Prof Yunus addresses Brazilian Senate
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus addressed the plenary session of the Brazilian Senate Thursday and briefed it on the activities of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
Prof Yunus was in Brazil from 11-14 June at the invitation of the Brazilian Senate.
The Brazilian Senate passed a resolution last year inviting him to address its plenary session.
On 12 June, the regular proceedings of the Senate took a break and Professor Yunus was invited to address the plenary session when he briefed on the work of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.
The speech was telecast live throughout the country on the Senate TV Channel.
After the address to the Senate, the Grameen Bank founder was received at Alvorada Palace by Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
During the 2-hour long meeting attended by cabinet ministers and senators, they held discussions on development issues ranging from poverty alleviation, healthcare, food crisis, ways of increasing agricultural productivity, climate change and the environment and other common issues being faced by both Bangladesh and Brazil.
President Lula focussed on the poverty alleviation programmes of the Brazilian government.
He sought assistance from Professor Yunus to develop micro-credit programmes for the poor in Brazil, particularly for the poorest regions of the country.
Professor Yunus briefed the president on healthcare initiatives of Grameen and sought President Lula's advice and assistance based on Brazilian experience to bring healthcare for the poor in Bangladesh.
Later, Vice Minister Dr Gerson Pennay briefed him on government healthcare programme in Brazil. President Lula promised to send his health minister to Bangladesh in the near future.
The Agricultural Minister also joined the meeting and discussed how to increase agricultural productivity in developing countries such as in Bangladesh.
Prof Yunus told President Lula that he represented the voice of all developing countries of the world on environmental issues and the rights of the poor. For his part, President Lula said Brazil had a lot to learn from the successes in Bangladesh.
Prof Yunus was in Brazil from 11-14 June at the invitation of the Brazilian Senate.
The Brazilian Senate passed a resolution last year inviting him to address its plenary session.
On 12 June, the regular proceedings of the Senate took a break and Professor Yunus was invited to address the plenary session when he briefed on the work of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.
The speech was telecast live throughout the country on the Senate TV Channel.
After the address to the Senate, the Grameen Bank founder was received at Alvorada Palace by Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
During the 2-hour long meeting attended by cabinet ministers and senators, they held discussions on development issues ranging from poverty alleviation, healthcare, food crisis, ways of increasing agricultural productivity, climate change and the environment and other common issues being faced by both Bangladesh and Brazil.
President Lula focussed on the poverty alleviation programmes of the Brazilian government.
He sought assistance from Professor Yunus to develop micro-credit programmes for the poor in Brazil, particularly for the poorest regions of the country.
Professor Yunus briefed the president on healthcare initiatives of Grameen and sought President Lula's advice and assistance based on Brazilian experience to bring healthcare for the poor in Bangladesh.
Later, Vice Minister Dr Gerson Pennay briefed him on government healthcare programme in Brazil. President Lula promised to send his health minister to Bangladesh in the near future.
The Agricultural Minister also joined the meeting and discussed how to increase agricultural productivity in developing countries such as in Bangladesh.
Prof Yunus told President Lula that he represented the voice of all developing countries of the world on environmental issues and the rights of the poor. For his part, President Lula said Brazil had a lot to learn from the successes in Bangladesh.