Blog Archives

World AIDS Day 2011: Ending AIDS in a Generation

Today, Thursday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. This year’s theme, Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS-related deaths, is an optimistic one but there is good reason to hope. The latest Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Response by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS indicates that increased access to HIV services has resulted Read more…

Posted in Events, Where We Work
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Top 3 People Not to Miss at the Fall Microfinance Conference in Washington, D.C.

Twice a year, Opportunity hosts a big microfinance conference, bringing in experts in microfinance, poverty eradication and global development to share their knowledge and experience with Opportunity staff, supporters and people interested in learning more about microfinance. This fall, our conference in Washington, D.C. promises to be as inspiring and engaging as ever.  Get to know three Read more…

Posted in Board of Governors, Events, Our Work, Strategic Partners
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"Building Social Business" with Muhammad Yunus

Last Friday, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs brought Dr. Muhammad Yunus to Chicago for a talk entitled “Building Social Business.” Dr. Yunus, often called the grandfather of microfinance, is the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank and the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner. Friday’s talk was attended by an audience that consisted of local Read more…

Posted in Events, Our Work
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Ambassador Melanne Verveer Discusses the Global Roles of Women

Welcome to the 21st-century reality: empowering women in the developing world alleviates poverty and grows economies. Gender equality equals smart economic progress. On Tuesday, May 4, Ambassador Melanne Verveer addressed the Chicago Council on Global Affairs about the importance of women’s roles in global economic growth. In the discussion entitled “Investing in Women, Enriching the World,” Read more…

Posted in Loans, Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Savings, Training, Women's Opportunity Network
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Clinton Global Initiative University 2010

Opportunity International and leaders from our Young Ambassadors for Opportunity (YAO) group will be at CGI-U this week participating in the conference. You can watch the live webcast here or Watch this space for a list of articles about the event as the weekend unfolds: Washington Post: Student loan change could boost aid work: Clinton

Posted in Events, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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Providing Financial Services to Women Creates a Better World

Opportunity has long known what U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated in a video message to the “Women for a Better World” conference in Spain on Saturday—that empowering women is the key to global progress and prosperity. While Opportunity serves all people regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender, we place a special emphasis Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision, Our Work, Women's Opportunity Network
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Development as a strategic, economic and moral imperative

“Women and girls are one of the world’s greatest untapped resources and a terrific return on investment…I have seen for myself the transformative power of microlending in women’s lives and their families and communities.” The above quote is from a speech given earlier this week at the Center for Global Development by Secretary of State Read more…

Posted in Women's Opportunity Network, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
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“There is nothing micro about the human spirit.”

This is a guest post written by Susy Cheston: This was a quote from the speech Maria Otero gave at her swearing-in ceremony as Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs yesterday. Maria spent over 20 years working in microfinance, and had been serving as CEO of ACCION International when she was tapped Read more…

Posted in Our Mission and Vision
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