News

Yunus Centre Press Release: May 26, 2019

Nobel Laureate  Professor Muhammad Yunus arrived Fano, Italy  on 20 May, 2019, to attend the Premiere of an unusual Opera titled “27 Dollari” . The  Opera was performed in a packed hall  of the famous Teatro della Fortuna (Theatre of Luck) in the tourist city of Fano, Italy, in the western coast of Adriatic Sea. Professor Yunus was specially invited at this Opera Premier by Professor Vilberto Stocchi, the Rector of the University of Urbino. Opera “27 dollari” was produced by the Italian National Singers Association, in collaboration with the University of Urbino,  "Carlo Bo", Municipality of Fano, Fondazione Teatro della Fortuna and Imagem Srl. The opera took over eight years in preparation before bringing it to stage performance level. It is based on the life of Professor Yunus and his journey to bring financial services to the poor women in Bangladesh.

It  was  inspired by Yunus’s  book "The Banker to the Poor"  published in 1997,  and was conceived as a subject of an opera by the composer, Ms Paola Samoggia, directed by Andrea Mirò with Carlo Magrì and presented by the soprano Felicia Bongiovanni, Ambassador of the Italian National Singers Association, and Artistic Director of Progetto Impresa e Cultura of the University of Urbino. Lead performers were soprano Felicia Bongiovanni, and tenor Cristiano Cremonini.  The soprano represented the women borrowers of Grameen Bank, while tenor played the role of Professor Yunus. It was an artistic presentation of the struggles of women in a male dominated world, and how microcredit empowered them to overcome difficulties that surround them. The composition of Opera “27 dollari” brought out their exposure to vulnerabilities through sounds, melodies and arias. Story starts by presenting how lives of a few handicraft making women dramatically changed when they were freed from their indebtedness of $27 to loan sharks.

Opera "27 dollari" represented an opportunity for entering into the world of finance by the poor, an economic culture based on ethics and economic sustainability, to enhance the ethical and moral aspects of the economy and focus on the  central role of human beings within economic systems.

The opera story was carried out with captivating and skillful presentations on the artists’ faces projected on the screen  representing  husbands, loan sharks, and religious zealots shouting at women with harsh voices. The screen showed    the extreme poverty and hunger through its unique musical storytelling. The story also highlighted  by the tenor as the protagonist who represented Professor Yunus in the story. At the end of the musical, when the male singer remains alone at the stage, his figure was overlaid onto Professor Yunus’ face in real time.

After the show when reporters approached Professor Yunus, he  said  “I was very impressed by the creative ways in which the story was configured. It turned into very powerful story through operatic performances of the talented opera singers. Despite the sadness throughout the story, the resolute fight of helpless women to claim their rightful space in the society made the audience enjoy every moment.”

Rector of University of Urbino and its faculty members, distinguished Opera personalities of Italy, representatives of print and electronic media, attended the show in the famous Opera hall of the city.

Earlier in the day Professor Yunus arrived Urbino, a city which played a lead role  in the outpouring of creativity of Renaissance which was a turning point in European art and culture. University of Urbino was one of the early universities of the world. It was established in 1506 in a building which stands as the classic example of renaissance architecture. 

Professor Yunus addressed the students and faculty of the University of Urbino .  The university has 15000 students from all over Europe, located   in a city of 5000 population . Later Professor Yunus joined the ceremony of inaugurating  the Yunus Social Business Center at the university. The Centre is headed by senior Professor Elisabetta Righini. The Centre  aims to promote  research interests and social business promotional activities by the faculty and students. The Centre also plans to carry out research on social business, microcredit, corporate social responsibility, and development of youth entrepreneurship. 

Later in the day, the university went through an  elaborate academic  ceremony with academic robes and regalia that goes with degree giving ceremonies. Through this ceremony  University of Urbino  conferred the Rector's Seal to Professor Yunus in recognition to his contribution to humanity.

Arriving in Rome on 21 May, Professor Yunus addressed an international  conference as the main speaker, on food security in conflict affected countries. The conference was chaired by José Graziano da Silva, Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the headquarters of FAO. In his address Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate called on countries to rethink and reformulate the way they address the frequently interconnected issues of hunger and conflict, urging initiatives to foster social cohesion and rural entrepreneurship especially among the young.

"If you continue the same way as you have done before, you'll always end up with the same result, on the issues of food security, agriculture, as well as of the environment, unemployment, and wealth concentration " Yunus said.

Yunus came to FAO at the invitation of the Director General to assess the progress made by the FAO-Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance for Food Security and Peace. Yunus is one of two founding members of the Alliance. The advocacy group was set up in 2016 with 12 Nobel prize-winners and aims to break the cycle of conflict and hunger. "Unless we think differently, unless we work differently, poverty, hunger, climate crisis, conflict are not going to be resolved," said Yunus.

DG, FAO  pointed out in his speech that hunger and conflict are intrinsically linked.  According to FAO figures, over 60 per cent of people suffering from hunger live in areas of conflict. At the same time, there are a growing number of conflicts over natural resources to produce food, he remarked .

The Rome meeting reviewed an experimental peace-building project in the Central African Republic involving Christians and Muslims in agricultural production, training and social business development, as well as community dialogue to encourage social cohesion through social business in collaboration with Yunus Centre.

The pilot project demonstrates that agricultural entrepreneurship can help transform communities which in turn encourage people to stay in their community rather than being forced to seek better opportunities elsewhere, Yunus said.

"Farmers are excellent entrepreneurs," Yunus underlined.

The project is taking place on land owned by the Catholic Church outside the CAR capital Bangui where around 3,000 people displaced by conflict live, according to FAO . The CAR project is designed by FAO in collaboration with a Yunus Centre and funded by the Italian government.

The initiative draws on Yunus' expertise in encouraging agricultural entrepreneurship, particularly among young people.

Other Nobel peace prize winners who are part of the Alliance include Yemeni Peace Nobel laureate Tawakkul Karman, Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad who was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign against the use of rape as a weapon of war, and former President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, who won the prize in 2016 for his efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end.

During his visit to Rome Professor Yunus met  Nicola Zingaretti, the Opposition Leader of the Italian Parliament and the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Italy. They discussed about carrying out Professor Yunus' ideas to fight against poverty and inequality, and turning unemployed youth into entrepreneurs.

Premiere of an Opera “27 Dollari” based on the life of Professor Yunus and his journey to bring financial services to the poor women in Bangladesh, took place in Fano, Italy on May 20, 2019.

 On 21 May, Professor Yunus addressed  as the main speaker in an international conference on food security in conflict affected countries. The conference was chaired by José Graziano da Silva, Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the headquarters of FAO. The conference is an initiative of  FAO-Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance for Food Security and Peace made up of 12 Nobel peace laureates working to break the cycle of conflict and hunger.

 
 Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus  with  José Graziano da Silva, Director General of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during the International Conference on food security in conflict affected countries on 21 May, 2019 at FAO headquarters.

End