efficace, tanto è vero che il gettito è sempre inferiore alle aspettative.

Non dimentichiamo poi i costi nascosti di tali provvedimenti, che non rientrano nei calcoli presentati dal governo: inviando ai cittadini il segnale che chi evade le tasse è il più furbo, si intacca la loro disponibilità a pagarle. Il rischio di perdere con ulteriore evasione futura più di quanto si sia incassato grazie allo scudo è dunque concreto.

The Encyclical and a "Fraternal" Market

Written by Paolo Loriga Monday, 10 August 2009 08:02

Interview with Stefano Zamagni

The Encyclical and a "Fraternal" Market

by Paolo Lòriga
Published in Città Nuova n.15/2009

Stefano Zamagni, professor of political economy at the University of Bologna, Italy, is a consultant of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the consulting body that follows the themes addressed by "Caritas in veritate".

Which do you consider as "Caritas in veritate´s" most innovative point?

"A first point is the invitation to overcome the separation between the economic and social spheres. In the last three centuries, modernity has left us a model of society which is based on the economic sphere, on one hand, and the social sphere on the other. The economic sphere has an iron-like logic which does not answer to other opinions, to the point that we say "business is business" – compensations occur in the social sphere. That is to say, the social sphere has to provide everything that the market economy typical of capitalism isn’t capable of producing on the plane of justice and equity. Let’s not forget that the welfare state, the social state, is son of this logic of separation. Eighth century thought, and especially 9th century thought - whether on the liberal or statist side of politics - does not alter that model.  Well, Benedict XVI´s encyclical tells us that this is an old way of thinking, because we´ve entered in the post-industrial society and therefore the social element must enter inside the economic one, not at its margin or following it. It’s a notable innovation that can allow the market to go back to being an instrument of civilization, of relationships, and of generative structures."

Scudo fiscale, condono inefficace

Written by Vittorio Pelligra Wednesday, 05 August 2009 12:40

Il recente annuncio del ministro Tremonti riapre la discussione sulla reale utilità di questo strumento

Scudo fiscale, condono inefficace

di Vittorio Pelligra
pubblicato su Città Nuova n. 15/2009

In un noto articolo pubblicato nel 1986 sul Wall Street Journal, due economisti americani, Barro e Stockman, spiegavano ai lettori come l’unico condono in grado di funzionare efficacemente non può che essere anche l’ultimo. Se infatti gli evasori si dovessero aspettare un ulteriore condono, di lì a qualche anno magari, perché mai dovrebbero decidere di aderirvi oggi? Magari perché il governo promette che, dopo questo condono, ci sarà un inasprimento delle pene, un incremento dei controlli e che non ci saranno mai più altri condoni.

Where they endeavor for development

Written by Benedetto Gui Tuesday, 25 November 2008 20:30

In the Brazilian Northeast

Where they endeavor for development

Benedetto Gui

published on Città Nuova n. 22/2008
some meaningful realizations of a community that gets busy to allow the growth of its unwealthiest members.

Edson's off road drives at 50 mph grazing two curtains of leaves that in this season invade the bumpy road that from the town of Redençao goes to Vazantes, a village of approximately two thousand people.

Economy and common wealth

Written by Benedetto Gui Monday, 10 November 2008 22:44

Economy and common wealth

Benedetto Gui
published on Città Nuova n. 21/2008

A book by Stefano Zamagni bring forth a very timely concept.

in the way of thinking of the majority of the experts, and of common people as well, what's at stake in the economy is a sort of big pie made of food, apparel, movie tickets, or hair cuts, that people first produce and then consume. And, as we all known, what I eat, or wear, can not be eaten, nor worn by you. On  that seat  (at the movie theater or at the barber's) at that time, either me or you can sit, but not both of us. In other words, my consumption is mine and your consumption is yours. In the reality, we are not separated at all

L'altro. Scomodo e indispensabile

Written by Zamagni, Stefano Tuesday, 29 July 2008 13:00

Relazione e mercato
L'altro. Scomodo e indispensabile
Stefano Zamagni

L’originalità della riflessione di Luigino Bruni è nel tentativo, riuscito, di trasferire la dualità sofferenza benedizione nell’ambito propriamente economico.

L'idea di fondo che percorre il volume di Luigino Bruni La ferita dell'altro (Il Margine) può essere resa così: l'altro è limite al mio avere, ma necessario al mio essere. L'altro è, ad un tempo, sofferenza e benedizione;...

Città Nuova, N.14/2008