Gandhi Peace Prize 2000

The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India to recognize and honor the contribution of individuals and organizations towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 was awarded to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and its founder, Muhammad Yunus. However, due to some controversies, the award was later withdrawn, and the Government of India decided to confer the prize jointly to two individuals.

Winner of Gandhi Peace Prize 2000

The joint winners of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 were:

- Nelson Mandela: He was the former President of South Africa and a renowned anti-apartheid revolutionary. Mandela had spent 27 years in prison for his political activism and was released in 1990. He became the President of South Africa in 1994 and played a crucial role in dismantling the apartheid system and promoting reconciliation among different racial groups in the country.

- Grameen Bank: It is a microfinance organization founded by Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh in 1983. The bank aimed to provide credit to poor people, especially women, who were not eligible for traditional bank loans. The bank's innovative approach to poverty alleviation through microfinance has been replicated in many countries worldwide and has earned Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Significance of the Award

The joint award of the Gandhi Peace Prize to Nelson Mandela and Grameen Bank was a recognition of their contribution to the promotion of peace, justice, and equality through non-violent means. Both Mandela and Yunus had embraced the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and applied them to their respective struggles against apartheid and poverty. The award also highlighted India's commitment to the ideals of non-violence and social justice, as espoused by Gandhi.

Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 was awarded to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh.

Explanation:
The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by the Government of India in 1995 as a tribute to the ideals advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. The prize is open to all people regardless of nationality, race, creed, or gender. It is given to individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions towards social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

In the year 2000, the prize was awarded to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, which was founded by Muhammad Yunus. The bank is known for its innovative microcredit program, which provides small loans to poor people, especially women, to start their own businesses and become self-sufficient. The program has helped millions of people escape poverty and has been replicated in many other countries.

The Grameen Bank was chosen for the Gandhi Peace Prize for its contribution to promoting economic and social development through non-violent means. The bank's approach to poverty alleviation is based on the principles of trust, solidarity, and empowerment, which are also central to Gandhian philosophy.

In summary, the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2000 was awarded to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh for its innovative microcredit program that has helped millions of poor people escape poverty and for promoting economic and social development through non-violent means.