My Communications

"I have noticed that many people in the United States think that mass hunger and poverty are immutable facts of life. They may volunteer at a soup kitchen or contribute to an international charity, but do not hope for large-scale change. They are often wary of getting involved in politics.

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For most of my life, many people thought that racial oppression was an immutable fact of life in South Africa. As a pastor, I encouraged people who believed in God to get active in pushing for change. In the end, God blessed us with a transition to a more just society.

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David Beckmann says that God is moving in our time to overcome hunger and poverty, and that people of faith in the United States can play an important role in this great exodus. I plead with you to read this book and act on it."
 

From the Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

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On Friday mornings, in a room tucked away in the maze of buildings that form the headquarters of the World Bank, two dozen staff members meet for coffee and serious talk. The subject of their excited and sometimes passionate discussions is the role of religious and ethical values in their work and, more generally, in the world's development.

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Friday Morning Reflections was written by the founders of these early-morning spiritual debates – David Beckmann, Ram Agarwala, Sven Burmester, and Ismail Serageldin. It offers a reflective quartet of essays on how ethics and religions relate to the work of international economic development. Though the authors have been shaped by four different traditions – Christian, Hindu, humanist, and Muslim - they share a common conclusion: spiritual values have been dangerously slighted in shaping the world's development, and consequently humanity's survival may be at risk.