Legendary pioneer in microfinance to speak at Brussels events
11 February 2004
Belgium
"I firmly believe that all human beings have an innate skill," says Yunus. "I call it the survival skill. The fact that the poor are alive is proof of their ability. We do not need to teach them how to survive: They know this already. Giving the poor credit allows them to put into practice the skills they already know. And the cash they earn is then a tool, a key that unlocks a host of other problems."
A true visionary whose ideas couple capitalism with social responsibility, Professor Yunus has transformed the face of rural economic and social development. He is responsible for many innovative programs benefiting the rural poor, especially women. In 1974, he pioneered Gram Sarker (village government) as a form of local government based on the participation of rural people. This idea proved successful and was adopted by the Bangladeshi government in 1980. Yunus serves as the chair of the Policy Advisory Group (PAG) of Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP) and is currently on the boards of many innovative international organizations. He also serves on the Advisory Council for Sustainable Economic Development (1993-present), and the UN Expert Group on Women and Finance. He is co-Chair of PlaNet Finance's International Board.
The PlaNet Finance conference: Affordable Technologies and Sustainable Development in Asia, IT@WORK, is the first European initiative in the field of ICT and microfinance in Asia, and is the last in a series of 3 conferences held within the European Commission's Asi@itc program. Building on the two previous conferences held in Delhi and Beijing, this conference will examine the current positive synergies and challenge the world's two most populous countries - India and China - to use their immense ICT and economic might to help microfinance and ICT become even greater tools for empowering the poor. Two months after the World Summit for Information Society in Geneva, and two weeks after the World Economic Forum, the conference will also engage Europe in the critical dialogue with Asia surrounding poverty, job-creation, growth and information society. Europe contains some of the world's wealthiest and ICT savvy nations: how can Europe use its wealth, advanced technological skills and its business links with Asia to help the world's poor? Along with Professor Yunus, a delegation of Chinese and Indian officials and grass-roots practitioners will gather, together with their European counterparts, to discuss these crucial questions.
The breakfast conference at the ULB on February 11th from 8.15 - 10 will address the future of microfinance and banking for the poor.
AboutPlaNetFinance:
PlaNet Finance is an international non-governmental organization that seeks to promote microfinance and strengthen it with the use of ICT. For over five years, the organization has run non-profit projects for the poor all over the world in partnership with governments, international agencies and companies. In Asia, it is currently running two projects (in China and South Asia) with the support of the European Commission's Asi@ITC program:
In China and in South-Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), PlaNet Finance draws on ICTs to strengthen and promote microfinance. PlaNet Finance China and PlaNet Finance India are engaged in microfinance regional web-portals creation, ICT training and IT equipment delivery to microfinance institutions and website creation for microfinance institutions.,
A true visionary whose ideas couple capitalism with social responsibility, Professor Yunus has transformed the face of rural economic and social development. He is responsible for many innovative programs benefiting the rural poor, especially women. In 1974, he pioneered Gram Sarker (village government) as a form of local government based on the participation of rural people. This idea proved successful and was adopted by the Bangladeshi government in 1980. Yunus serves as the chair of the Policy Advisory Group (PAG) of Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP) and is currently on the boards of many innovative international organizations. He also serves on the Advisory Council for Sustainable Economic Development (1993-present), and the UN Expert Group on Women and Finance. He is co-Chair of PlaNet Finance's International Board.
The PlaNet Finance conference: Affordable Technologies and Sustainable Development in Asia, IT@WORK, is the first European initiative in the field of ICT and microfinance in Asia, and is the last in a series of 3 conferences held within the European Commission's Asi@itc program. Building on the two previous conferences held in Delhi and Beijing, this conference will examine the current positive synergies and challenge the world's two most populous countries - India and China - to use their immense ICT and economic might to help microfinance and ICT become even greater tools for empowering the poor. Two months after the World Summit for Information Society in Geneva, and two weeks after the World Economic Forum, the conference will also engage Europe in the critical dialogue with Asia surrounding poverty, job-creation, growth and information society. Europe contains some of the world's wealthiest and ICT savvy nations: how can Europe use its wealth, advanced technological skills and its business links with Asia to help the world's poor? Along with Professor Yunus, a delegation of Chinese and Indian officials and grass-roots practitioners will gather, together with their European counterparts, to discuss these crucial questions.
The breakfast conference at the ULB on February 11th from 8.15 - 10 will address the future of microfinance and banking for the poor.
AboutPlaNetFinance:
PlaNet Finance is an international non-governmental organization that seeks to promote microfinance and strengthen it with the use of ICT. For over five years, the organization has run non-profit projects for the poor all over the world in partnership with governments, international agencies and companies. In Asia, it is currently running two projects (in China and South Asia) with the support of the European Commission's Asi@ITC program:
In China and in South-Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), PlaNet Finance draws on ICTs to strengthen and promote microfinance. PlaNet Finance China and PlaNet Finance India are engaged in microfinance regional web-portals creation, ICT training and IT equipment delivery to microfinance institutions and website creation for microfinance institutions.,