Cyber-Assignment
Today in class we read one of two articles from Ode Magazine (2006) on a social entrepreneur, Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner. For th0se who were absent here is a link: http://odewire.com/53697/turning-poverty-into-peace.html
Students are to read the second article which is an interview. Respond to the article here in three paragraphs. Read another student's response and extend their comments with another 1-2 examples.
Talk about the writing in light of what you have read in They Say, as well as what we talked about in class re: thesis and the use of an example for the entirety of an article or essay.
Talk about the purpose of the article and why Muhammad Yunus is the example chosen (smile). It is pretty obvious given the article's introduction and concluding paragraph. Look at definition and how key terms are both defined and repeated.
In They Say, the authors talk about repeating with a deference. The authors talk about planting the naysayer, recent assignments looked at audience and how a writer addresses them. Who is Ode's audience? How does the article answer the so what, who cares question?
Keep going in your analysis. Post here.
Today in class we read one of two articles from Ode Magazine (2006) on a social entrepreneur, Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner. For th0se who were absent here is a link: http://odewire.com/53697/turning-poverty-into-peace.html
Students are to read the second article which is an interview. Respond to the article here in three paragraphs. Read another student's response and extend their comments with another 1-2 examples.
Talk about the writing in light of what you have read in They Say, as well as what we talked about in class re: thesis and the use of an example for the entirety of an article or essay.
Talk about the purpose of the article and why Muhammad Yunus is the example chosen (smile). It is pretty obvious given the article's introduction and concluding paragraph. Look at definition and how key terms are both defined and repeated.
In They Say, the authors talk about repeating with a deference. The authors talk about planting the naysayer, recent assignments looked at audience and how a writer addresses them. Who is Ode's audience? How does the article answer the so what, who cares question?
Keep going in your analysis. Post here.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 10:06 AM
10 Comments:
Flora Diamond
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
4/23/2012
I have to say, I am very pleased to have read about the Nobel Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. For a few month's now, I was personally feeling a little less inspired sinced we read Mighty Be Our Power's. I needed a tiny push of encouragemnt to put me back into the mindstate of realizing my goals again of wanting to base my life and career on helping people. So I'm really glad we're reading this article. (smile)
I definitely found smiliarities between what Yunus said in his interview's and the 3rd half of the book, Half the Sky.
Flora Diamond
Professor Wandas Posse
English 1A
4/22/2012
I guess half of what I wrote got deleted!!
I have to say, I am very pleased to have read about the Nobel Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. For a few month's now, I was personally feeling a little less inspired sinced we read Mighty Be Our Power's. I needed a tiny push of encouragemnt to put me back into the mindstate of realizing my goals again of wanting to base my life and career on helping people. So I'm really glad we're reading this article. (smile)
I definitely found smiliarities between what Yunus said in his interview's and the 3rd half of the book, Half the Sky. The part of the book where it is encouraged to become social entreprenuers and find women jobs. I really liked his Microfinance idea about lending money to the poor. I feel that was a very strategic plan to help people get out of poverty. I also liked when he made points about larger banks not wanting to give loans to the poor, thus essentially keeping them in their socioeconomic class, never being able to move up. I feel that in his country of Bangladesh, that would be a very good method of bringing people out from poverty.
I did not agree with his statements about America's welfare service's when he speaks about removing them altogether, to make them more creative. There are people who depend on those services, and there are people who are lazy. There are people with mental illnesses that simply cannot function in our society and it is written into our constitution that that is what our taxes go to.
I do not believe that loaning money to poor people in our society
will empower them to be something more, because they have been raised to believe that the government will always protect them and have been dependant on it. The way our system is set up, is that if you default on a loan, your name isnt forever scorned in the eyes of your peers, as I would assume it is in Bangladesh, because there is less government involvement in loans, and it's more of a community issue. Americans are from a different social backround and keep to themselves mostly. There isn't the closeness of other nations, and is primarily focused on individuality rather than people as a whole.
The ponts of charity are this, it's voluntary and isn't sustainable. It isn't a source that could even compare to welfare or other social services Americans have. People need to have those services.
