Experts Piet Callens, Loïc De Cannière, Luc Haegemans, Koen Schoors and Leen Van den Neste discuss the role of microfinance in a prosperous country like Belgium.
Microfinance is a system that allows poor families and small entrepreneurs in need of money to borrow small amounts at an advantageous interest rate. Something similar already existed in the 17th century: the so-called ‘Mountains of Mercy’. Lessius was an ardent defender of this institution because it prevented usury.
Today, microfinance is well established in low-income countries, but it is also a channel for borrowing money in prosperous countries.
This debate (in Dutch) is part of our series on the big questions in society.
Just like today, the 17th century was a turbulent time. Religious wars, trade and migration shook the prevailing worldview. Can we still find inspiration in the baroque solutions of the time? We are looking for answers in the lecture series ‘Big Questions’ with experts such as Lea Ypi and Liz Bucar.
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Albanian author and political theorist Lea Ypi (London School of Economics) will talk about solidarity, immigration and social class (in English). In the 17th century, migration as we know it never really was an issue. Today, however, it is a controversial topic. The growing skepticism is rooted in the idea that there is a trade-off between openness to immigration and support for the welfare state. So far the response to this argument has been to adapt the nation-state model of…
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In this talk religious ethicist Liz Bucar uses the framework of appropriation to unpack the ethics of yoga. What does it mean to insist yoga is a spiritual but not religious practice? Are we entitled to borrow any practice in the pursuit of our personal health?
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