FSU Center for Entrepreneurship proudly present the father of Microcredit & 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Mohammad Yunus. Dr. Yunus will be on Campus at Seabrook Auditorium on February 5th. It is free and open to the public. First 200 students with ID will receive a free copy of the book by Dr. Yunus.
Free books for students
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009
4:00PM--6:00 PM
SEABROOK AUDITORIUM
DR. MUHAMMAD YUNUS
Muhammad Yunus (Bengali: মুহাম্মদ ইউনুস, pronounced Muhammôd Iunus) (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. He previously was a professor of economics and is famous for his successful application of microcredit -- the extension of small loans. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. In 1976, during visits to the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University, Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to a poor person. His first loan, consisting of USD 27.00 from his own pocket. Dr. Yunus formally created the Grameen Bank in 1983 and as of July 2007, Grameen Bank has issued US$ 6.38 billion to 7.4 million borrowers.[To ensure repayment, the bank uses a system of "solidarity groups". These small informal groups apply together for loans and its members act as co-guarantors of repayment and support one another's efforts at economic self-advancement. Dr. Yunus is known throughout the world as the "Father of Microcredit."
Muhammad Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development. In the prize announcement The Norwegian Nobel Committee mentioned: Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh, but also in many other countries. Loans to poor people without any financial security had appeared to be an impossible idea. From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty. Muhammad Yunus was the first Bangladeshi and third Bengali to ever get a Nobel Prize. After receiving the news of the important award, Yunus announced that he would use part of his share of the $1.4 million award money to create a company to make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor; while the rest would go toward setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh. He has won a number of other awards, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize, the Sydney Peace Prize, and in December 2007 the Ecuadorian Peace Prize. Additionally, Dr. Yunus has been awarded 26 honorary doctorate degrees, and 15 special awards. Bangladesh government brought out a commemorative stamp to honor his Nobel Award. He was invited and gave the MIT commencement address delivered on 6 June 2008, and Oxford's Romanes Lecture on 2 December 2008. Dr. Yunus is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), an independent authority on Africa launched in April 2007 to focus world leaders' attention on delivering their commitments to the continent.
Dr. Yunus is the author of two famous books: "Banker to the Poor" and "Creating a World Without Poverty"
