The five years that my wife and I spent in the Peace Corps formed the defining moments of my personal and professional life. Americans are, in general, geographically challenged, and find it difficult to development an appreciation of other cultures and an understanding of different political, social and economic systems. The Peace Corps enabled me to immerse myself in two distinctly different cultures and formed the basis of my cultural awareness of all organisational entities - large and small. As to bringing peace as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I think that the organisation is really about awareness and understanding for both the Americans who go overseas and the people with whom they come into contact. That said, Peace Corps Volunteers, for 45 years, have been involved in an incalculable number of projects that have attempted to deal with the economic, social and cultural issues of poverty. I personally believe that there is a direct relationship between economic empowerment, especially among women, and the ability of people to live free from conflict - one definition of peace.
An Interview with Tunisia RPCV Jerald Posman, Vice President and COO at York College of the City University of New York and a columnist of the New York Times
Yunus international scholarship
Rashidul Bari
Jerald Posman, the Vice President and COO at York College of the City University of New York, and a columnist of the New York Times-gave this interview to Rashidul Bari, an author and a Biographer of Muhammad Yunus. In this interview Prof. Posman talks about Yunus International Scholarship and Yunus' politics…
Rashidul Bari: You were involved in two Ivy League School, Harvard and Columbia - first as a student, second as an instructor. Tell me the significance of being Ivy League student. What it takes to become successful like you?
Jerald Posman: I received my undergraduate degree in English Literature from the City College of New York and my MBA from the Harvard Business School. I was lucky to be accepted to both institutions and my experiences at both were equally helpful in shaping my career. Education, like entrepreneurship, is all about seizing opportunities and making the most of them. I found students in both places to be exceptionally talented, eager to learn and to strive for success in both their personal and professional lives.
My interaction with students at Columbia Teachers College, where I used to teach, was much like my experiences in meeting and speaking with students at York College. The Ivy League colleges and their students are no different than those in institutions of public higher education. It is all about seizing opportunities and maximising potential.
Bari: In 1960s you work for New York Times. What role you played while working for the most prestigious Newspaper in the world.
Posman: I started working at the New York Times when I was a student at City College. I had been sports editor of the college newspaper and when an opportunity arose to take a lower level job - at the Times, I jumped at the opportunity. I worked at the Times for five years, first in more menial capacities and then became a sports statistician and eventually did write some sports stories. It was a wonderful learning experience to be part of the best journalistic organisation in the world.
My time at the Times taught me how to get ideas across in writing and do it cogently and concisely. It also gave me a sense of the quality standards that superior organisations develop to shape the culture of an institution.
Bari: During the late 60s you worked in the Peace Corps, in Tunisia and then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)? Did you accomplish any peace? Is Peace related with poverty? If so why?
Posman: The five years that my wife and I spent in the Peace Corps formed the defining moments of my personal and professional life. Americans are, in general, geographically challenged, and find it difficult to development an appreciation of other cultures and an understanding of different political, social and economic systems. The Peace Corps enabled me to immerse myself in two distinctly different cultures and formed the basis of my cultural awareness of all organisational entities - large and small.
As to bringing peace as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I think that the organisation is really about awareness and understanding for both the Americans who go overseas and the people with whom they come into contact. That said, Peace Corps Volunteers, for 45 years, have been involved in an incalculable number of projects that have attempted to deal with the economic, social and cultural issues of poverty. I personally believe that there is a direct relationship between economic empowerment, especially among women, and the ability of people to live free from conflict - one definition of peace.
Bari: You worked more than a decade as a Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance of CUNY. Did you play any significant role to uplift the quality of education?
Posman: As I have said, the two pillars of my professional life have been education and entrepreneurship. I was Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance of CUNY in the 1970s during the worst fiscal crisis in New York City's history. Dealing with that crisis brought about a major weakening of the quality of education and disrupted the lives of students, faculty and staff. I spent eight years after this crisis working with a team of committed individuals to restore the prestige and academic recognition of CUNY.
Through the work of many individuals, but especially CUNY's Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, CUNY today is a vibrant higher education institution with exceptional programmes, faculty and students.
Bari: You have been Deputy Chancellor for Administrative Affairs of New York City Board of Education. Could you tell us why the high school education is declining?
Posman: I was the Deputy Chancellor for Administrative Affairs of the New York City Board of Education for 3 ˝ years. When I was there twenty years ago, this massive system served more than one million students in 1200 schools with a multi-billion budget. Education at the elementary and secondary in New York City is very complex involving now only what happens in the schools but also what takes place in students' homes and their communities.
