Peace and Microfinance

Since the day in 1976 when Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus pioneered microlending, microfinance has proven to be an efficient and sustainable weapon against poverty. Results have shown that giving individuals the tools and resources to succeed on their own can produce a better outcome than a traditional aid package.

At LendforPeace.org we aim to tie the power of microfinance to the notion that economic stability is a necessary component of a lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

Without the opportunity to earn enough to feed one's children, a person is desperate for a source of hope and dignity. We created LendforPeace.org with the goal of giving Palestinians the opportunity to provide for their family and add positively to their community and to the political process. We believe that economic growth leads to increased political stability and therefore believe that addressing the issue of individual economic self-sufficiency means addressing a fundamental driver of conflict.  We also believe, however, that there is inherent good to be done by facilitating the improved standard of living and sense of hope that our entrepreneurs experience.

LendforPeace.org brings together people of all faiths and backgrounds to do something constructive. It humanizes both sides of the conflict and affords users of the site from all around the world an opportunity to gain a more personal view of the Palestinian experience. LendforPeace.org will go a long way in contributing towards the healing process of Palestinians when they learn that LendforPeace.org was founded by and is funded by Jews as well as Palestinians working together. Lastly, by helping Palestinians create a self-sufficient society, it will improve the probability of success of any future peace accord and of Palestinians and Jews co-existing in peace.

While there are many contentious issues in this region of the world, we can all agree that there is no winner in poverty.  By encouraging economic opportunity and hope through microfinance, LendforPeace.org seeks to foster stability and peace in the Middle East.