Fellow Companions of
A Noble Journey!

Assalammualaikum,

One hundred and twenty thousand entrepreneurial mothers and women in Indonesia join us in congratulating you for the greatest achievement - The 2006 Nobel Prize. No doubt that it is a well deserved recognition for your outstanding and holistic dedication to speed up eradication of poverty in Bangladesh. And the good news is that your model works well, right here in Indonesia too.

Allow us to share our joy with you too. We have, for the last 7 years adopted your value system and technical applications similar to your Grameen Bank approach and it has worked splendidly.

Initially, we simply formed a community club consisting of a few people who had a shared vision. It grew exponentially; we can no longer treat this endeavor as a complimentary undertaking because it has become viable and profitable work. In fact, it worked so well that the government of Indonesia requested us to form a formal community saving bank.

We are grateful, that the world now is beginning to recognize that the poor are genuine and viable partners and entrepreneurs for development. This is the key message you are sending to the entire mankind and business community worldwide.

It is said that goodness is the only investment which never fails. Much as in our country, you have given enlightenment in a society of little economic development, universal poverty. You survive and excel by promoting human decency; it is the best strategy because it is the greatest wealth of all. Dr. Yunus, life is truly known only to those who suffer, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat. You and your entire team within Grameen Bank have shown the world that a good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly, to do well. There are millions of people who still need your wisdom and guidance. We are honored, proud and privileged to know, share, and learn from you and are eager to take part in your noble journey towards prosperity.

God Bless you and keep up the faith.

Theodore P Rachmat
Palgunadi T Setyawan
Ir. B. Subianto

palgunadi@parasahabat.com From all of us at Parasahabat Foundation (YDBP)

Grameen Replicator in Indonesia Founders

Appreciation from Kosovo

I am delighted by the news that you and the Grameen Bank have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this year. On behalf of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), please allow me to convey to you and Grameen, my warmest congratulations for this recognition of your long-standing efforts and dedication in the area of social and economic development.

I would also like to extend to you my gratitude for your work in Kosovo. As one of the first financial institutions in post-conflict Kosovo, the Kosovo Grameen Missione Acrobaleno Micro Credit has helped to set the conditions for a competitive microcredit environment and a healthy financial sector in Kosovo. Your efforts have improved the lives of thousands of Kosovans, just as you have created economic opportunities for countless others throughout the world.

Yours sincerely,

Joachim Rücker
Special Representative of the Secretary-General
United Nations
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
Kosovo

Moved to Tears

With tears in our eyes, we received the news about the Nobel Prize for you and for Grameen Bank. and - on top of that - not for economy, but for peace !!! And rightly so. Because the prize for economy goes to wizards that work within the system (Amartya Sen excluded), but the Peace Prize is for those who work below and beyond any the system, who create new realities and a basis for new hope for those whom the system ignores.

Dear friend, what a honour, and how justified !! You were correct in saying that the Prize is for the movement at large, but you my friend, brought the movement to move....

In that perspective you belong to the same category as Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Albert Luthuli who led their people out of despair into a context of justified hope.

In deep joy and gratitude,

Yours
Gert Van Maanen
Dokter Perquinstraat
22265 Bj Leidschendam, The Netherlands

Microcredit Blooms in China

We are still immersed in the excitement, although the conference has already successfully closed. So many wonderful things happened in the past two weeks and we are the witnesses involved in the whole process. Prof. Yunus has been accelerating the microcredit development in China with his great achievement and influence during his visit to Beijing. So many reports, discussions and debates on microcredit were found in the variours media in China.

I forgot to share one thing with you. Just on the morning of Oct. 13, I saw a kind of flower blooming by the roadside. It was very strange, because that flower only blooms in spring. I thought something might have happened. And in the afternoon, we heard the great news. Now I believe those flowers have the foresight and we are so lucky to have the conference in time.

Thanks again for all your support.
Best wishes,

Bai Chengyu
Secretary General,
China Association for Microfinance (CAM),
Director, Division 3, CICET