Genuine peace and reconciliation (PAR) usually lead towards regenerative-inclusive development.
We understand peace as enjoying harmony in our basic human relationships through the transforming power of God:
- harmony with the Creator—spiritual transformation;
- harmony with our being—psycho-social transformation;
- harmony with others—socio-political transformation; and,
- harmony with the creation—economic-ecological transformation.
We understand reconciliation as building relationships between antagonists. The primary goal is to seek innovative ways to create a time and a place to address, to integrate, and to embrace the painful past and the necessary shared future as a means of dealing with the present.
When PBCI makes a covenant with our community partners, we see and understand regenerative-inclusive development as follows:
- By regenerative, we mean a normal process of self-reproduction, renewal, or restoration of an ecological system toward a better, higher, or more worthy state. While we start with sustainability — which is the ability to maintain ecological systems at a certain rate or level — we want to seek regenerative development as a foundational principle in this development initiative.
- By inclusive development, we mean (a) enjoying a high, regenerative growth to create and expand economic opportunities; (b) experiencing broader access to opportunities to ensure that members of society can participate and benefit from growth; and, (c) having social safety nets to prevent extreme deprivation.
Such are the basic principles we teach our interns.
And we expect them to apply these principles in the practical world of business.
Our interns combine commerce and social issues in a way that improves the lives of people connected to our ministry of reconciliation. We measure the social entrepreneurs’ success not in terms of profit alone. Our social entrepreneurial interns measure success in terms of people, peace, progress, partnership, and planet.
The social enterprise, to us, are businesses that make money and work toward improving the peace and reconciliation journey of our land. By selling quality goods and services to consumers, which we determine through market research, we seek to help solve conflicts in our land in a sustainable way.
The people who are often attracted to social entrepreneurial principles and practices are those who dream, and are willing to work hard and smart, towards solving a social problem. In turn, social entrepreneurs attract consumers who want to help social problems every time they spend money on something they need or want.
1 comment
The conceptual framework of the project is balanced, comprehensive and theologically accurate, addressing the human condition holistically, not omitting the fundamental human malady brought about by sin (spiritual), the root cause of alienation in its totality (vertical, horizontal: including the total created order). The word “holistic” is often used by many groups but often does not include moral/spiritual/social alienation. I assume you also provide a biblical/spiritual foundation for holistic stewardship of the whole created order (Genesis 1,2). (At this point I will mention that I wrote a 45-page pamphlet, titled “Man the Steward” that includes these headings: God the Creator and Man the Trustee; Man the Worker-trustee; The Nature and Meaning of Work; Work, Rest, and Leisure, The Creation and Use of Wealth; Acquiring and Using Wealth; Wealth and Materialism. A view of stewardship beyond the tithe-offering idea). Another plus to your conceptual framework is your sensitivity to local cultural realities which should overcome suspicion from the receptor communities and is taken as a sign of sincerity and genuineness of purpose of outsiders coming into ethnic communities. (By the way, as I mentioned earlier, our ComDev program at the seminary has long ceased and I want it revived. But the serious lack of the program is a thorough going internship on the field which I hope you will be willing to
provide. Even now as I write, I feel the crucial importance of reviving the program and working with offices involved. But I am also excited to know about what you are doing and how you go about doing it. I sincerely commend you .