The only place where poverty should be is in museums.
Interpretation
Poverty should not exist in society but be a relic of the past, like artifacts in a museum.
Muhammad Yunus emphasizes the idea that poverty should be eradicated from our current reality and relegated to history. By likening poverty to objects in a museum, he suggests that it should be studied as a concept of the past, not a lived experience in the present or future.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech on poverty alleviation to inspire action for change.
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.
We cannot discuss human rights, when we are denying people the right to live.
Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you.
Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone.
In my experience, many Americans think of religion as important and want to do whatever they can to support it. But if you ask them what they themselves believe, you'll find they're very uncertain about their religious beliefs. They don't actually accept the theology of their official church.
But the vagrant owns the whole vast earth that ends only at the nonexistent horizon, and his empire is an intangible one, for his domination and enjoyment of it are things of the spirit.
Modern tyrants are terror managers. Do not allow your shock to be turned against your freedom.
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