Small Fortunes

New bonus features are now available with the revised microcredit documentary, Small Fortunes: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty. The bonus features include exclusive interview footage with the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus discussing the challenges and future of Microcredit. The revised DVD also includes extensive interviews with other microfinance leaders including:

• Maria Otero – President and CEO Accion International
• Sam Daley-Harris – Founder and President RESULTS Educational Fund and Microcredit Summit Campaign
• John Hatch - Founder FINCA International
• Alex Counts – President Grameen Foundation USA

Small Fortunes is available for purchase at the ESR Center. Please visit the website www.small-fortunes.com

ESR Review

Issue 10.1 of the ESR Review is now available online and in print. This issue of the ESR Review is about utilizing human capital and understanding economic development at a new level. Scholars and practitioners have joined in their expertise to understand how to better promote economic self-reliance.

Charles Karelis, from Georgetown University, wrote the featured article in this issue of the ESR Review about the ‘Persistance of Poverty.’ This article clearly defines what causes poverty and defines how to best deal with the challenges that people encounter in poverty. Preview articles from this issue of the ESR Review and find out more about the ESR Review, including subscription details at www.ESRReview.com.

Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus with the Grameen Bank recently won the Nobel Peace Prize for his founding work with microcredit. Dr. Yunus started giving small loans to the poor during the 1970's and now the effects of microcredit have spread throughout the world.

The Economic Self-Reliance Center has had many personal contacts with Dr. Yunus and would like to express congratulations to him. In 1998, Muhammad earned an honorary doctorate from Brigham Young University and last year he appeared in our documentary about microcredit Small Fortunes. For more information about this great man and his work with helping those in poverty access credit please read more here.

Social Innovation Winner Begins Work in Tonga

Motu BioFuels, who won first place at the BYU Social Innovation and Venture Competition, has begun its work in Tonga. Motu BioFuels is a team of BYU engineering and public health students who have developed bio-fuel made out of coconuts. The students plan to create an expanded market for coconuts and supply bio-fuel for more cost effective energy. The team won an initial prize of $4,000. For more information on their work in Tonga, please see the related news article.

Creating Wealth at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Jason Fairbourne, Stephen W. Gibson, and W. Gibb Dyer recently published a groundbreaking book called “MicroFranchising: Creating Wealth at the Bottom of the Pyramid.” The book explores the new development tool of microfranchising that establishes small startup franchises in developing countries to help alleviate poverty. The Economic Self-Reliance Center is pleased to showcase this book and continue further research into microfranchising.

The book is available for purchase online from the ESR Center Shop and if you have further questions about the book please contact the ESR Center, 801-422-9009.

Single Mothers and Self-Reliance

Julie Humberstone, the director of the BYU Single Mom Initiative, has published an article about single mothers and self-reliance with the Marriott School Magazine. The Single Mom Initiative is a research focus of the Economic Self-Reliance Center and is concluding a Utah statewide survey of single moms. The research focuses on four emphases of finances, education, child care, and emotional health.

The Single Mom Initiative has been a focus of research at the BYU Economic Self-Reliance Center since 2005 and plans to continue this research to help single moms around the nation become economically self-reliant. Please see the full article.