I do not believe that high school education is declining but, at the same time, it is not improving at a rapid enough pace. New York City schools need more resources, better prepared teachers, more skilled administrators and related social services for students. The current Mayor and school administration is moving in the right direction but it will take time to ensure that the system serves all students in the best way. Our society - as all societies - must make a real commitment to the value of education. This commitment often turns out to be more rhetoric than reality.
Bari: How you know about Muhammad Yunus?
Posman: Several years ago, I was doing consulting work with a nonprofit international organisation that was interested in becoming more involved with microfinance programmes. It was in this context that I read Banker to the Poor. I followed that up with books and articles about Prof. Yunus. Since I had experienced the benefits of entrepreneurship, I was struck by the power of the "universal right to credit" and the implications of not only how economic empowerment could address the issue of individual poverty but its effect on the family and the community.
I was impressed by three aspects of Prof. Yunus's work. The first is the power of simple concepts if implemented correctly. The second was how a powerful idea can be generated anywhere in the world and build momentum based on perceivable positive results. The third, of course, is the crucial nature of leadership.
Bari: The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award him for his efforts to create economic and social development from below. Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Do you agree with these judgments?
Posman: Absolutely! However, I believe that the concept has to be wedded to a clear-headed, rational process of implementation. There are many wonderful ideas but no one has figured out how, practically, to make them happen. That to me is what differentiates Prof. Yunus's programmes.
Bari: Yunus often says he will put poverty into museum by 2025. Do you think such things are possible?
Posman: I am not sure. I am a person who believes that the journey is as important as the destination. The journey - putting into place different programmes of economic, social and educational development - might prove as important as striving to reach the importance of the destination - the elimination of poverty. I think the goal - with a time attached - is important - but I also admire the different paths that people develop and take to get there.
Bari: Recently, Prof. Yunus has declared that he is no longer interested creating the political party Nagorik Shakti (Citizens' Power) in his native Bangladesh, Do you think this is a good idea?
Posman: I have read about Bangladeshi politics but like most outsiders I am not sure I understand the endemic political problems facing the country. There appears to be a deep distrust of both the political system and its leadership. The analogy to Prof. Yunus's involvement as a non-politician is the role that the Czech writer Vaclav Havel played in his country after the overthrow of the Communist regime. Having worked in the political system, I realise how difficult it is to bring about change -especially in the country like Bangladesh. However, I am still optimistic that someday people in Bangladesh will understand the importance of Yunus' vision and embrace Nagorik Sokti(Did I utter it correctly Bari?).
Bari: Recently you had a meeting with Dr. Yunus where you declared launching a scholarship programme tribute to Muhammad Yunus.
Posman: Yes. The Muhammad Yunus International Scholarship has two parts. First, MYIS at York College involve two distinct programmes with the same aim of building relationships between Bangladesh and the United States and, where possible, increasing understanding and awareness of Grameen-style social business entrepreneurship. Each year MYIS are for five Bangladeshi students, the children of Grameen members to study and complete their baccalaureate degrees at York College. The scholarship would involve full tuition ($8000 annually for international students) and a monthly living stipend to be determined but probably between $500 and $1000 per month.
Second, two-month summer internship programme for five York College students and five students from a Bangladeshi University who are children of Grameen members.A committee made up of York and representatives of Yunus would jointly choose the interns. These internships would be highly competitive and based on credits accumulated toward graduation, academic achievement, references, an essay and a specific interest related to the principles articulated by Yunus and put into practice by Grameen entities.
Bari: You have hundreds of Nobel laureates in the United States including nine from your own university-CUNY. So why Yunus?
Posman: Nobody has done as much to address the problem of world poverty and to empower women as Muhammad Yunus. He created a movement, started in a tiny rural villige called Jobra sometime in 1974 and with in thirty years it has changed both the life and role of millions of women throughout the world.
I met with many Head of the States including Bill Clinton. However, I never felt as good as I feel meeting with Muhammad Yunus. When I met him, I felt like I meet with Gandhi or Dr. King.
Bari: New York is called Mecca of prestigious universities. Why then CUNY?
Posman: (Smile…because the school of Rashidul Bari -smile again) There are many reasons York is important and unique. It has the affiliation with 23-campus City University system; Small size yet 44 major fields of study; International population; Presence of 200 students born in Bangladesh; Situated in borough of Queens - most diverse county in U.S. - with large Bangladeshi population.
Bari: Thank you Mr. Vice President.
(Rashidul Bari, biographer of Muhammad Yunus, is a Bangladeshi born writer based in the United States. )
