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As the Latin America/Caribbean Region Microcredit Summit Meeting of Councils (LACRMS) drew to an end, in its closing ceremony Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, called the summit a historical one, as the Microcredit Summit Campaign (MCS) has entered its second phase by extending its operational period to 2015, to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. He said, “We now dream of the third phase, when the number of poor people in this world would be reduced to zero.” Professor Yunus called on the Chilean President, His Excellency Ricardo Lagos, to make Chile the first country in the world to be poverty free, and to have the world’s first poverty museum, to be inaugurated by the last person to cross the poverty line in the country.
In return, President Lagos expressed his gratitude to Professor Yunus for making everyone believe in the human ability to conquer poverty. He pledged to do everything in his power to put an end to poverty in his country, and start thinking about the location where the first poverty museum will be built!
The Summit took place in Santiago, Chile, on April 19-22, 2005. Organized in collaboration with DESAFIO, the summit brought together some 1,100 participants from 38 countries, to review the progress of the Microcredit Summit Campaign goal of reaching the 100 million of the world’s poorest by 2005. Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, an ardent supporter of microcredit and various Grameen initiatives, also spoke at the opening ceremony. At the summit, six plenary sessions, 18 workshops, 14 associated sessions, as well as several day long courses were organized, covering a wide-range of the most relevant topics in the field of microcredit and how these have affected the Summit’s goals. The Director of MCS, Sam Daley-Harris, officially announced the decision to extend the Campaign until 2015.
 From left: Javier Etscheberry, President of Banco Estado of Chile, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, and His Excellency Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile, at the closing ceremony on April 19, 2005
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In the workshop entitled “Beyond Microfinance: Satisfying the Business and Social Needs of the Microentrepreneurs and their Families,” Professor H.I. Latifee, Managing Director, Grameen Trust, explained how the Grameen approach attacks poverty from all directions, not only through credit and savings, but also addressing the rising needs of its clients as they grow. The introduction of innovative products and social development programs of Grameen have created a chemistry that works well in overcoming poverty from both economic and social perspectives.
Grameen Trust held an associated session on Grameen Innovations for the Poor, chaired by Professor Muhammad Yunus. The session was attended by over 300 participants, and speakers included Monica Pescarmona (Grameen Mendoza, Argentina), Alvaro Sarmiento Sr. (Fundaci ón Latino Grameen, Spain), Roberto Delu (Grameen Aldeas Argentina, Argentina), Patricia Ord óñez (Viviendas Hogar De Cristo, Ecuador), Teresa Criollo (En las Huellas del Banco Grameen, Ecuador), Hugo Bellott (Pro Mujer, Bolivia) and Carina Sanchez (GT Chiapas, Mexico). In his concluding remarks, Prof. Yunus mentioned the Grameen Star System, which reflects all the components necessary for the long-term sustainability of a microfinance institution that is committed to the cause of poverty elimination. The Stars are given for maintaining 100 percent repayment, earning profit, covering all costs through own finances, ensuring education for 100 percent of all members’ children, and succeeding in pulling all borrower families over the poverty line
Report by Lamiya Morshed and Tania Sharmin |
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