If you are reading this, it is probably because you care about the work, life, and safety of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. If so, those of us involved in helping keep him safe welcome you into the “Protect Yunus” campaign.
We have identified several action steps that any citizen can take to help our cause. They are:
- Take a photo of yourself with a sign or piece of paper that has the words #IStandWithYunus and post it on social media. Think creatively about where you could take it. For example, in front of a Bangladesh embassy or consulate, if one is near you. Or simply in your home or neighborhood. Here is an example on Twitter of what you can do.
- Circulate the January 2024 open letter to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister by 243 Global Leaders including 125 Nobel laureates, and also an early August 2023 letter, to your friends, colleagues, and associates, and urge others to take action in support of it.
- You can also circulate the Protect Yunus Campaign’s statement about the unjust verdict against Professor Yunus on January 1, 2024 that carries a prison sentence of six months.
- Add your name as a concerned citizen wishing to endorse and sign the August 2023 open letter by sending your name, country, and city to this email address: protectmdyunus@gmail.com. Those writing from Bangladesh may not want to include the name of their city in order to protect their identity. We will list individuals in the order in which they send us their requests to join as co-signers along with the more than 160 original signers, including more than 100 Nobel laureates. Unless you indicate otherwise in your message, we will add you to our mailing list so you can receive future updates and calls to action.
- Write to your elected representatives at the federal level (such as your Congressperson and Senators if you live in the United States) and urge them to take action in support of Professor Yunus and human rights in Bangladesh.
- Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the Bangladesh government’s treatment of Professor Yunus and the human rights situation there generally (you can read about the human rights issues in Bangladesh here).
- Follow the PY Yunus Campaign on Twitter to stay informed, and retweet our postings.
- Get involved with some of the great organizations Professor Yunus has started in the United States, such as Grameen Foundation and Grameen America, and ones advocating for and advancing social business and sustainable change globally. For those under 35 years of age, form or join a “Three Zero Club”.
- Make a financial contribution to the Protect Yunus Campaign to help us sustain our efforts (which is tax deductible, to the maximum extent allowable by law, for U.S. taxpayers).
We welcome your suggestions about how we can best work together to protect Professor Yunus. You can email us anytime at protectmdyunus@gmail.com.