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stronger than Ariel Sharon's tanks. We are a grassroots movement, and we will succeed." —Hisham Jabi, Jozoor Microfinance Muslims and Palestinians to get them actively involved on the board, as potential partners and as our chief operating offi- cer," Berkett explains. "And in the next six months, we'd like to take our existing loan program and turn it into an actual investment program—right now, people can donate money, but they cannot invest. We'd like to create a socially respon- sible investment program, where people can invest money in our programs and get a one percent rate of return which would then be invested in the Palestinian economy." To make Jozoor and Shurush work, the three know they tanks," Jabi says. "We are a grassroots movement, and we will succeed." To read more about Shurush Microfinance and Jozoor Microfinance, visit www.shurush.org and www.jozoor.org. Shurush, the partners cite a quotation from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed cit- izens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." It's their message to those who believe small ven- tures such as theirs can't have an impact. "Our voice and passion are stronger than Ariel Sharon's cannot rely on a support system in the U.S. Instead, they must build a support system within the Palestinian communi- ty. "In the U.S., the most important issue is often financial support. But in Palestine, the supporting system is the social system," Jabi explains. "You have to be very careful to take into account the culture." Their efforts have become even more important as the Palestinians' access to larger cities in Israel has become blocked due to restrictions on their travel. "People have been forced to do business locally," Berkett says. "They will need services to open in their own villages, from bakeries to bar- ber shops." To illustrate the spirit behind the efforts of Jozoor and Berkett explains. Jabi has begun a new business under the Jozoor name that will work on raising more capital and developing a long-term plan. Berkett and Pomerantz will continue their work under a new company name— "Shurush," which means "roots" in both Arabic and Hebrew—and plan to begin lending immediately. Under Shurush, they have partnered with the East Jerusalem YMCA to support the organization in disbursing the first set of loans this year. "We are in the process of bringing in a number of December; he handled business strategy and communica- tions within the Palestinian community. This September, Jozoor split into two separate entities, that brings life into the world and what will create a context in which terrorism is the least desirable alternative." 'A Drop in the Ocean' Even as Middle Eastern countries continue to cope with unrest, their importance to the global marketplace is undeni- able. Therefore, multicultural study that explores the Arab perspective has never been more valuable to global stability and security. It's an area where business schools could have substantial impact, says Timothy Fort, associate professor of business law and business ethics at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor. He is a strong advocate for business contributing to a global sustainable peace. "In the past, most educators thought the market would efforts, big and small, say these educators. The actions of business schools, faculty, and studentsmay seeminsignificant when balanced against a phenomenon as deep-rooted and wide-ranging as terrorism. Nevertheless, when small efforts are continually conceived and collectively sustained, many people believe they can effect lasting and significant change. For more information on the initiatives of the Center for drop in the ocean," Fort argues. He refers to the first con- ference he attended for corporate governance and sustain- able peace, when these issues were first coming to the fore. "There was a parade of people from nongovernmental organizations and corporations. They all said, 'We don't have the authority, we don't have the power.' They pointed around the room at each other, saying, 'You're the one with the power,'" Fort recalls. "They all believed these issues were too big for one company." The fact remains that these issues will require collective Business as an Agent ofWorld Benefit and its practice of "affir- mative inquiry," visit its portal at worldbenefit.case.edu. s z BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 45 to encourage students to tackle what may seem to be the ultimate Sisyphean task. Any venture they propose may seem to be the proverbial "drop in the ocean" when it comes to stopping terrorism. Even so, he believes that such an attitude is counterproductive and misses the impact individuals can have on any problem, no matter how great. "When you look at any large problem, everything's just a work these things out on its own, but that's not the case," Fort says. "Business schools should foster an atmosphere where it's safe for students and faculty to ask the question, 'What can we do?' We've shown a correlation between busi- ness activity and the prevalence of violence.Wemust give stu- dents the chance to study these connections more closely." Fort recognizes that business educators may be reluctant