What is your reaction to yunnus' ideas? How do you connect or differentiate this ideology with philanthropy and service?
I think Muhammad Yunnus has powerful innovative ideas. His avant-garde theories and work have molded a new outlook on philanthropic and service work. Yunnus' visionary work has been uplifting, and people seem to connect with his persona, much like Obama's Hope campaign. I think it takes an idealist leader like Muhammad Yunnus to make real change, but I feel that his aspirations are too unrealistic and optimistic in nature. Yunnus has a universal plan to help the poor through methods of Microlending which are specific to his personal experiences and study. According to Yunnus, the best, most successful version of Microlending is his own. Results will tell another story; Microlending, by the book, has been used in Harlem, New York and places in the Appalachian Mountains, failing to make a wide scale impact. The people of Harlem specifically, did not respond well to the repayment aspect of the loan, and the people of Appalachia had trouble with communicating to their loan officials for lack of infrastructure. Clearly there needs to be some sort of adaptation for different cultures and peoples.
I connect with Yunnus on an idealistic level, hope and raising the standard of living for all people means a great deal to me. I do not connect to him on the specialized tactics he uses for philanthropic work. I think there needs to be some form of middle ground and the rest is catered to the culture and nature of the loan recipients.
My take on service work has been changed because of my Microcredit experiences. I think service work is great when it is necessary; for the elderly or disabled. Service for the able and willing is not making much of an impact on the infrastructure a society depends upon. Why not give the poor a tool instead of using it for them, if they are capable and willing, like Microloan recipients, let the people express themselves through labor and sweat.
Monday, February 8, 2010
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Good critical response. Thanks. -JR
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