An individual poor person is an isolated island by himself and herself. IT can end that isolation overnight.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the loneliness experienced by individuals struggling with poverty and suggests that connection and support can alleviate their isolation.
Muhammad Yunus highlights the deep sense of isolation that often accompanies poverty, suggesting that individuals living in poor conditions can feel like solitary islands. He advocates for the power of community and connection, indicating that by fostering relationships and support systems, those in poverty can overcome their feelings of loneliness and despair, transforming their lives quickly and dramatically.
In practice
During a motivational talk aimed at community service volunteers.
Civilization has given us enormous successes: going to the moon, technology. But then this is the civilisation that took us to debt, environmental crisis, every single crisis. We need a civilization where we say goodbye to these things.
What I did not know yet about hunger, but would find out over the next twenty-one years, was that brilliant theorists of economics do not find it worthwhile to spend time discussing issues of poverty and hunger. They believe that these will be resolved when general economic prosperity increases. These economists spend all their talents detailing the process of development and prosperity, but rarely reflect on the origin and development of poverty and hunger. A a result, poverty continues.
People.. were poor not because they were stupid or lazy. They worked all day long, doing complex physical tasks. They were poor because the financial institution in the country did not help them widen their economic base.
Some people think that poor people are lazy. Actually, it takes a lot of work to survive when you are dirt-poor.
Once poverty is gone, we'll need to build museums to display its horrors to future generations. They'll wonder why poverty continued so long in human society - how a few people could live in luxury while billions dwelt in misery, deprivation and despair.
By simply capitalizing on core strengths and knowledge, companies and entrepreneurs can engage in an emerging business model that will enable them to create - and demonstrate - real, sustainable social impact in society.
With each reunion (we) had to learn each other all over again. There was always that nervous moment at the airport when I would stand there waiting for him to arrive, wondering, Will I still know him? Will he still know me?
Marriage is the most natural state of man, and... the state in which you will find solid happiness.
When you protect yourself from pain, be sure you do not protect yourself from love.
In any relationship in which two people become one, the end result is two half people.
We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely. The opposite is true.
My wife was the first romantic partner who understood both American and native parts of me - not so much the positive stuff, but the damage.
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