The Mayor of Seattle has proclaimed this, the week of October 15th, 2007, the Champions of Global Poverty Week. In addition to the Seattle Stand Up 2007 that is scheduled for Wednesday night and numerous other events, today at the University of Washington we had a visit from 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Lauriat Mohammed Yunus.

Professor Yunus, along with The Grameen Bank of Bangledesh, was awarded the Nobel for his successful application of the concept of microcredit, the extension of small loans to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans.

Professor Yunus led the room of approximately 1000 students and a few alumni and others like myself in the Stand Up pledge, an amazing moment. We then spent an inspirational 40 minutes with him, learning of the value of investing in lives that the institutions of the world feel directly opposed to.

At a reception following I had the honor of a few minutes with him including a photo. He was glad to hear of the ONE and RESULTS active work in the Seattle area, including the successful lobbying of three of our congressmen attending a meeting with the new president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick.

When I asked him what we in grassroots could do to continue to promote the work of microcredit, and he said continue that which we are, there is a long way to go.

-Sammi Fredenburg, ONE volunteer, Seattle, Washington