Hence AVAAZ have mounted this campaign.

What a shame that positive power is always being challenged!… But I guess that’s the human condition: to be challenged to spread more light.

How CICs are set up and operate is EXACTLY what Muhammad Yunus calls ‘social business’!

CIC legislation was introduced in 2006.

CICs are regulated by an office that is part of Companies House – under the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill – BIS.

The CIC Association was launched in September 2009. By August 2011, 1391 people had registered.

The 3,000th CIC was registered in August 2009.

Please note CIC Invest! for funding!

Related articles

• 10 Community Interest Companies – From Technological Literacy Programs to Craft Ciders (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
• The rise of Social Business on Linkedin [Jeff Mowatt] (ecademy.com)
• Building Social Business: A quick Review (abdulkazad.wordpress.com)

According to this article, the Bangladesh Bank sent a letter to the Chairman of the Grameen Bank informing him that Muhammad Yunus should have retired from his position at the age of 60, just like any worker!

A Table of Contents is here on http://bit.ly/h8rmxd.

Instead of doing the right thing for its people, the Bangladeshi Governmnet smears Dr Yunus!…

So, please sign this petition! Dr. Yunus is distinctly the only “solution provider” in the face of Western capitalism as it continues to destroy planet and people.

Is it only men who just can’t care for anybody other than themselves? Is that the main reason why we need more women who do NOT follow male models but truly bring in their own thinking and feeling?

If that doesn’t show you what bad money can buy you, what does!?

Micro-finance, like a knife or a telephone, can be used for beneficial or for detrimental purposes. In the end we live in times of discernment: which side are we on – good or bad?

Please sign the Stop the smear campaign against Professor Yunus petition!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2010. That’s about 26 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 10 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 204 posts. There was 1 picture uploaded, taking a total of 60kb.

The busiest day of the year was January 6th with 254 views. The most popular post that day was Social Capitalism – Robert Corfe.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were digg.com, legal5ounds.com, zerod3bt.com, forexwaves.blogspot.com, and slashingtongue.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for nobel prize, grameen it, dr yunus, sphere of influence, and microfinance singapore.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Social Capitalism – Robert Corfe March 2008
2 comments

About January 2008
17 comments

Wall Street Journal interview March 2008
2 comments

Social Business February 2008
8 comments

A Capitalist Jolt for Charity February 2008

• we have a ‘crisis’
• the State needs to cut spending
• home repossessions and bankruptcies are rising
• we discover that bankruptcies and repossession are illegal and unlawful and more victims of financial, legal and judiciary exploitation
• and a Bangladeshi has to show us how ‘proper banking’ has to be done – for the real people in the real economy.

This article in The Independent describes the opening of a branch in Glasgow.

1. Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 5-6pm, Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of Economics
2. Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 1-2pm, RSA

AppLab Application 1: Weather Forecasts

Users can now send simple text messages to obtain daily as well as seasonal weather forecasts for certain cities and districts. Data about the day’s temperature, forecast for the next three days, as well as other atmospheric conditions is sent back instantaneously.

The benefit: for one, farmers can plan their farming activities in accordance with the mood of the weather. Secondly, people can plan their trips to the nearest town or city, a journey that is often on foot. The advantages offered by this service are simple and more a matter of convenience.

AppLab Application 2: Google Trader

Users can use this application as a marketplace, or an intermediary though which buys and sellers of agricultural products meet in order to decide upon prices, quantities and timings of transactions.

The benefit: buyers can easily search for the best bargain while sellers can negotiate the highest possible prices for their products. At the same time, since buyers and sellers, who could live several hours away from one another, retain the money that was previously given to the intermediary, or middle-man as his margin.

AppLab Application 3: Farmer’s Friend

As the name suggests, this application provides farmers with short tips about preventing disease in crops and animals, maximizing crop yield, storing crops efficiently and safely, etc. Google’s search engine technology is used to scour a database of short pieces of information.

The benefit: traditional and modern wisdom is gathered and disseminated through this service to ensure everyone has timely and relevant information which can improve their output as farmers. Educating the world, one farmer at a time.

AppLab Application 4: Clinic Finder and Health Tips

Text messages are used to spread information about basic ailments, AIDS, HIV, locations to the nearest clinic, etc., to patients as well as people who may be interested in gaining such knowledge. (Read about another health-care initiative by Grameen)

The benefit: poor health is a major concern and source of cash outflow for the poor. This service will ensure people get quick first aid, and can take the right preventative measures to ensure better health standards. The user’s privacy is a bonus.

These services are simply the tip of the iceberg that is yet to be explored by Grameen Foundation and service partners of AppLab. Can you think of any other service that may be helpful?

(Guest post by Fehmeen, Microfinance Hub)