Vincentian Family collaboration at UN

Student managers from the Tobin College of Business undergraduate Global Loan Opportunities for Budding Entrepreneurs (GLOBE) Program were invited to present at the Fiftieth Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

The students and Dr. Linda Sama, director of the GLOBE Program (St. John’s University), were invited by the Sisters of Charity Federation and Daughters of Charity to discuss how GLOBE’s microcredit program promotes social justice and contributes to systemic improvements in economic development in impoverished countries.

The Daughters have a long-standing relationship with the College and work collaboratively with the GLOBE students. Acting as field partners, they recommend loan candidates, distribute funds and help collect loan repayments from the entrepreneurs in their communities. Students manage all the program’s operational details and set strategy for the program going forward with the guidance of Dr. Sama and the GLOBE Steering Committee. After the presentation, the students were given the opportunity to participate in Q&A and network with representatives from numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

“The NGO communities at the United Nations were extremely receptive and welcoming of GLOBE. Dr. Sama’s engaging performance allowed them to understand the workings and objectives of GLOBE, both as an academic course offered at St. John’s and as a non-profit organization. Our mission is not only to raise funds to provide micro-loans to women and men living in extreme poverty but to create a system of poverty alleviation so that they may live dignified lives,” said Stephanie Pereira Lima, the current marketing and fundraising team liaison for GLOBE, as she reflected on her experience.

John Kenny, another GLOBE student manager, adds “the presentation at the U.N was an invaluable and humbling experience. Sharing the potential of the GLOBE program to implement systemic change illustrated how much opportunity the Tobin College of Business presents for its students, just as GLOBE presents so much opportunity for its borrowers.”

The CSocD is a functional commission of the economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. It’s Fiftieth Session of the Commission for Social Development convened February 1-10, 2012, focusing on the theme of “Poverty Eradication.” The session included evaluation of significant U.N. plans and programs of action concerning the situation of numerous social groups. The Commission’s main directive is to advise the ECOSOC, Governments and NOGs on social policy issues and the social viewpoint of development.

“At the U.N., GLOBE student managers were able to have conversations with people who work daily with the issues of poverty and social injustice that the GLOBE program seeks to address through microcredit.  It was an exciting and eye-opening experience for them to present their views in such distinguished company and at this venerable institution,” highlighted Dr. Linda Sama, GLOBE founder and director, about the significance of this opportunity for Tobin students.

GLOBE’s mission is to help alleviate poverty in developing countries by providing small business loans to entrepreneurs in impoverished areas who would otherwise not have access to traditional forms of credit. Simultaneously, GLOBE students learn about the intricacies of micro-lending policies in the developing world and the value of business in helping the poor to help themselves.

More information on GLOBE