We just received [Countdown 2005] today, and we were pleased to see that the publication was both informative and well organized. The newsletter is just one more shining example of the unyielding effort by the Summit to reach the poorest of the poor. I am delighted by the initiative that you have all taken to produce this publication, and I look forward to viewing the issues to come.
Glen Hertelendy, Trainee,
UNESCO Coodinating Unit for Activities Relating to Microfinance
Congratulations to all concerned for Countdown. It is an impressive publication with good mixture of advocacy, "how-to," and Microcredit chatter. Good stuff.
Margaret Catley Carlson, President, The Population Council
I read your latest newsletter. You would think that FINCA and local microenterprise groups were the big players in microcredit. Yet, over 50 percent of all microenterprise loans worldwide are done by credit unions and co-ops. I do not see how you expect to achieve your 100 million goal without seriously engaging credit unions and cooperatives. There are credit unions in over 86 countries; they number 36,000 with 85 million members.... Either you can find better ways to include us, or you are advocates of a narrow slice of the microenterprise field....
Ted Weihe, Executive Director,
U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council
Editor's note:
The potential of credit unions to contribute to the Summit's goal is enormous. It should be noted, however, that the Summit's goal targets the world's poorest families-defined as people in the bottom half of those living below the poverty line in developing countries, and people living below the poverty line in industrialized countries-which is not the exclusive focus of credit unions. To learn more about how some credit unions are contributing to the Summit's goal, see the article on Freedom from Hunger's Action Plan.