As for celebrities, I don't feel that they out of all the rest of the population should be targeted. I think they could use their power, and availability to the media outlets to do good, but I don't feel that they should be the only ones cited for giving to charities.
I do agree with Yunus's point on givin handouts to people will hinder their "crdativity" because its so easily handed to them, but that is a personal choice to that individual if they want to be a better person.
Sulekha Yussuf
English 1A
Professor Wanda
23 April, 2012
As I lay out my essay about social entrepreneurship and talk about microcredit organization called Kiva.I believe Yunus ideas played a big role in the success of Kiva and no doubt for anyone who has read most of his books will agree too.The founders of Kiva were inspired by Yunus to start the organization.With similar idea of lending money to poor but using different practice of lending money.Kiva use online lenders who lend money to small business owners around the world.We also see Yunus idea emphasized in his interviews and in the third half of the book,Half the Sky. The book(Half the Sky) states well.The book does not only contains a collection of problems but also replete with chances for anyone to come up with solutions.And among of the solutions was to understand the importance and significance of the social entrepreneurship and why it is a vital part of our world.And that raise questions like why I care? why you care ? and why we need to care and engage in global issues which we might think are only relevant to locals.
Decisions made today will shape our future no matter where we go.Yunus builds up the case that hundreds of social businesses/entrepreneurs would be a powerful addition to the available anti-poverty weapons, including the much-celebrated micro-finance. Yunus believes that if we chose to dream big (a world free of poverty) and use all the tools at our disposal in a free market economy, including micro-credit and social business, by leveraging the power of science and communication technologies, we can finally send off poverty to museums.
Ana Vasquez
Cyber Assignment
April 24, 2012
For years and years different countries have suffered poverty. It’s not because it was an option that was given. It is because poverty just happens. In the article we read about Muhammad Yunus, he explains what it means to him to win the Nobel peace prize. Yunus was a celebrated man, he was the one who created the Microcredit system, well said he knew this accomplishment would help a lot of the poverty that needed to be stopped.
I can compare this article and the review to the books Half the Sky and Mighty Be Our Powers. In the book Mighty Be Our Powers, we are dragged into the life of Leymah Gbowee, a woman who lived in Africa and suffered a lot during her life. Gbowee lived in poverty for a long time but was able to get through her problems and move out of that category. In the book Half the Sky, readers also come across the lives of many women, who lived in world full poverty. The fact that Yunus created a Microfinance system really helped the communities in different areas, so that poor families could begin to build their own small business. With the Microfinance system, poor families were able to get loans which would help them create their businesses. A point that Yunus also mentioned was about big banks not lending money to poor people.
The one point I highly disagree with is cutting the welfare services to people. Yes, it is true that a lot of the people that have welfare are lazy ones, but despite this Yunus should also understand that there a lot of people out that do need the welfare in order to survive. There are people with mental issues and illnesses that stop them from being able to work and have a normal life. These people are troubled with being fit into society especially when they have these types of problems. The fact that welfare is being given does not necessarily mean the poor will always depend on government. A lot of the times it does happen, but other times the situation is different. The decisions that we make shapes our future. Yunus creates many social businesses that will help fight the anti-poverty status of many people. Yunus believes that if we put our minds to getting rid of poverty, we can kick it out of our way and defeat it in order to help our people and our communities that are in need.
Colleen Low
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
23 April 2012
Free write: Articles on Muhammad Yunus
In the article, Muhammad Yunus is an important humble figure and through his work with microfinancing, he continues to realize the importance and the need to change existing problems and societal attitudes. The main theme of the articles speaks about finding solutions to poverty, how effectively helping people empower themselves and action into their lives, in which everyone is able to achieve. Though giving aid is commendable, the writer states, “Unfortunately, this is not how the aid industry works. Western governments and development organizations think they need to offer permanent charity” (Visscher 43). These types of charity are countered intuitive to facilitate individual’s ability to gain control and accountability of their situations. The difference to which the authors discuss connection to charity and what it signifies, in the likes of negativity through giving aid to people in need has to be rethought.
