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Congratulations to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, One of the Winners of 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
Congratulations to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize along with Liberian peace activist Leymah Gboweeh and Yemeni pro-democracy human rights campaigner Tawakkol Karman. They were the first women to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize since Professor Wangari Maathai, who passed away a couple weeks ago, won in Read more…
Tagged Africa, democracy, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Human Rights, International Women’s Leadership Award, Laureate Wangari Maathai, Microfinance, Nobel Peace Prize, Opportunity International, peace, Poverty, The New York Times, Voice of America, Women, Women Leaders, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Today, Honor Human Rights Defenders, Celebrate Human Rights Day 2010
Human rights are the foundation of freedom, peace, development and justice[...] On this Human Rights Day, let us be inspired by those seeking to make our world more just. And let us remember that everyone — no matter their background, training or education — can be a human rights champion. -UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Read more…
Tagged Ban Ki-moon, Children, Community, Domestic violence, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geneva, Girls, Human Rights, Human Rights Day, India, Investing in Women and Girls, Loans, MediaGlobal, Microfinance, Mothers, Opportunity International, Poverty, Switzerland, The Case for Support: Bringing Opportunity to Women, UN Secretary-General, United Nations, videos, violence, Webcast, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Chicago Event: Granting Opportunities for Women Worldwide
The following guest post about this Chicago Council on Global Affairs event was written by Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) co-chair Betsy Perdue: “Studies show that women, when provided with a decent wage, invest 90% of their earnings in their families while men invest around 30-40%… Please join Jacqueline Novogratz and Kavita Ramdas for a discussion Read more…
Tagged Acumen Fund, Betsy Perdue, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Global Fund for Women, Half the Sky, Human Rights, India, Jacqueline Novogratz, Kavita Ramdas, Microfinance, Opportunity International, The Blue Sweater, The Case for Support: Bringing Opportunity to Women, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
Happy 92nd Birthday, Nelson Mandela!
Where there is poverty and sickness, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done. Our work is for freedom for all. – Nelson Mandela, speaking in London’s Hyde Park, June 2008 Happy birthday to the father of post-Apartheid South Africa. On Sunday, July 18th, Nelson Mandela turned 92. The South Read more…
Is access to financial services a human right?
Opportunity International’s April DuBois opened her presentation today at the 7th International Human Rights Forum in Lucerne, Switzerland, with this question. She and Opportunity’s Daryl Skoog partnered with Fabian Huwyler of Credit Suisse to present a special workshop on “Electronic Wallets – Reaching More of the World’s Poor with Financial Access.” And back in the States, Read more…
Tagged Africa, April DuBois, Children, Credit Suisse, Daryl Skoog, Education, Electronic transactions, Electronic wallet strategy, Financial Access, Human Rights, Insurance, International Human Rights Forum, Loans, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Muhammad Yunus, Obstacles, Opportunity International, Poverty, Savings, Technology, Training
CGI and Young Leaders Collaborate for Change at the CGIU Conference
“I strongly believe that, through CGIU, we can harness the energy and power of today’s young leaders to improve the lives of people around the world and build a stronger future for us all.” – President Bill Clinton Reflections from Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU)… At this conference we spent 36 hours rubbing shoulders with the Read more…
Tagged Bill Clinton, Campus, Clean energy, Climate Change, Clinton Global Initiative, College, Conference, Global change, Health, Human Rights, Leaders, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Poverty, Students, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
#Mifimon: BRAC’s "Microfinance Plus" Approach
The following is a guest post by Jessica Elisberg from Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX). Interested in learning about microfinance? Follow our biweekly Twitter discussion group #mifimon (because Microfinance Mondays was too long for Twitter’s 140-character limit!) The aim is to host an exchange of ideas about issues relevant to the microfinance industry. You’re welcome to Read more…
This Quarter’s Book of Choice: Half the Sky
This quarter the Women’s Opportunity Network (WON) and Opportunity International’s staff book clubs are diving into Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. A read that Melinda Gates calls “a brutal awakening and an unmistakable call to action”, Half the Sky captures one of our era’s most pervasive human rights violations: the Read more…
Tagged Africa, Asia, Children, China, Community, Global Poverty, Half the Sky, Human Rights, Julie Hindmarsh, Melinda Gates, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn, Women, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON
