Durbin Invited to Attend Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

DURBIN INVITED TO ATTEND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE CEREMONY

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has been invited to be the special guest of Dr. Muhammad Yunus when he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize this weekend in Olso, Norway. While most of the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, the Peace Prize ceremony traditionally takes place in Olso on December 10th, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 is being awarded to Dr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank for their efforts to eliminate poverty in the world and promote economic and social development.

"Dr. Muhammad Yunus has given hope to many through his Grameen Bank - the people's bank. He believed if you loaned the poorest people in the world a small sum of money that you could change their lives dramatically and they would repay the loan," said Durbin. "Thirty years later, Dr. Yunus's theory of microenterprise is now a phenomenon which has touched 100 million people around the world. It is hard to think of any single idea in our lifetime which has changed the lives of so many people."

Durbin first met Dr. Yunus in Bangladesh and has worked with him for more than ten years to advance microcredit and economic development in the world's poorest nations. One of the greatest successes in recent years is microcredit programs targeted toward poor women. Most microcredit programs have repayment rates greater than 95 percent and have helped many women change their lives and those of their families.

"Dr. Muhammad Yunus believes overcoming poverty is not just a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. He is truly deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize and I am honored to call him a friend," said Durbin.

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