Professor Yunus delivers the Seventh Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture
August 12, 2009 - US President Barack Obama recently named Professor Muhammad Yunus and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as two of the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The US’s highest civilian honour, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the US, world peace and cultural or other significant public or private endeavours.
Professor Yunus, who delivered this year’s Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in July, is to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at an awards ceremony on August 12. He has been awarded the medal for his pioneering work in micro-loans and his work in eradicating poverty through Grameen Bank, which he founded in Bangladesh in 1983.
Archbishop Tutu received the medal for his important work in the anti-apartheid struggle. Widely regarded as “South Africa’s moral conscience,” he served as the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 – 1985, where he led a formidable crusade in support of justice and racial reconciliation in South Africa.
This year’s award recipients were chosen for their work as agents of change. Among their many accomplishments in fields ranging from sports and art, and science and medicine, to politics and public policy, these men and women have changed the world for the better. They have blazed trails and broken down barriers. They have discovered new theories, launched new initiatives and opened minds to new possibilities.
President Obama said: “These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way.
“Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honour to award them the Medal of Freedom.”
The Grameen Bank provides small, low-interest loans to the poor to help them better their livelihood and local communities. In 2006, Professor Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in creating a sustainable banking model that has proven to be the most successful in the world, with over 98% of loans repaid.
Archbishop Tutu received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work through SACC in 1984. Archbishop Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986, and the Chair of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995. He retired as Archbishop in 1996 and is currently Chair of the Elders.
Other Medal of Freedom recipients include Nancy Goodman Brinker, Pedro José Greer Jr, Stephen Hawking, Jack Kemp, Senator Edward Kennedy, Billie Jean King, Reverend Joseph Lowery, Joe Medicine Crow – High Bird, Harvey Milk, Sandra Day O’Connor, Sidney Poitier, Chita Rivera, Mary Robinson and Janet Davison Rowley.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12, 2009