Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s “banker to the poor” is in Taiwan. On Saturday he joined in a tree-planting event along with Taiwan’s first lady, Chou Mei-ching, and well-known choreographer Lin Hwai-min, the founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theater.
Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work in micro-finance. The founder of Grameen Bank is known for giving micro-credit loans to the poor to help them get a leg up.
Yunus participated in a tree-planting event at Huashan Creative Park in Taipei on Saturday. He drew a comparison between the camphor seedling that he planted and human potential. He said that a seed has unlimited potential to grow into a big tree if it’s given adequate space. He said likewise, people need a good environment in which to develop their potential.
At a forum on Sunday, Yunus offered encouragement to the younger generation. He said that with the power of technology in their hands, the young people of today are the most powerful generation in human history and capable of creating the world they want. He encouraged young people to make use of that advantage to tackle human problems, such as poverty and unemployment.