A Question on the Poor, Peace, and the Relation to Business Goals

The question in class today:

What surprised you in reading that the academic disciplines of environmental science and economist/banker could contribute to building peace in the world?
What does your discipline of business/real estate contribute to building peace? Are there ways in which business goals and decisions can NOT contribute to peace?

My Response:

The process of creating peace includes creating harmony. When there is a great divide in the distribution of wealth, the poor are the ones who suffer the most. When there is suffering, there is no harmony, and no real peace. The poor are often forgotten and disregarded as one of many social casualties that could not “make it” in this world; when in reality, the odds are stacked heavily against them because the cost of living is ever-increasing, ever-present, and unforgiving. The poor cannot afford to maintain any kind of insurance much less maintain stability, which makes uncertainty a constant companion in a world where cold realities are pervasive and unrelenting.  Such an economic environment can be a demoralizing existence; but for many poor people, they would rather languish in misery than fight for a better life; the reason for this defeatist attitude stems from fear and a lack of self-esteem.

In a video transcript, Wangari Maathai describes how her people are “persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to address their challenges” (Maathai, 2004). I would develop this statement further to say that what she describes is universal. The economic inertia often experienced by poor people is due to fear and a lack of self-esteem that they can make changes happen for themselves.
Real estate contributes to peace in a few ways:

1. It provides shelter
2. It provides a vehicle for building cash flow
3. It can be incorporated into social programs that require a steady flow of operating capital; therefore, ensure the long-term sustainability of such beneficial programs.

In terms of business goals contributing—or not contributing—to peace, it would depend on the intent of the goals. If the goal is to incorporate the business of real estate with programs that contribute towards raising the quality of life for our poor, then the goals are contributing to peace. Business decisions made with no regard towards the impact these decisions have on people are ones that do NOT contribute to peace.

Suzette

References
Maathai, W. (2004, December 10). Nobel Lecture. Retrieved from Official Website Nobel Prize, Oslo: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2004/maathai-lecture-text.html