August 17, 2009
Muhammad Yunus attended a reception in his honor, following his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and delivered a stirring speech about his 33 year fight against poverty and what he plans in for the future.
Watch on YouTube.
August 14, 2009
Yeardley Smith is the voice of television character Lisa Simpson, and an active Grameen Foundation supporter.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Hello Delightfuls,
Pull up a chair, I have had a very fancy 43 hours!
I just got back from Washington, DC, where I attended a private reception co-hosted by my favorite Grameen Foundation, for Professor Muhammad Yunus, Mary Robinson, and Dr. Pedro Jos Greer, all of whom received the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday.
You can imagine that when I said I was going to DC for the party, my friends had two questions for me: What are you going to wear? And do you get to attend the ceremony itself and meet President and Mrs. Obama?
August 12, 2009
Alex Counts is President and CEO of Grameen Foundation.
[caption id="attachment_223" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Muhammad Yunus receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama"]
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Today’s ceremony where President Barack Obama presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Professor Muhammad Yunus and 15 other incredibly accomplished citizens was a moment when any American, and any person, who wants the world to be a better place could feel proud. America’s highest civilian award was a well-deserved honor for Dr. Yunus based on more than three decades of accomplishment benefiting Bangladesh’s and the world’s poor, through championing microfinance and social business.
When President and Michelle Obama entered the room at 3:10pm, there was electricity unlike anything I had ever felt.
August 11, 2009
by Sam Daley-Harris. Reposted with his permission.
When President Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to 16 distinguished American and international “agents of change” at a White House ceremony on August 12th one of the honorees will link Mr. Obama to both his past and to the future he is so committed to creating. Among the 16 leaders who will receive America’s highest civilian honor is Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which makes tiny loans for self-employment to some of the poorest people in that country. Prof. Yunus is also one of the world’s most effective champions of the “yes we can” spirit.