View All Blog PostsUN Foundation Board Member and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus
The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) hosted its latest Nationwide Conference Call this past Tuesday, November 13, featuring United Nations Foundation board member and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize awardee Muhammad Yunus.
After a brief presentation on the role of microfinance and microcredit and its ability to empower the impoverished to create a better life for themselves and their family, UNA-USA members enjoyed 30 minutes of question and answer with the Nobel Prize Winner. The call was moderated by Peter Yeo, Vice President for Public Policy at the United Nations Foundation, and Executive Director of the Better World Campaign.
Yunus drew on his personal experience as the founder of Grameen Bank, a microfinance organization and community development bank in Bangladesh, an institution that offers small loans to low income individuals without requiring collateral (maybe insert something here about how it removes an impediment to increasing individual income, independence and wealth.
The question and answer session surrounded topics such as: Taking the Grameen Bank model and applying it to other charities; Economic cross-subsidization as it relates to producing goods; The potential for microfinance to help those in needin the U.S.; and social business on the Internet.
UNA-USA offers Nationwide Conference Calls throughout the year as a benefit to its members. Be a part of the next call with an expert on UN-related issues by visiting www.unausa.org/join.