The Nobel Peace Prize for an Economist
Muhammad Yunus and the bank he founded to help the poorest Bangladeshis out of poverty have been awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below”.
Yunus pioneered microfinance; small loans made to people whom traditional banks would ignore as too high-risk. Talking to the BBC, he responded, “As a Bangladeshi, I’m proud that we have given something to the world. Our work has now been recognised by the whole world.” Several links found via MetaFilter.