EVENT TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES

SEATTLE, Wash., April 29, 2008 – Sponsored by the Puget Sound Millennium Goals Project, a Seattle-based consortium of public action organizations, and the Center for Global Studies of the Jackson School at the University of Washington, this upcoming forum will feature a panel discussion with leaders from organizations devoted to alleviating global poverty through microfinance. Through the panel discussion and exhibits, attendees will have an opportunity to become involved and learn more about the U.N. Millennium Development Goals and how microfinance is bringing opportunity to people living in poverty.

Event:   "U.N. Millennium Development Goals and Microcredit: How Small Loans Support     

               Sustainable Development"

Date:     Thursday, May 29, 2008

Time:     6:30–9:00 p.m.

Place:    Kane Hall 220 and the Walker Ames Room 225, University of Washington

This event is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsors include Oikocredit Support NW; the ONE Campaign; Opportunity International; RESULTS and Jeff Keenan, co-author of “Our Day to End Poverty.”

Panelists include:

• Rick Beckett, CEO of Global Partnerships
• Peter Bladin, VP of Grameen Foundation and Director of Grameen Technology Center
• Terry Provance, Executive Director of Oikocredit USA
• Sangita Sigdyal, Deputy Director of the Microcredit Summit Campaign
• Carol Welch, former US Coordinator of the UN Millennium Campaign

The forum will be moderated by KIRO TV news anchor and reporter, Penny LeGate.

The eight United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted by world leaders in September 2000 to address problems that hinder human well-being and that are sources of global instability. The year 2015 is the deadline set to achieve them. This forum is the second in a series of planned events to be held in Seattle addressing the goals.

For further information on the Puget Sound Millennium Goals Project, visit http://psmgp.nfshost.com/

###