MEDA celebrates 50 years of “doing business”

Just over 500 people gathered to celebrate “MEDA at 50” at the Fairmont Hotel, Winnipeg Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

The anniversary convention included a look at the history of MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates), a call by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy to be global citizens, and performances by a variety of area musicians. There was time for networking, tours and even a crokinole tournament.

The mission of MEDA is “to bring hope, opportunity and economic well-being to low income people around the world through a business-oriented approach to development.” Other slogans heard during the convention: “Opting for the poor while keeping an eye on the bottom line,” and “Searching out ways for the poor to dine at the global table.” The annual report was entitled, “We mean business.”

Mingling in the halls and meeting rooms, however, were not only business people, but church leaders, school presidents and even students. One of MEDA’s goals is to develop more connections with students and churches.

MEDA members are proud of their organization.

“MEDA programs are the best-kept secrets that Mennonites have,” declared Milo Shantz of Ontario in his look at the past. Rudolf Duerksen paid tribute to MEDA’s legacy in Paraguay, a combination of Christian compassion and micro-credit that spurred development for both Mennonites and indigenous people.

Odette Austil, a long-time MEDA employee in Haiti, said she continues to be inspired by MEDA’s vision of empowering the poor, despite experiencing six management changes and five government coups.

But will the vision survive into the next generation? Cal Redekop proposed agenda for the future: 1) globalize the MEDA structure, 2) involve more women, 3) energize young people by helping them study business in an Anabaptist setting, 4) share MEDA insights with the global development community.

“Micro-enterprise was invented by MEDA,” said Redekop, “and now it is being trumpeted by the New York Times as a new discovery.”

MEDA should draw from the “untapped equity sitting in the pews,” suggested Peter Dueck, director of a new MEDA/MCC program in Vancouver. “We need to put our equity where our faith is!”

There were many excellent seminars to attend. A popular one was the “Economic forecast and commentary” provided by economists Henry Rempel of the University of Manitoba and Jim Harder of Bluffton College in Ohio. Their clear analysis of world trends and trade patterns was fascinating to this newcomer.

I discovered, for example, that the United States is the world’s largest foreign debtor, and that de-linking subsidies from production would solve many problems of trade. At the heart of capitalism’s troubles is executive pay, which has ballooned to 400 times the average wage earner. Also staggering was the statistic that there are currently more people in the world than the total of those who have ever lived.

Another fascinating seminar told the story of Mennonites in Russia from a business perspective. Mennonite factories produced 12 percent of all agricultural machines and much of the flour in Russia, said Wally Kroeker, editor of MEDA’s magazine Marketplace. H.A. Niebuhr designed his flour mills on the Pillsbury model in the United States, which he had visited. Some of these large factories provided housing and medical services for their employees.

Architect Rudy Friesen showed the evolution of Mennonite buildings in Russia, including commercial buildings in cities. Johann Esau, Mennonite mayor of Ekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), built a tram system for his city and founded a university. Ken Reddig filled in the story of those who moved to the U.S.

In “How to succeed when Wal-Mart comes to town,” Reg Litz from the University of Manitoba shared how small businesses can achieve success. In “The future of international development,” Damian Von Stauffenberg, formerly with the World Bank, noted that MEDA’s style of micro-finance is the new “fad” in development.

Ruth Shapiro of CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) spoke of the need to engage “civil society” in developmental issues, a theme echoed by Kiberia Kinweenjewa from East Africa. We need civil structures that involve human rights and empower people, said Kinweenjewa. He also emphasized that “Mennonites need to work with Africans in the quest for peace” before development can happen.

At the Friday evening banquet, Lloyd Axworthy made a passionate plea for a change in thinking and way of doing business – to become global citizens. The former politician is heading efforts to change governments’ focus from national security to human security, and from military intervention to the “responsibility to protect” people in conflict situations.

Ron Sawatsky of Sellersville, Penn. greets speaker Lloyd Axworthy at MEDA’s Business as a Calling convention, Winnipeg. Photo: John Longhurst

Preacher for the Sunday morning service was Rene Sauder of Waterloo, Ontario, who suggested that one’s calling is where one’s work and true passion coincide. Building on the example of Lydia in the New Testament, she commended listeners for using their talents to help others.

During the annual meeting, which was efficiently brief, members heard that donations were up 10 percent, to $1.3 million this year. Canadian board members are (from west to east): Lorna Goertz, Kevin Neufeldt, Paul Tiessen, Dave Guenther, Lee Friesen, John Fast, Gloria Eby, Ron Mathies and Doug Wagner.

—Margaret Loewen Reimer for Meetinghouse