U.S. President Barack Obama has bestowed the country's highest civilian honor - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - to 16 people for their extraordinary contributions to the nation and world.
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Bangladesh who pioneered "micro-loans" is one of the recipients.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is granted to individuals whose work greatly contributes to the security or national interest of the United States, world peace, culture or other significant endeavors.
In an interview with Voice of America, Dr. Yunus said he is honored to receive this award from President Obama - who has inspired so many and proved any dream can be fulfilled.
Dr. Yunus spoke about the health care reform in USA as well as Bangladesh. He said he discussed it with the president as well as the First Lady Michelle Obama.
He also spoke about GRAMEEN program in Afghanistan and said - "there are micro financing program already operating in Afghanistan and the largest NGO in the world, BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) of Bangladesh is working in Afghanistan, so GRAMEEN has a possibility to work with Afghan government, as they had started working in Kosovo right after the war, GRAMEEN has programs in Colombia - where the people are fighting another kind of war, the drug war.
