Muhammad Yunus Poverty Quotations

Poverty is the absence of all human rights. The frustrations, hostility and anger generated by abject poverty cannot sustain peace in any society.

The new millennium began with a great global dream. World leaders gathered at the United Nations in 2000 and adopted, among others, a historic goal to reduce poverty by half by 2015. Never in human history had such a bold goal been adopted by the entire world in one voice, one that specified time and size.

I founded Grameen Bank to provide loans to those considered traditionally unbankable. Grameen Bank works with the poorest and often illiterate, providing uncollateralized micro-loans for tiny business enterprises by which they can lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Poverty is not created by poor people. It is produced by our failure to create institutions to support human capabilities.

... When tiny, tiny things start happening a million times, it becomes a large thing. It lays down the foundation of a strong economic base. With women participating in building this economic base, it becomes the foundation for better social and economic future ...

If you think creating a world without any poverty is impossible, let's do it. Because it is the right thing to do.

Poverty is unnecessary.

Charity only perpetuates poverty by taking the initiative away from the poor.

I think, social business is the most logical thing to do. If we had done that, we could reduce all the problems we have.

In the future the question will not be, "Are people credit-worthy", but rather, "Are banks people-worthy?"