 Professor Yunus at the opening session of the Dialogue
The 56th and 57th Grameen International Dialogue Programs were held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in July and November, 2009 respectively. A total of 60 participants from 28 countries attended these programs. The countries include: USA, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, El Salvador, India, Honduras, UAE, Singapore, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Pakistan, Switzerland, Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, Mauritius, Cameroon, Maldives, Ghana and South Korea. The Commonwealth Secretariat supported 10 participants from the commonwealth countries. Others participants attended the program at their own costs.
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus inaugurated the 56th dialogue program. He talked about "Social Business" at a special session organized during the 57th dialogue. He also responded to the questions raised by the participants on the issues related to Grameen credit and social business for poverty alleviation.
The dialogue programs included an introduction to the concepts and methodology of the Grameen Bank, Grameen Trust and the projects attending the workshop, a 5 day immersion trip to Grameen Bank branches located in the villages, interviews with field staff, preparation of case studies of the borrowers, visit MIS centre , a day trip to urban replication projects and a plenary session on Grameen essentials and replicability of Grameen banking system in other countries.
The participants divided into groups and accompanied by facilitators spent 5 days at Grameen Bank branches in rural areas . They observed Grameen operation on the ground, talked to the staff and clientele, conducted interviews and did case studies to gain insights into Grameen methodology and products. Through case studies they wanted to have more understanding of the lives of the poor, their daily struggle, achievements, hopes, fears and dreams. They discussed with the staff the challenges faced by the branches in terms of attaining sustainability , maintaining flexibility and winning Grameen stars.
On their return to Dhaka, they engaged themselves in further discussions, presentations and review of their field experiences. They were amazed by the warmth, openness, pride and self-confidence of the borrowers, struck by the profound social platform Grameen had created for its members, stunned by the impact of Grameen's work for different generations, and impressed by the hard work of Grameen staff and their dedication. The essentials of Grameen methodology were discussed in small groups attended by senior staff from Grameen Bank and Grameen Trust with special reference to the different country context. Presentations were also made by the resource persons from highly successful replication projects in rural and urban areas of India and Bangladesh to share their experiences with the participants.
Professor H. I. Latifee, Managing Director, Grameen Trust in his concluding remarks stressed the need for networking and learning from each other. He highlighted the importance of developing Grameen type sustainable microcredit programs for poverty reduction and said that the Dialogue was the very first step towards that end.
Report by : Mir Hossain Chowdhury |
