Comments on: Today is Blog Action Day 2008 – Poverty

By: ColbertGirl27

ColbertGirl27 — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:38:27 +0000

Thank you mrtigger001 and MsI for your comprehensive feedback!

By: Ms Interpreted

Ms Interpreted — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:55:11 +0000

Muhammad Yunus totally rules. I saw him speak at the Sixth and I Synagogue last year (or earlier this year? I’m totally lost on timelines lately). While parts of his talk on social businesses dragged a bit, the idea is a great one.

In a seriously condensed nutshell, he was arguing that there are certain socially essential enterprises — the medical/pharmaceutical one, for instance — that can’t be totally served under purely capitalist models, which emphasize efficiency, etc. Creating hybrid “social businesses” to address the needs that aren’t served best either by non-profits or by businesses in the purely capitalist sense is one possible solution to this problem. I think it’s a particularly relevant topic now, considering the glaring flaws evident in our existing market economy.

By: WordsWithGrace

WordsWithGrace — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:43:17 +0000

Kiva is awesome — I always give Kiva gift certificates for birthdays. It’s a gift that gives twice — people love it.

By: mrtigger001

mrtigger001 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:23:45 +0000

yes, it was muhammad yunus. born in india but currently in bangladesh (where he does a lot of his work) i believe. I saw him speak at U. Mass-Boston once, and his micro loan system is fascinating.

awesome Wørd, by the way.

By: ColbertGirl27

ColbertGirl27 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:43:26 +0000

Didn’t Stephen have someone on his show who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his ideas on micro loans? I believe the guest was from India.

By: vigwig

vigwig — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:37:15 +0000

Micro loans are a brilliant idea, kiva included. That class warfare WORD was outstanding.

By: SusieBlack

SusieBlack — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:36:20 +0000

excuse me: bringing.

By: SusieBlack

SusieBlack — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:12:25 +0000

There are some really great ideas there; I’m going to implement at least two of them this week.

My favorite charity is Children Incorporated, which supports children the world over, including American children living in reservations, inner city environments, and rural locations.

Thanks for bring this day to our attention, DB!