Muhammad Yunus is a proponent for people who have less and who are willing to seek opportunities to build better lives for themselves and others. This in fact brings to the reshaping of organizations, especially government systems that allocate monies to people in need, to which Yunus explains how wrought the welfare system is presently, that it harms more than helps. The main reason why Yunus opposes social welfare is based on the fact that the system creates dependency, it has attached stigmas and the desire to be “creative” and drive diminishes and becomes more problematic than incentive. In order to battle the issues of poverty, one must think differently to solve problems, that is treat people equally and give people the opportunity to see their potential and help develop the actual. Through banks founded by Yunus, people are able to demonstrate self-sufficiency and make money and take control of their lives. He also states the vastness of opportunity that technology gives access to many who may seek information, but do not have access to because of geological restrictions.
Colleen Low
The article comes full circle and discusses opportunities through business with a twist; a business that makes money and has intentions is to give back to society. What Muhammand Yunus is suggesting to the ideas of not just making profit, but acquiring and integrating social partnerships, which I believe are win win situations and the world is slowly coming along with the innovative yet practical ideas that start at the grassroots and are community driven. Solutions need change, especially when subjects of poverty come to mind. It will take different approaches to solve problems in poverty and not the same thought process, which created the problems in the first place. We must take a stand that if there are problems in society that we are responsible as a whole and when the world approaches poverty as such the world will be a better place.
Visscher, Marco. “The World Champ of Poverty Fighters.” ODE Dec. 2006: 45+. Print
The social problem of poverty has a foothold in every single country in the world. Of course we never hear about the poor families in Sweden or Germany, but does not mean that there are no poor people there. Perhaps they are just not as plagued by overwhelming poverty in countries such as India.
When it comes to fighting poverty, no one does it quite like Muhammad Yunus. He is to poverty what Batman is to crime. His approach is what I like to call the _Teach a Man to Fish_ strategy; instead of just blindly giving someone money and making them dependent on you, loan it to them so they can do something fruitful with the intention of paying you back.
Yunus holds the belief that the welfare system is flawed, since it creates a nation of addicts, so to speak. People become addicted to receiving money for nothing, so they are never inspired to do anything for themselves. He believes that his form of microcredit not only motivates people to do things for themselves, it empowers them to lead better lives.
Daniel Escudero-Whitney
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
24 April 2012
The World Champ of Poverty Fighters
Commentary
The social problem of poverty has a foothold in every single country in the world. Of course we never hear about the poor families in Sweden or Germany, but does not mean that there are no poor people there. Perhaps they are just not as plagued by overwhelming poverty in countries such as India.
When it comes to fighting poverty, no one does it quite like Muhammad Yunus. He is to poverty what Batman is to crime. His approach is what I like to call the _Teach a Man to Fish_ strategy; instead of just blindly giving someone money and making them dependent on you, loan it to them so they can do something fruitful with the intention of paying you back.
Yunus holds the belief that the welfare system is flawed, since it creates a nation of addicts, so to speak. People become addicted to receiving money for nothing, so they are never inspired to do anything for themselves. He believes that his form of microcredit not only motivates people to do things for themselves, it empowers them to lead better lives.
Daniel Escudero-Whitney
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
24 April 2012
Commentary for Ana Vasquez
In your commentary you mentioned that you do not believe that removing welfare is an effective way to fight poverty. I have to say that I agree with you and Yunus.
I do not think that removing welfare altogether is a very good solution, however, I do recognize the possibility that welfare can turn a population into dependents. This is sort of the Catch-22 of poverty. We want to help, but either way it is hard to do so without messing something up.
Colleen Low
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
24 April 2012
Response to Sulekha;
I really like the term, "Can we finally send off poverty to the museums," that would be so great! The museums would show examples of inequity and the tell the truth about the world. How we box ourselves into the haves and have nots and how we have forgotten who we are and where we come from. There have been sacrifices from former generation, so we are able to live the good life. Yes we may not everything, but we have enough. I really don't believe that people enjoy the fact that they receive handouts and it is detrimental to the psyche after long periods of inopportunity to feel like there is no way out. That is just a few reasons way social welfare has to be rethought and aid needs to be addressed and tailored to each individual.
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