
The 2006 Global Microcredit Summit today launched the second phase of the Campaign with two new goals: 1. Working to ensure that 175 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, are receiving credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2015.
2. Working to ensure that 100 million of the world's poorest families move from below US$1 a day adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) to above US $1 a day adjusted for PPP, by the end of 2015. Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, speaking today in the opening ceremony of the Summit, emphasized the purpose of the international gathering: "this Summit is about creating a process which will send poverty where it belongs - the museums."
Kiva.org is proud to be attending this historic event as a new initiative to connect people across the globe via the internet, through micro-credit. Summit organizer Sam Daley-Harris noted at the opening ceremony that "Succeeding will require renewed effort and some new players", and Kiva.org hopes to play a part in both.